Uchay Writes

As it’s the Christmas season, I thought it fitting to share this experience I had. It is based on the time my brother and I had to be Mary and Joseph for a Nativity set up at our church.

A Nativity to Remember

I frowned at the task and said nothing, but my younger brother didn’t hold back with his feelings of dismay. “Why though? Couldn’t they get someone else to do it? It’s so far!” he whined, and I agreed. Travelling all the way from our warm, comfy home in Bow, East London all the way to South Kensington in Central London on a cold December evening, just to play dress up, seemed a bit much. “Stop complaining, it’s only for 30 minutes!”  Dad snapped. 

We got on the district line at Bromley-by-Bow and huddled together in our seats. I watched the other passengers enter and exit the 16 stops we passed through. I observed them in their own little worlds:

• A young man wearing headphones that were so loud that you could hear the high shrills of Mariah Carey’s voice
• A couple with their son who was wearing a fluffy Santa hat
• A young woman holding an M&S bag with rolls of vibrant wrapping paper poking out the top

Everyone seemed to be in the Christmas mood, or at least seemed happy, which was a nice change from the dreary, irritated mood that Londoners usually exuded.

We got off at South Kensington and made our way down the tunnel, it was filled with music from a busker, who was also grasped by the Christmas spirit as he played a guitar rendition of ‘The First Noel’.

As we got out of the tunnel, we were faced with what we were dreading. At the end of the ramp which led up to Hyde Park Stake Centre was the Nativity Scene. My brother and I eyed up the scene as we crossed the road. It was like a human size version of a room in a doll house. It was filled with hay and animal statues. In the middle were two squares of hay which I figured out is where we would sit and a little cot where a doll lay.

We headed up the ramp, entered the building, and were greeted with the warmth of the Visitor’s centre, and exchanged hellos with the doorman and a couple missionary.

“You excited?” The Sister missionary asked in her sickly-sweet American accent.

My brother and I forced a smile and nodded as the Elder missionary went behind the desk and pulled out a bundle of clothes -they looked more like rags- I thought.

They were big enough to go over our coats and we went back outside down the ramp to the nativity scene. We sat down on the stacks of hay which were oddly comfortable. The Sister picked up the doll and handed it to me. “Here, hold baby Jesus” she said.

I held the doll in my arms, and I looked up at my brother who was trying not to snigger. 

20 minutes had passed, and my brother and I were chatting away to our Dad. We had forgotten our annoyance with traveling in the cold for this Mary and Joseph cosplay. Apart from a couple of people who had given strange looks, most had smiled at us, taken pictures, or even engaged in small talk.

I then saw a woman walk up to us and pause. She looked at the nativity scene, then at the doll, then at my dad, then at us. 

“Are you guys okay? You’re not cold?” She asked. I would have liked to say she sounded concerned but even at my young age I could hear the slight attitude in her voice.

I replied with a small smile, “Yeah we’re fine we’re wearing coats underneath”

“They’re okay they haven’t been out here long” My Dad added, his eyebrows slightly raised.

She paused again; arms folded.

“How can you have a white baby?” She asked and then gave a dry laugh.

My Dad stepped towards us, sensing her troublesome tone, and shrugged. “It’s only a representation of the Nativity, doesn’t matter” he pulled a tight smile.

She didn’t say anything more and continued to scan the scene for a few seconds before walking off.

“What was that all about?” My dad joked, and we giggled at the odd interaction. 

After a few more minutes of joking around and laughter, the couple missionary had reappeared, said our shift was done, and thanked us for our service. My brother and I took off the costumes and handed them back with genuine smiles on our faces. We had fun. A Nativity to remember.