A Klong Toey miss. Smartest in her senior class, captain of her Bangkok league-winning volleyball team. Beautiful long black hair coming down to her shoulders -- tall like her dad. Born to a devout Buddhist family on Christmas Day. But on her 18th birthday and Christmas, she is fighting back tears, as she vows to do this impossible thing for her dying mum.
The next day, in adult court, she awaits sentencing -- innocent, but facing prison by taking a drug rap for her terminally ill mother. Indeed, mum would die in a matter of months, behind bars herself in the prison hospital.
So Buddhist Klong Toey miss born on Christmas day "confessed", swearing to all she held sacred in her life that they were her drugs, not her mum's, nor her sister's, nor her dad's. All this, so mum would have proper prayers and the monks would chant the sutras.
She knew the story of Baby Jesus, blessed Mary and Joseph the carpenter. She always thought of it as her story -- her sacred day. And maybe on this day, in court, taking her mum's place in prison could be her Jesus-like sacrifice.
As a child she had asked the fortune-teller down the street about the story of Jesus. He said he didn't know all the details, but he'd read in his sacred books that there had shone a special star in the eastern sky and voices sang from the heavens. That Jesus was a holy man and, like all holy men, he helped people. Eventually, he was killed by bad men but after he died, people saw him again, back from the dead, telling people to not be afraid.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The star, the angels and even the shepherds -- folks like us.
And sitting there in the courtroom, she began to cry, in sadness but also in joy.
Today was her birthday, and the day Jesus was born in the arms of his holy mother Mary and her husband Joseph the carpenter. With no room at the inn, Joseph had fixed up the crib and put in new straw for the baby Jesus. A dazzling star, never seen before, shone in the night sky and beautiful singing could be heard. Those who heard it said only angels could sing that beautifully. The shepherds were afraid but wanted to see what was going on, so they followed the star until they came to the crib and they saw blessed Mary and the newborn Baby Jesus, and Joseph standing by.
And they knew that this was something holy and sacred. The night was cold but they took off their caps anyway out of respect and knelt down. They didn't know what to say as they weren't skilled at praying. Then they hurried back to watch over their sheep. But knowing it was safe, the local women then came to give their respects to Mary and the child.
And so the Christmas story goes on, continuing to the end of the rainbow and beyond.
Our Klong Toey miss had a wise and understanding judge who gave her a suspended sentence and a firm talking to, with a strict warning never to do anything like this again. She did not go to prison and was able to continue her schooling. She graduated with honours and was able to take care of her mum till the end.
Father Joe Maier is the director and co-founder of the Human Development Foundation in Klong Toey. For more information, call 02-671-5313 or visit mercycentre.org.
