It Came on a Midnight Clear
(12/20/2008)

“No,” growls the imposing man in the doorway.

“But, sir, there must be something. My wife …”

“No, nothing. Go before I call …”

“AAAAAHHHHHH,” cries out the pregnant woman. She curls slightly during the pain. She looks up weakly, “I think it’s time.”

The man in doorway says nothing, suspicious of the show. Water pours from the woman’s underside. This spurs him into action. He calls into the house, “Wife! Send for the midwife and get out here.” Compassion in his eyes, he looks to the man comforting his pregnant wife.

A small woman brushes past him, “Husband! What are you doing? She needs a place to lie down. Give her some room.”

“We have none.”

“Are you stupid? Have you filled everything?”

“AAAaHHHH!”

They both look to her, and then he nods. The wife of the house looks to the husband of the woman in her arms, “We must get her something soft to lie on. You! Get to the stable and fetch me some hay.”

“No.” His wife looks to him with scorn, but the man of the house continues, “The stable is empty save the animals. Take her there.” The two women hurry around the place to the back.

The two men face each other and husband of the one in labor heads in the direction of his wife. The man of the house calls after him, “You will pay me for that room.”

The younger man finds the alcove where his wife is lying on the hay. He gives a quick thank you to the Almighty. Shortly the midwife arrives and shoos him away.

From a safe distance, he hears his wife grunt and groan and cry out. Desperately he wants to be by her side comforting her, but he knows it cannot be so. Hours pass while he prays for his wife and her safety.

At last a new voice joins the group in a pitiful wail. The new father waits a few minutes to be safe and then approaches. On his way, he meets the other wife as she heads back to her residence. She nods permission.

He approaches his wife and new son. The baby is wrapped in a tattered rag. Maybe an animal blanket, he guesses. He surrounds her tired body with his arms while she holds their child. She leans into his chest with a small smile.

With her eyes closed, she quietly sings a song that he has heard recently since her return from her aunt’s house. The baby starts breathing regularly. She gently moves him to the feeding trough using it as a little bed. Then she curls up in her man’s lap. Her song fades as she begins to sleep as well.

“Is this the place,” an unrecognized voice asks. The husband jerks a little at the voice. The wife stirs while waking up.

He looks up to the shepherds looking around, a second shepherd answers the first, “This has to be it. There’s the new baby just like they said.”

Another chimes in, “Yes, this is them and him. I can tell.”

The first gets excited, “We’ve got to tell everyone about this.” The rest of the group gets equally excited and agrees. They race off into the night shouting at the top of their lungs waking everyone up.

Grateful that the noise is going farther away the mother looks up at her husband and smiles. He kisses her forehead, “Mary, this is one amazing child.”

“Yes, Joseph, he will be great and do great things.”