A TASTE OF CHRISTMAS

All rights reserved.

This work is entirely fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental & is highly regretted by the author. You can reach me at infoleric@gmail.com

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            JOY

“The First Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds
in fields as they lay;
In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel”.

It was a cold chilly day on 25^th December 2013, the harmattan haze was in full swing. Twelve year old Joy Akan stood on the altar of “Mountain of Christ” church with a microphone in her hand. She was the lead vocalist of the children’s choir and her task was to solo the verses of the The first Noel Christmas carol. Choosing a good soloist for the song had been a hectic task for aunty Peace the choir mistress as there was fierce competition among the choir members. The contest was mainly between Joy and Tina. Both of them had good voices but Joy’s voice was slightly better than Tina’s own. During the rehearsals Aunty Peace had to call for a vote to pick one of them. Tina had a snobbish attitude and so naturally majority of the choir members voted for Joy.

The 15 members of the children’s choir looked angelic and beautiful, they were all dressed smartly in their splendid christmas clothes with the traditonal red & white Santa claus hats.

The church was decorated with Christmas decorations. Fresh evergreen wreaths and ribbons hung on the front door to welcome the worshippers. Jingle bells, pines and berries were stringed along the windows, a multi coloured painting of the scene of the nativity was displayed on the church altar, fresh greens and balloons hung on the end of the church pews added a festive look to the worship space.

Joy looked out into the crowd of worshippers, the sea of eyes made her a little bit unnerved and edgy. The church was filled to capacity as expected on Christmas day. She could see the smiling but anxious face of her mother on the second row, Bobby her one year old brother was sitting next to her mom. She could see his small shiny head and the movement of his mouth indicated that he was chewing on a snack. He was looking at her, she had told him earlier in the day that Santa claus will visit the house & drop a gift for him if he follows her to church.

 Booby had refused to be dressed up for church, he had been watching Spongebob squarepants cartoon on tv and had kicked against going to church. Now she knew he was expectant that a gift will be waiting for him at home.

Her dad was sitting on his favourite pew in the third row, he had a serious look on his face. Joy knew that sequestered somewhere in the crowd was Uncle Mark their neighbor who lives two blocks away from them and who attends church only two times in a year; the Christmas service and New year service. He had agreed to be at the service early enough to watch her take the solo. David her elder brother had skipped church and was busy at home playing with his playstation3 game console.

With a high pitched voice she sang into the microphone.

“They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night”.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel!”.

The choir ended the third verse in a climax and received a thunderous applause from the congregation. Joy saw her dad and mum smiling, she knew they were proud of her, her Christmas meal portion will double in size. The choir took a bow and went back to their seats.

Reverend James the parish priest got up to give the sermon. He was a tall man with a solemn looking face. He looked dazzling in his priestly robe and began his sermon on “the essence of love and giving in the Christmas season”.

“Joy look at Mercy’s dress, it is too big for her!” Ekemini whispered to Joy as she nudging her with her elbow. Ekemini was Joy’s friend and also a member of  the choir.

Joy took a quick glance at Mercy who was sitting on her extreme right on the second row and replied;

It looks a little too big for her but it is okay”.

The children were busy admiring each other’s Christmas clothes and frowning if their rival dresses looked nicer than theirs. Some of them wore their Christmas dresses complete with the designer labels sticking out.

Joy looked at Gina who gave her a sour look and turned away. Joy shrugged her shoulder, Tina was still mad at her for being chosen to solo the carol song, maybe they will never become friends.

“Look at Mary, she is wearing the same old dress on Christmas day” Ekemini said pointing to a dark haired girl on the back row.

“Leave her alone! Joy replied, she was becoming miffed with Ekemini’s vain nature. Mary’s parents were casual labourers and had six children. They struggled to feed and clothe their kids. Joy liked Mary because she was a humble girl who always had a cheerful face. She was going to invite Mary for Christmas dinner.

Joy thought about the day’s activities. After church they will head home for Christmas lunch, the delicious fried rice salad with chicken and turkey meat was waiting for them. Home had been tastefully decorated for Christmas. A sparkling Christmas tree was standing in the center of the sitting room with an effigy of Santa claus on top of it. Christmas carols will be playing on the Music player. Dad had stocked the fridge with assorted drinks.

Towards the evening some relations and family friends will begin visiting and the food and drinks will flow. She disliked the way her dad calls her to come out to greet every guest that comes. It has been a long while since she last saw her cousins, she hoped aunty Mfonobong will bring Idara and Oto her cousins when she comes visiting. She hoped to catch a glimpse of the masquerades that will parade the streets in the neighbourhood. Later in the evening Dad will take her and Bobby to the central park for a fun time at the Indomie Christmas fiesta. David often declined to join them as he uses that time to throw firecrackers with his buddies in the street.

“Jesus Christ is the reason for the season, let’s us rise to our feet and thank God for sending his son to die for us, let us also ask him to give us a specific gift this Christmas season”, Rev James admonished his congregation.

They rose to their feet and the prayer train was on. Joy prayed that God should keep and protect her family and friends, she prayed for Uncle Imoh and his wife residing in USA, they had been looking for a child for 5 yrs, she prayed for twins for them.

At the end of closing benediction, it was time to exchange Christmas wishes and gifts. As the congregation went around exchanging banters, shaking hands, hugging each other, the church band struck up a tune;

“Feliz navidad, feliz navidad

I wanna wish you a merry Christmas

I wanna wish you a merry Christmas

From the bottom of my heart!”.

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          DANNY 
 Danny removed two marijuana leaves from the small can on the shelf. He placed them on a small square sized paper and rolled it into a long strip. He took the lighter lying on top of the wooden shelf and lit it up. He took a long puff and inhaled deeply, his rib cage expanded as the smoke filled his lungs. He closed his eyes and exhaled, the smoke came out through his mouth and nostrils. After taking five puffs, the familiar feeling of highness was setting in.

It was 6:30 am on 25^th December 2013. Christmas day meant nothing to Danny. He was seating inside his small gloomy and drab looking room. His few possessions were scattered around. A threadbare curtain covered the tiny window in the room, a mattress was on the floor, a faded “Ghana must go” bag filled with rumpled clothes, a small transistor radio with a broken pole laid on the floor, two worn out pairs of palm sandals & a black cover shoe laid by the side of the door. His cutlery was inside a basket placed on top of the wooden shelf.

Danny was a hustler or in more precise terms a motor park tout who earned his living by loading vehicles at Rainbow motor park and engaging in any racket that came along. He sluggishly got up to his feet to prepare for the day’s hustle.

He grabbed the blue bucket outside the room, draped a small towel around his neck and walked along the dark narrow corridor that led to the bathroom at the backyard. The compound was quiet as most of the tenants had travelled home for the Christmas celebrations.

The bathroom was an enclosure at the back of the building separated from the block of rooms by a small clump of bush. It was a roofed structure with cement walls. Danny slipped on the floor where green algae and molds were growing luxuriantly and cursed out as he regained his balance. He searched the wooden support to see if anybody had left him a tiny bar of soap to bath with. Luckily he found one.

At 8 am he was ready for the day’s hustle. Wearing a faded torn jean with a large sized tee shirt and a bandana tied round his head, he hit the streets. The total amount of money on him was N300, breakfast will have to come later in the day.

“Adiok uno fien!! He cursed as a car narrowly missed him on the road.

“Ol boy you never travel go see your people for villa?” Don Pedro one of the touts at the park asked him.

“Money no dey, you sef you no wan go church?” he queried Don Pedro.

They both laughed out loud, none of them could remember when last they attended any church service.

“This Christmas get as e be, e dry pass stockfish”…another tout “Money boy” said as he joined them. He had bloodshot eyes and a cigarette stick was hanging between his lips.

“Drivers just dey stingy, dem talk say dem neva see passenger load” Don pedro said.

“Money boy” cut in…….“Devil on road” dey owe N200, i load im bus last nite e no wan pay my commission, make i see am today i swear i go flat im tire! He threatened.

A young man and his wife came to board the bus Danny was loading to Eket. They had three lovely children with them dressed in splendid clothes. Danny watched them from a corner with admiration and nostalgia. The kids reminded him of his childhood.

He was once like those kids, he had good clothes and toys and celebrated Christmas, his dad even drove a car. One day which was the saddest day of his life, he lost both of his parents in a ghastly motor accident. Things went downhill for him from that point. His paternal uncle came and took him away. One night, tired of being treated as a slave by the uncle and the wife, he stole N500 from his uncle’s purse and ran out, never to come back.

Christmas celebration was not for people like him. How do you celebrate Christmas with only three hundred naira in your pocket?

Two buses loaded with young men & women suddenly drove into the park. Melodious Christmas carols were sounding in the speakers attached to the bus. The young men and women wore branded tee shirts with a logo and “Radicals for Christ” inscribed on them. They had only one message, a man with a microphone in his hands was saying;

“We have come to celebrate Christmas with you all, join us!”

The touts and drivers viewed them with suspicion. However the gaiety of the youths and the sight of the food items lured out the few touts and drivers in the park. They approached the invaders.

Some of  the “radicals” were handing out packages of rice, some others were giving out cans of soft drinks and others were handing out hand bills. Danny collected four packages of rice and three cans of soft drink. One of the females distributing the handbills was counseling him.

“Jesus came to die for our sins to make our lives better. He is the reason why we are celebrating Christmas. You need to give your life to Christ to experience freedom from the devil and his agents”.

Danny was paying rapt attention to her. He was struck by the simplicity of her message and was ready to do anything to experience what she was saying. The lady looked attractive to him.

“Can you read? She asked him.

“Yes i fit read small”

She handed him a small bible study booklet and said “come to our prayer meeting on Saturday by 5 pm at this address on the handbill”.

He gave her his phone number.

Danny sat under the shade at the ticket counter, his cheeks bulging with the hot peppered rice and bulky meat. He came to a conclusion in his mind that Christmas was worth celebrating after all.

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           CARLOS

Carlos Eteng drove slowly on the road in his Toyota Camry. It was 7 pm on 25^th December 2013 Christmas day. Traffic was a bit slow as many vehicles were on the road. He admired the refined splendor of Christmas decorations in the streets of Uyo. He saw Christmas symbols everywhere as he drove past flashing neon lights at shopping malls, supermarkets and streetlights with breaktaking features . Carlos was coming into town to meet Eva his fiancée for a quiet Christmas dinner at Magnet lounge.

He eyed the glove box of the car which contained the engagement ring he had bought for the special dinner.  He had made up his mind to propose to Eva tonight. They have been dating for one year and were both ready to settle down.

Carlos had rehearsed and practiced the scene many times in his mind; “go down on your knees and pop the question, catch her unawares and she will say Yes!”.

 He had the assurance that Eva won’t say “No” to him. He was a top management staff of an investment bank with very bright prospects, Eva a university of Uyo undergraduate will rush at the offer.

The dating book he read claimed that the best time to propose to any female was on Christmas day as Christmas was borne out of love and therefore the spirit of the season will compel anybody to accept a love/marriage offer.

As he turned into Ikot Ekpene road, a car suddenly veered off its course and rammed into his side. He hastily pressed the brakes and engaged the steering wheel to make an instant u-turn resulting in the screeching of the tires. Just at the moment another car came speeding down on its way towards him. A crash was inevitable.

“Jesus!!!!!” He screamed.

The impact of the crash threw him against the front wheel, fortunately the seat belt held him in check. His car was wrecked.

“Cut the seatbelt to take him out!” “Take him to the hospital”, “He is still alive”, “No leave him alone”…those were the voices Carlos heard in his state of semi-consciousness, they were the bystanders & sympathizers that came around the scene of the crash.

Carlos opened his eyes and found himself lying on a hospital bed.

Eva sat by his side teary eyed. She had received a call around 8pm by a doctor informing her about Carlo’s accident. They had found his cell phone in his pocket and called her, he had stored her number as “Fiancee”.

She had rushed to the hospital and met a nurse who directed her to Dr Adewale. The doctor assured her that all the necessary scans and checks have been done on Carlos and that they found nothing serious. He said it was a Christmas miracle that Carlos survived the crash unscathed. They were only monitoring him and treating him for shock.

Carlos called on Eva softly. He felt light headed as the effect of the crash was waning.

“Thank God you are awake dear! Eva said as she rushed to his side.

“I am sorry dear, you will be fine. The doctor said you’ll be discharged tomorrow. She took his hands in hers and gave him an encouraging squeeze.

“I am glad I am alive” Carlos said, where is the ring? he asked weakly.

What ring?

It suddenly registered in his mind that the ring was in the car. He had to propose to her tonight. He sat up on the bed propping the pillow for support.

 “Will you marry me Eva? He popped the question fast.

She looked overwhelmed with the question and paused for a long while.

“Yes dear, any time, anywhere!!” she blurted out, her eyes wild with surprise and excitement.

A warm embrace followed.

“I am sorry the engagement ring is inside the wrecked car, I would have….

“It is okay dear” she assured him.

Carlos gave out a sigh of relief, it has been an eventfull Christmas day. The car had been insured and will be replaced in no time. It was a memorable Christmas day.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la la la la!
'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la!
Don we now our happy apparel, Fa la la la la la la la!
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la la la la!"

THE END.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS.  Thanks for taking time out to read each and every one of my stories this year, may God richly bless you all. Expect more from me in 2014. Don’t forget to show someone some love this season.