The Modern Christmas Story

Chapter 1
   Mary woke to the sounds of a grating beeping noise. She picked up her phone pressing her phone on the required button and flopped back down. Mary looked at her stomach and ran her fingers over the large bump. She was blessed, literally. Though many did not believe her, because it is so hard to believe that in this age where teenagers and younger adults who are all supposedly – and stereotypically – addicted to smoking, alcohol, drugs and clubbing that a person could be given a gift by God.
   Mary screwed up her eyes as she heaved herself out of bed. Her baby kicked and she laughed. So many people told her that her baby was impossible, that he didn’t exist. Every day she proved everyone wrong. Everyday people either glared at her because they thought she was lying or hugged her and smiled with her, believing the monumental story of her and her fiancé, Joseph.
   Mary pulled on some of her horrible maternity wear from Gap and frowned at how awful she looked. She then applied some mascara and walked into the sitting room where she turned on the TV and switched to BBC 1 for the news. She frowned at one of the top stories, her eyebrows pulling together. The census had been bugging her for a while. Most people had already booked their rooms in hotels, and she and Joseph were going to Yorkshire. Everywhere would be so crowded, and she had already, half-heartedly admittedly, attempted to find a place.
   Also, her pretty broken down Ford Fiesta was the only car they had right now, as Joseph’s Fiat 500 was being fixed after another car had reversed into it at Sainsbury’s.            
   Quickly however, her mind was taken over by hunger.

Chapter 2
   John looked down at his Blackberry, as Matthew swiped his finger across his iPhone and Harry typed swiftly on the latest MacBook that Apple had to offer, whilst talking seemingly to himself, though really to his earpiece. Finally, the trio put their corresponding technology down and got to business.
   ‘The Three Wise Men’ had been a successful online gift company for years, specialising in exotic presents from the east, and not even the recession could do anything to stunt the success of the three friends.
   After the meeting, the three men trundled off to Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant on Brook Street, one of their regular haunts. Halfway through lunch though, a strange occurrence happened. Each phone of the three buzzed, with a strange message appearing.
North Yorkshire, 25th December, 00.00, the stable of Thomas Gillmore. Be there.
   The text, though rather odd, didn’t seem at all ominous or terrifying. In fact, to the three men, it seemed as inviting as a warm fire. So when they got back to the office they started the task of locating Thomas Gillmore.

Chapter 3
   Mary’s car crept along the road, rattling clanking, sighing with exhaust. The journey had already taken nearly six hours, even though the roads were clear. However, time was creeping closer and closer towards the TomTom’s estimated arrival time.
   Joseph looked over at Mary who was snoozing gently, and smiled. He turned forwards and kept his eyes on the road. Soon they were at their destination, and Joseph drove towards the closest hotel, but quickly moved on when he saw the car park. He became desperate in his search, until – after looking through every available corner – he found himself on the doorstep of a small farmhouse. Thomas Gillmore was the owner of the farm, and the only room he had was a stable. Though Joseph knew this wasn’t acceptable, there was no other option. He shook his wife awake.
   As Mary awoke, she felt a weird feeling in the lower part of her body. Suddenly, pain took over her body and it wasn’t Joseph that was making her body shake anymore. She cried out in agony, and expressed that her contractions had started. She felt Joseph pick her up and carry her across an open field, and even though she was in pain she couldn’t help rolling her eyes. Men…

Chapter 4
   A few farmers sitting together drinking beer laughed merrily together as they watched the football on the TV when a blinding light blasted through the window, forcing them to lift their hands up to their eyes. The angels that surrounded them, singing, told them to go to the farm of Thomas Gillmore, not a place that those farmers would normally go, because they believed he was far too stuck up, refusing to use the newest farming technologies, and yet somehow managing to make a rather large sum. He never attempted to socialise with any of the other farmers, and always won first prize at the fair.
   But who were these farmers to go against their cowardly natures and refuse the offers of the angels?

Chapter 5
   Mary smiled and cooed at her beautiful baby, and Joseph stood behind her. Jesus yawned revealing nothing other than a small tongue and bright pink gums. Mary laughed and laid down her baby in a manger with a lot of blankets. She thought about texting her mum, but then her mum might want to come and see the baby, and she could already imagine the fury and disgust on her face when she saw where the baby had been born, and was spending the first hours of its life. There hadn’t been time for an ambulance, and there didn’t seem to be any point in calling them now, as the baby had been born and cleaned.
   Mary heard some rustling and looked around, surprised to see some shepherds at the door, all looking rather embarrassed. One of them stuttered,
“W-We came to pay our respects. We’ve been told of your baby.” Mary smiled and so did Joseph and they invited the farmers in. Joseph asked how the game was going, and soon the boys were into a full conversation on matches and teams and other stuff that bored Mary. But she quite content watching her baby snooze, patting the cow which she found beside her.

Chapter 6
   The owners of ‘The Three Wise Men’ – John, Matthew and Harry – jumped out of the car and when to meet Thomas Gillmore, who they gathered was having a rather rough night. When he had permitted the couple to rest in his stable, he had not thought that the wife would scream away, having a baby, that they would refuse an ambulance, gunk up his sink and invite some rival farmers into his stable and he told the three men this. They soothed him with the charm that comes so easily to any great men in business and quickly his angry expression was replaced with one of polite disapproval.
   The men quickly hurried through the cold, their corporate air softened by a chunky scarf adorned with reindeers, and they barely noticed the large star above the stable.
   Each man had bought a gift, as they had received a few more texts giving them a few more details. John had bought some gold, Matthew had bought frankincense and Harry had acquired mirth. Gifts fit for a king as Mary exclaimed when she saw them, which was good because one of the texts had said the baby was going to be some kind of King. Though that was probably an exaggeration.  

by Pip Monk