THe Nativity Play

 

It was Christmas Eve, the streets were festooned with colored streamers, stars and other ornaments. Work was slow Amal and Rumi chose to take time off to collect some medical reports from the hospital before the celebrations began.

They arrived early only to find a long line had snaked its way out from the waiting hall to the long corridor. Barely had they managed to squeeze a place on the bench when Amal felt a hand on his shoulder. His first thought was that he wouldn’t give up his place but it was a woman’s voice, “I need to go out urgently for a few minutes.” 

The woman disappeared thrusting a soft bundle in his lap. It was an infant who beamed back with a beatific smile. Amal prodded Rumi, “I‘ve been left holding a baby.” Rumi looked around nervously, “Where is this woman. We need to return the baby. You know how suspicious people are and will imagine we are kidnappers.”

 “Calm down. You always imagine the worst? After all it’s her baby.”

 Rumi got up and started scanning the room before there could be any trouble. Their names had been called and Amal transferred the bundle to Rumi and rushed to meet the doctor.

By then the crowds had thinned but the woman was still nowhere around. “The baby has to be returned to some responsible authority,” urged Rumi. Amal realized the gravity of the situation and walked towards one of the hospital staff manning the gates.

 The guard was suspicious as soon as he heard that they were not the caregivers. “This is a serious matter not to be taken lightly at all. You should go immediately to the help desk at the main office.”

 The office was overcrowded there were people milling around the desks and outshouting one another. Confused by the turn of events Amal didn’t know exactly whom to approach. Finally he found an empty space in front of one of the desks and asked hesitantly. “A woman asked me to mind her baby for a bit but she hasn’t returned. Where should we deposit the baby?”

The man at the desk was taken aback, “What made you do this? Are you in your right mind?  The police can take you in to custody. You look educated, haven’t you read messages warning people not to accept anything from strangers?”

Rumi replied crossly, “This is a baby and not a package. It was shoved in to our lap.”

“We aren’t equipped to deal with such matters. There is a police station outside the gates and it would be advisable to report at the earliest.”

The infant who had been sleeping blissfully unaware about all the confusion it had caused decided to wake up and announce its presence with a shrill cry that pierced through the surrounding din. All conversation was temporarily silenced. Red in the face, Rumi struggled with the infant that had changed to a wriggly and noisy creature. One of the by standers advised them, “Go to the children’s ward. The nurses there may be of help. Most probably the child is hungry.”

 Unable to calm the baby, they ran towards the hospital and hoped to leave it with some responsible authority.

Amal admitted “What if the police are suspicious and lock us up?” In a hurry and breathless they almost collided with a woman who stood midway on the steps. She took the weeping infant and held on to Amal’s hand. “Where did you disappear?”

“What do you mean? You are the one who vanished without a word.”

 “I didn’t think I would be gone for so long and it would be close to feeding time.”  

Rumi prodded Amal, “Time to go. We have had enough drama for one day.”  

The woman looked sheepish and sounded apologetic, “Don’t get angry. I didn’t realize that it would take so long to meet the doctor. I was running late and had to ask my husband to take my niece for the Christmas play. He has a fruit stall near the gate but wasn’t there. All this took more time than expected and I was delayed.”  

Rumi was surprised by the woman’s reaction, “How did you choose to leave your child with us? The baby could be missing and lost forever?” 

“True I took a chance as you looked honest and decent not people with evil intentions.”

 Amal’s confidence in his fellow beings people was restored. In her hour of need, the woman hadn’t doubted the innate goodness of those around her. Mother and child were united and the baby nursed in silent contentment.

They hurried down the stairs and walked towards the parking area. Rumi heard a child’s cries that sounded familiar and it was the woman trying to balance a heavy bag and the infant.  She looked over her shoulder, Much against her better sense, she glanced over her shoulder and saw the woman flustered and smiling weakly.

 Rumi asked, “Should we give her a lift up to the gate?” 

“Are you sure she won’t saddle us with that shrieking creature?”

Rumi turned around and signaled and the woman was quick to follow. “We can drop you up to the gate as it is a long walk from here.”  The woman climbed in with her bag and belongings and as they neared the exit she interrupted, “I have to go to the building next to the church across the road. The traffic is heavy and it would help if you could drop me there.”

“You are not shy to ask are you?” said Rumi.

 “It isn’t really far away and you offered me a lift. My son has been selected to play the role of infant Jesu. My niece is one of the angels.  If you take me to the church hall then you can also watch the play.”

Rumi couldn’t get over the mother’s laid back attitude but Amal readily accepted the invitation. Rumi wasn’t keen but Amal stopped her midway. “May be it is her way of being contrite. It is Christmas Eve and the season for goodwill and peace. In any case we are late and another few minutes won’t make much difference.”

They entered the hall and the curtains opened on to a nativity scene and before long the infant started to cry. There was some confusion on the stage but a substitute was most probably being arranged.

 Rumi whispered,” It is a sign from heaven asking us to leave.”

 Amal sighed, “We were lucky that nothing untoward happened or we could have been in big trouble.”

”Did you learn a lesson? You must learn to be mindful. I guess you have realized that we escaped without any damage.”

Amal smiled quietly and was happy that random acts of kindness didn’t necessarily end in disaster

 

While on their way home Amal mentioned,” We got so caught up in all that rigmarole that we forgot to look at the test reports.”

 “I did and now it is our turn to announce and celebrate.”