Read Online The Paper Bag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne - Free Book Online Page A

went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child!”
    Nurse Wimble was seated on a chair directly in front of the stage giving directions as loud and fast as her Southern twang would allow.
    “Okay Mary and Joseph, Ah want y’all to look tired, very tired. Especially you Mary! Remember, this ain’t no walk in the park, y’all! And hold your belly like this.”
    The girl playing the part of Mary nodded and wrapped her hands around the pillow she was using as an inflated abdomen.
    “Donkey? Where’s our donkey?” bellowed Nurse Wimble.
    “C’mon,” I said to Katrina, grabbing her by the shirt with my good arm. “Let’s get you a part!”
    Katrina dragged her feet a bit as we went, but we still managed to make our way up to the stage. Many of the children stopped to look as we approached. They had all seen Katrina and her bag plenty of times before, but it was clear they weren’t completely comfortable with her appearance. Nor were they accustomed to seeing me with my head wrapped in bandages and my arm in a cast. The sight of us brought a new quiet over the crowd.
    “Uhhmm, hi, Miss Wimble,” said Katrina softly once the nurse stopped barking at the kids on the stage who were watching us instead of listening to her. “I was wondering if you had room in the pageant for one more?”
    “Ah’m sorry, Katrina, but your friend has already been told he cannot participate on account of his injuries. We wouldn’t want him falling off the stage or something terrible like that in his current condition.”
    “Oh no, Ma’am,” I interjected. “She’s not asking for me. Katrina wants to be in your play.”
    “Oh, Ah see,” she said curtly. “Well, Ah’m afraid there are simply no more parts available. Ah suppose one could say there’s no more room at this particular inn.” She laughed openly at what she thought was a brilliant, if callous, play on words.
    Some of the children on stage snickered and whispered too, and I heard Katrina’s name used several times along with the words “stupid bag.” I suppose some of them were glad there was, according to Nurse Wimble, no room for Katrina.
    “But Nurse Wimble,” I protested, “I’m sure there are lots of parts she could do real well!”
    By the look in Katrina’s eyes she had already given up and would have much preferred that we not push the matter any further, but I didn’t think it was fair so I just kept on talking.
    “She promised me she’d be in the pageant, and if you don’t let her, then she’ll be breaking a promise. There must be something she can do! You must need more of
something
.”
    Nurse Wimble made a huffy noise through her nose in contempt.
    “Well, does anyone have any ideas?” she asked. “Can anybody think of a part that is suited to our little Katrina?”
    Sadly, no one said anything. I looked around frantically, hoping someone would come up with a part—any part—for Katrina, but the silence continued. Finally, just as Nurse Wimble was crossing her arms to settle the matter, a familiar voice piped up.
    “Nurse Wimble, I think it would be a most excellent idea if we added a fifth wise man—or wise woman, as the case may be—to the Christmas pageant.” Madhu was grinning mischievously as he spoke.
    “Absolutely not!” she hollered. “Four is already one more than Ah should have allowed, Mr. Amburi. But thank you ever so kindly for the suggestion. Anyone else?”
    Again silence followed.
    “Well then, Ah’m afraid Katrina will not . . .”
    “An angel!” a voice shouted from the stage. It was my brother, still yelling into his half-eaten microphone. “She should be an angel. We can never have too many of those!”
    Amid the lingering echo of Aaron’s suggestion, one particularly snide girl with curly brown hair, who was part of the angel chorus, added her two small cents under her breath,