Maya, Mico and the unwanted Christmas child

Ever since they were tiny tots, Maya and Mico competed fiercely for their parents’ attention and affection. They weren’t twins, but they looked like they were, because they were born only one year apart, with Maya as the ate.

Unlike many other older sisters, however, Maya refused to take care of baby Mico when he was born. She saw him as her rival for their parents’ love, which she had enjoyed exclusively just a year ago. How dare he come along uninvited and force her to share it with him?!

So, Maya and Mico grew up in the same home, but they were forever at each other’s throats, like little cats and doggies. They didn’t actually hurt each other, but they certainly didn’t love each other, either, as brothers and sisters are supposed to do.

This made their parents sad, but they soon had to accept the fact that their two little “angels” didn’t behave very nicely toward each other. Every night, they secretly prayed for divine help and guidance, and hoped to see the day when Maya and Mico would grow up more and realize that they were loved equally by their parents, so there was no need to fight for their attention—and they should love each other, too!

When Maya was 7 and Mico was 6, their parents talked to them after evening prayers and told them a big surprise: “I’m going to have a new baby!,” their mother announced very happily, and their dad grinned brightly at them, too.

Sour face

Instead of being happy, however, Maya dismayed her parents by putting on a very sour face—and Mico burst into tears! Oh, dear, this wasn’t the reaction their mom and dad had expected! News of the arrival of a new baby was supposed to be greeted, not with tears and surly pouting, but with great delight and excitement!

But, Maya and Mico didn’t see anything worth celebrating in their parents’ “surprise” for them. It just made their lives worse! Here they were, just the two of them, but they didn’t get along at all. A third child would only make them more miserable! Now, they would have to “share” their parents’ love three ways—so, what was there to celebrate?

After Mico stopped bawling, their parents tried to explain to them that love wasn’t like a pizza that, as you cut it up into slices, became smaller and smaller, until it was all gone! No, a parent’s love for his or her children came from the heart, so it could only grow bigger and fuller, and never diminish!

“Look at Daddy and me,” their mom said. “We got married, because we loved each other completely. When the two of you were born, that complete love did not become less, it became even more, because our love for each other grew—to give life to you!”

Mystery

But, Maya and Mico were too young to understand that great mystery. All they felt and knew was that they would have to make room in their already small house for one more unwelcome visitor, who would stay and stay—forever!

During the following weeks and months, as the baby in their mommy’s tummy grew bigger and bigger, Maya and Mico pretended not to be interested in what was happening right in front of their eyes. It was one of the miracles of life, but they acted like it was as ordinary as eating breakfast before going to school. One time, Mico was persuaded by their mom to put his hand on her bulging tummy, but Maya absolutely refused to do so.

Alone, however, she wondered what it might have felt like. After all, there was a new life growing there—would the unborn baby respond to her touch with a tiny kick? That would have been—well, a new experience for her! But, she pushed the thought aside and went back to stubbornly pretending that nothing special was going on.

For his part, however, Mico was strangely affected by the warmth he felt when he touched his mom’s tummy. It was his little brother or sister sleeping and growing in there, waiting to be born! Despite his jealous feelings, Mico found himself wishing that Baby would hurry up and be born—tomorrow!

But, it would take some more weeks before the baby’s delivery. When the last week finally came around, Yuletide carols and parols and Christmas trees and lights and the season’s other dazzling sights and sounds were already filling the December days and nights with the special magic of Christmas. Would the new baby, just like Jesus, be a Christmas child?

The kids’ parents didn’t tell them, but they were secretly hoping and praying for that special blessing to be bestowed on their family. What an honor it would be! But, of course, it would all depend on God, and their new baby, if it would come to pass.

On Dec. 24, the kids’ mom woke up and touched her tummy, which by now had grown so big that it blocked her view of the bedroom. Would the baby come today—or tomorrow? She didn’t feel any different, so she pushed the thought aside.

“As long as you’re healthy,” she whispered to her unborn child, “you can arrive whenever you like!”

So, she went about her daily chores—only more slowly, because carrying all that added weight had become a problem. When her husband saw her, he told her to sit down and rest—but, when he left for the office, she went back to her chores again.

But, by noontime, she felt really tired, so she told the kids to have lunch without her, and lay down for a short nap. Before she knew it, however, she had fallen into a deep and exhausted sleep.

Strange dream

All too soon, she was dreaming—a strange dream full of flower buds opening their bright faces to the warm and welcoming sun—little birds in flight—baby turtles slowly crawling to the sea—and a little boy diving into the ocean—where he was instantly sucked into the deep, blue water—that soon became pitch-black!

When the kids’ mother woke up, it was dark, very dark, like she had also been sucked into the pitch-black water, along with the little boy in her strange dream. What was going on?! She listened intently, but could hear none of the usual sounds, like the radio or TV, or the whirr of the electric fan.

Only then did she realize that her dream had ended, and that what she was now experiencing was the dark reality of—a brownout!

She got up fast, and groped for a flashlight to check on her children—but, as she took her first step, she felt a twinge in her tummy. “Oh, baby,” she though, “this is not a good time to arrive—please, not yet—not now!”

When she peeped into the kids’ room, she was relieved to see that they were sleeping. But, she woke them up, because she was worried about the slight pain she was feeling.

“Call Daddy,” she told Maya, who did as instructed and handed the phone to her when her husband was on the line.

“I think you’d better come now,” she told him, trying to keep her voice down. “There’s been a brownout, and I’m feeling—”

“There’s a brownout all over,” he cut in, “I’m driving home, but the traffic is bumper to bumper. What exactly are you feeling?

“Just a little pain, but—

“A what—?”

Then, the phone went dead.

Deep breath

She tried to reconnect, but nothing happened. She took a deep breath and focused hard to clear her mind. Surely, her husband would get home very soon, traffic or no traffic?

And, this could be nothing to worry about—just a little twinge, she felt more than that on some other days. It could—it probably was nothing.

Still, she should prepare herself for anything. But, her husband wasn’t here, only her two young children—what could they do to help?

Before she could answer that question, she felt a sharper twinge in her tummy, and immediately told Maya to call for help next door. But, the little girl soon ran back to her, bug-eyed with fear, and reported in a small, tight voice that nobody was home!

What else was there to do? Call her doctor? No answer. Her husband, again? Still no connection. Call the emergency number? Nothing—like the traffic, the lines were probably overloaded.

“Mommy, Mommy, what can we do?,” Maya wailed as she embraced her mother, her face pressed hard for the first time against her huge stomach. Maya gasped as she felt the unborn baby move! It wanted to get out—right away!

“Don’t worry,” said her mom, forcing herself to be calm so her children wouldn’t lose hope. “With God’s help, if we all work together, we can do this. Let’s pray for a miracle. Pray!”

The kids hugged their mommy’s tummy as they prayed to God and their guardian angels to help them in their time of need. And, before long, a miracle did happen—their father rushed in!

Quickly, he took his wife in his arms (she was heavy!), everyone piled into the car, and they sped off to the hospital—where, less than an hour later, Baby Jesus was born!

No, not that Baby Jesus—their very own Baby Jesus Maria Roberto Urbina Virtudazo, weighing eight pounds (no wonder their mommy was so heavy!), and looking like the angel from heaven he was God’s special gift to their family on this Christmas Eve, this Night of Nights except that, when he was born, he was screaming his head off, like all healthy babies do!

Yes, a miracle did happen to the Virtudazo family that day, with the birth of their very own Christmas child. But, the real miracle was how Baby Jesus Maria’s birth made Maya and Mico forget all of their hurt and jealous feelings, and welcome their new brother with open arms and hearts, as all ates and kuyas should.

Gone was the fear of having to “share” their parents’ love with the new arrival—because Maya and Mico felt their own love for their new baby brother growing bigger and bigger in their hearts—until it burst out to embrace the little baby and everybody else in their home, in the true spirit of an endlessly loving, blessed and very Merry Christmas!