Nazarene Christi

Oluebube Ogbonnaya (born 7 August 1997) is a Nigerian writer, songwriter, Poet, Human rights analyst, wildlife Amateur photographer and a staff officer of the Nigeria Peace Corps.


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The book, Nazarene Christi is a work of fiction sketched with Christian and traditional Nazarene beliefs, and coloured with the author's imagination.



Nazarene Christi
Oluebube Ogbonnaya

A fictional account of the birth of Jesus Christ.
 This book is specially for you, dear reader...

 NAZARENE CHRISTI


She laid her baby in a manger, undid her hair tie, and covered him with it, “So adorable,” turning to her husband who stood beside her with a hurricane lantern held above his head to illuminate the room.
“Yeah, so adorable,” he said. With his right hand, he kept a strand of hair that found its way to her face, in-place, whilst holding the lantern with his left. He closed the gap between their bodies, lowered his lips to hers, “I'm happy I lived this day,” he kissed her forehead, cheek, neck, then her shoulder.
Eyes closed, she felt bit heavy for her legs, and his hand working on its own, clasped her behind, supporting her weight. They were so on their own.
He caught her in an embrace, and later, hurriedly pulled out, shut the door, the window, hung the lantern on the wall, removed his cloth, and lowered it on the ground, “You need to sleep now, my Lady.” he helped her lie down, “Should I sing for you? I feel so alive that I could sing till dawn, nonstop.”
He's Joseph, a young renowned carpenter from David's decent, and she, his wife, Mary, ever virgin, mother of Jesus the Nazarene Christi.

*    *    *

The cloud above Nazareth roared like a wrestler about to enter a no holds barred combat with a weakling, cocks crowing in their numbers as young children chase them into their pen, storekeepers locking up their stores, and, man and ox driven carriages leaving the Nazarene trade zones for respective destinations.
“Me, my cabbage, my carriage
Meeting ends for my marriage.” a cabbage dealer said, in a singsong tune while tugging his cabbage filled carriage off the trade zone and down the valley to his home.
“Let’s hurry, it's going to rain. How I wish, I had an ox, with a Yep Yeep, and Whoa, I would’ve been at home by now.” he said. He found a fountain at the foot of the valley, stopped by for a drink, “Sweetie  cabbage, stay in the carriage, while I go get some water. And you, wheels, do not move an inch.”
He reached the fountain, exchanged “God be with you,” with the children he found bathing there, and drank to his fill.
“So our water's free, while your cabbage’s for sell,” the eldest amongst the children said – they had requested a cabbage from him but he refused, bluntly.
 As if without knowledge of what prank to pullout, they watched him continue up hill with his carriage, “Gotcha!” their young lips embraced laughter. They’d thrown their buckets at him to obstruct his steps, and it worked. His carriage reversed, after he lost control of it, and in a blink, his sweetie cabbages went rolling.
An ox driven carriage passing by did justice to the cabbages.
“My cabbages!”
The carriage came to a halt, and Joseph,  the young carpenter from Bethlehem, jumped down. After requesting a couple minutes from the driver, he turned to the cabbage dealer, “Please I’m sorry for the loss,”
“Just sorry?” the trader bent on his knees and crawled about, gathering available cabbages, “Don’t worry, sweeties, papa's going to get you to safety.” Gradually, he gathered them near the carriage, right before the ox’s mouth.
As if hypnotized, the ox found the cabbage gathered before him, inviting, and decided to feast on them.
“My cabbages!” the trader gave up on them, and returned to the fountain for more water, like a wounded soldier, who got missing in action.
Joseph ran towards a compound few meters away from the fountain, and halfway there, his eyes left its socket, something behind a curtain had hit him hard - a figure that illuminated the almost dark room.
“She’s such a goddess,” he said.
“Hey, man, time's not your goddamn mama. You've stood there, god knows how long. Please I need to get my ox off this goddamn shower, you might be water resistive, but dammit, my ox isn't.” The driver called him to attention.
He continued into the compound, and on parting the curtain, poked the young maiden who sat near the window, stitching badges to a piece of cloth. She's Mary - his betrothed.
“I knew you’d come,” she said, “Hope your workshop was injury free today?”
“Yeah,”
She stood up from where she sat on a table near the window, picked a lantern the hung on the curtain rail, and searched beneath he bed for her first aid kit.
“Dammit! I’m leaving! I've got a lover to tend, too!” Lover? Who would ever love a foulmouthed? Well there’s always a women for every man.
“Exercise patience, please,” Joseph said, then turned to his betrothed, “Could you be faster, please.”
She moved the table from its position, came nearer to the window to dress Joseph's hurt finger. She applied ointment on it to make sure it doesn't leave a scar, then tied a bandage around it, “Of all the places, why hurt the ring finger,”
He bid her goodbye and returned to his carriage, running past the fountain without noticing the cabbage dealer.
“Sorry for the inconveniences. Hope you'll still have time to tend your lover, tonight,”
“Well, about that, mine doesn’t give a damn,” the driver said, “Yep Yeep,”
Mary stood behind the window smiling as he made through the rain. Before closing the window she noticed someone at the fountain, “Why would a living creature stay under the rain and precisely in a fountain?” she covered her head with a leather clothe and proceeded to the fountain. “God be with you. Aren't you feeling cold, please you have to go home,”
“My cabbages!”
Somehow, she talked him into going home.

*    *    *

“Girls, ‘Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel,’ dumbest thing I ever heard.” she giggled, and so did some of the girls, “Hey, Mary, how's Joseph's health?”
“He’s good, and please, your concern makes me nervous, he only hurt his finger, which is common for a carpenter.” Mary said.
“Okay, I get it.”
“Oops! Girls, I need to go back to the synagogue, Anne's still there, and probably looking for me,”
“Which Anne? Oh, your mom.”
“Yeah,”
“Very well then, if you see the high priest, tell him that today's scripture has got me, Uriella, totally lost, how can a virgin possibly have a child? C'mon who's going to put it in,”
“I’m never delivering that message.” Mary hugged them, “Well, bye girls,”
The girls giggled, and she gave them a “What's happening?” look, and they pointed behind her. She turned, and bumped into the young man she had found at the fountain, yesterday, “Hey you,”
He took a cabbage from his carriage, knelt before her in offering, as if it were a flower, “Please accept it, its a thank you for last night,”
She smiled, and the girls hugged one another, giggling at the poetic romance, unfolding before them.
“We've known each other for a while, yet I still don't know your name,”
“We formally met a while ago,”
“Yeah, that's what I meant,”
“I'm Mary,”
“I'm cabbage, and my ring finger’s naked. How about you clothing it?”
“Cabbage, its a nice name for a cabbage dealer. And for your finger, well I can lend you a bandage. See you some other time." She headed for the synagogue.
He turned to the girls, “Who’s cabbage? Drop dead! Did she just  call me cabbage?”
“Yeah, I remember you identifying yourself as cabbage,”
He turned to his sweetie cabbages, “Wow, she named me after you,” he said, “I’ll cherish this experience for the rest of my life." he kicked his carriage, “Let's get going sweeties, we've got a fine day ahead,” with a little difficulty, tugged his carriage away.
“Me, my cabbage, my carriage
Meeting ends for my marriage.”

*    *    *

At the dining room, Uriella held a mirror before Mary, “Blessed is the man destined to have this body of yours behind closed doors, at cold winter nights.  Your cooking’s good, I must admit, but he's going to find it difficult eating with you in close range,”
Passing by was Anne, “Mary, take care of yourself, remember, don't talk too much while on the dinning table. After the table come out for fresh air on the balcony, we have neighbors, willing to gossip if you spend more time with Joseph alone, and behind closed door.” She said, “Hope we are clear on that? Because I'm off for market.”
“Okay, mom. Best of luck,”
“You need that more than I do, my child,”
She walked passed the exit and shot the door behind her. Almost immediately, Anne opened the door, “It might rain, Uriella, go pack your mother's straws,”
“Ding dong!”
“Joseph!” Mary said, “Please, Uriella, stay a little longer, I'm nervous,”
“Don't worry, I’ll join you guys after I'm done packing the straws.”
“Ding dong!”
“Take a deep breath while I get the door.” She reached for the door and it wasn't Joseph, then turned towards Mary who now stood before her finely decorated soup, at the dining table, “Its Cabbage,”
He peeped inside, “Hello, here is your delivery,” then came in, carrying a basket of cabbage.
“No, not today,” Mary moved him out, hurriedly.
“Ding dong, ding dong,”
“Joseph,” she adjusted, her clothes, and makeup, with Uriella's help, then rushed the door, only to find children hanging around. “Who rang the bell?”
Giggling, the youngest amongst them licked her little fingers covered in chocolate, not minding her running nose, and then cleaned both hands on her already dirty cloth. When Mary repeated herself, with lightening eye balls, she frowned.
Mary leaned closer to her, wiped clean her nose, and then, asked her why she made a face. She said her older sister didn't want her to bath at the fountain. “Why are these other children with you?” They were five of them, their mouth were covered with chocolate, and their feet, bare - the only one with sandals wore just a foot.
“We want to bath, too,”
“Then go ahead, the fountain is over there,”
“We want you to bath us,”
“No way, at least, not today. Uriella will,”
“No. No, we want you, not her,” they came pulling her hands, and some hugging her clothes. She felt the urge to beat them, but, a part of her held her back.
“Did I remember telling you about the straws, because I'm off to get them inside,” Uriella excused herself, on seeing the situation on ground.
Together with the children, she walked to the fountain, carrying the youngest in her arms. There, she bath them simultaneously, and later played with them at the fountain, seeming to have forgotten her date.
“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.”
She looked up, and found a stranger. Touched her hair, looked down at her cloths, found them wet, and little dirty, then looked at the stranger. Seeing him, she remembered her date, “Please, let's talk some other time,” she said. She ran home, entered, and shot the door behind her.
The stranger followed her home, knocked, when Mary failed to respond, he opened the door.
“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." He said, again.
Mary having heard him did not speak; she was troubled in spirit, because she knew not the young man, nor the cause of his coming, nor the meaning of the salutation, and also because Joseph would arrive in minutes.
“Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
Mary understood there was
question of the coming Redeemer. But, why should she be elected from amongst women for the splendid dignity of being the mother of the Messiah, and why should the messenger come to her just when her betrothed is literarily few steps to her doorpost.
She froze in fear, but somehow managed few words, “I am a virgin, how then can this be?”
“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” He said, “Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. Favoured one, no word shall be impossible with God.”
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word.” She took a glass of water from the table, handed it to him, “My betrothed will soon be here, do you care for some soup? If yes, the table is open,”
“You worry too much, favoured one,” he reverenced her, and turned towards the exit.
“I know you are from God, but please I wish to know your name, for achieves sake.”
“Gabriel,”
“Ding dong,”
“Hope it's Joseph this time,”
“Please, get the door, it's him,” Gabriel said.
She fled for the door, and on letting Joseph in, she found Gabriel missing.
He hugged her, failing to recognize the wet state of her clothes, “Sorry for turning up late,” Joseph said.

*    *    *

 Anne returned home and met Mary who was busy stitching badges to a cloth, smiling.  She dropped the groceries she purchased, at the table, and enquired about her date.
“Simply splendid. Less I forget, God sent a particular Gabriel to tell me that I would mother a child soon.”
“Are you trying to communicate something? I hope nothing happened over there?” Anne asked, pointing at her crotch.
“Mom!” she made a face, “Well nothing happened, at least not today,” she smiled, carefully  folded the cloth she was sewing, and headed for her room.  On entering her room, she opened her window, sat on a nearby chair and resumed her sewing.
“Send some roses to Bethlehem, a virgin has found a love in a carpenter...”
“I don't have rose, can I send some cabbages instead?” Cabbage asked, waving towards her direction.
Mary smiled, looked afar and saw her betrothed coming. “Please, go away,”
“You closed early, what happened?”
“I couldn't concentrate, my lips were filled with songs, and my hands beats. So I decided, I go home and enjoy the rest of the day.” He said, “Before I forget, who was that guy?”
She was blank for a moment “Oh, he's cabbage. He’s a friend,”
"Okay,"

*    *    *

“Good morning, Nazareth,” Mary said as she flung open her window “You again?”
“I bring you cabbages, my lady,” Cabbage said, “Ten cents, each,”
“Go check my mom at the vine yard, I think she might be interested,” she felt a sharp movement in her belly, felt like vomiting, covered her mouth and rushed out of her room, passed the kitchen, and straight into the vineyard where she found herself vomiting lumps of what she had for dinner. Her mother who was busy with the vine and dropped her basket and rushed her child. She covered Mary's forehead with her palm, held her wrist for her pulse, and then listened to her stomach for possible symptoms. “You are pregnant! How come?"

*    *    *

“How come you are pregnant?” Joseph asked, he stood facing the door, hands tightened in a fist, with Mary kneeling behind him.
“I swear this child is of God, not of man,”
“I’m not stupid. That I  choose to turn a blind eye to your closeness with that so-called Cabbage, doesn't mean I'm blind,”
“Believe me, I know no man,”
“Then explain the child you carry,”
“It’s of the God we serve,”
“I don't think I'll ever learn the truth from you, please, excuse me,”
“Please, believe me,”
Joseph made through the door, shutting it hard once out.
“Don't worry, my child. Solution’s on its way.” Anne helped her with a blanket and a cup of water.
“Mom, please believe me, God did this to me,”
“I totally believe you, my child,”   she wiped her tears with her gown, “Now tell me something, how was it like to be in the arms of God? Was he brutal or gentle?”
“Mom!”
“I'm curious,”
“Well, he…” She leaned closer to Anne's ear, and they giggled.

*    *    *


Days have gone by, and every effort she made to clarify things with Joseph was to no avail. Whenever she visits the workshop he either leaves her to the tools or snob her. At night he would go home without stopping at Mary’s, as if her house never existed again.
Joseph oiled the metal portion of his Monday hammer, leaving the wooden handle, hung it on a shelve at the far end of his workshop, brought in the furnished chairs he had kept outside for sampling, shut the Windows. Picked his hand bag and made for the door.
“Peace be with you, my son,” a man almost twice his age came in.
 “Same with you. Please, how may I help you? And, please make it quick the heaven's been making faces,”
“Your shop’s amazingly clean, just like your betrothed,” he looked around for something, and then pointed to the now shining hammer that hung at the far end of the workshop. “Why is it that way?”
“I greased it to avoid rust.”
“Amazing.  How amazing it is, the metal is shining yet the wooden handle is untouched.” The man said, “I know your plans about leaving your betrothed, but listen carefully, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
A lightening slayed the dark clouds outside and it began to Rain heavily.  Cold breeze ran into his workshop like young children playing hide and seek, thus woke Joseph from his sleep. He looked outside and found it dark and rainy, “My betrothed?” He picked his jacket and made through the door, and into the rain.
“Joseph! Are you leaving with your doors still open?” a neighbor asked.
“Shut it for me!”
“Your hand bag's still inside!”
“Take it, if you like it.”
 He ran like a cheetah overtaking carriages till he halt at a distance a way from Mary's window. With eyes full of tears and rain water alike, he watched Mary sit near the window with her face shining bright like a golden jade each time lightening occurred. She wasn't stitching tonight.
After some minutes, she reached to shut the window.
With his left hand stretched towards her, “Sweetheart!” He said, and then continued till he was before her, her jaws ajar, “Surprised to see me,”
She nodded in affirmation, and accompanied it with a “No,”
“Make way,” he jumped in, and embraced her in a hug. “I’ve wronged you, and I’m sorry for that,” he detached from the hug on realizing his wet clothing, “Oh. I’m sorry,”
“Please, I should be the one apologizing,” she went to her bed, brought out the cloth she had been stitching all along from where she kept it under her pillow, handed it to him, “Wear with pride, my husband,”

*    *    *

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home.
The door was slightly closed, she knocked a few times without response from the occupants. A nieghbour taking his sheep to his farm, stopped by to enquire who she was.
“I'm Mary. Elizabeth’s relative,”
“Welcome, Mary, Elizabeth told us a lot about you. Please, how’s Nazareth?”
“Busy with buying and selling, as usual.”
“Zachariah’s at the synagogue, but Elizabeth should be inside. Enter the house, go through its hallway to the backyard, she should be at her garden tending her flowering plants.”
She regarded him, and so did he. His words were true, she found Elizabeth just where he had predicted.
“God be with you, Elizabeth,”
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
Mary smiled.
“As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Elizabeth picked a couple of flowers for her, “These smaller ones with white flowers and yellow strips' the Israeli iris, and the other Bethlehem star,”
Mary brought the flowers closer to her nose, “Wow, the scent’s so… so extra cool,”

*    *    *

And it came to pass, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone were mandated to go to their own town to register.
"Baahh!" an ox broke free from its carriage, made off on its own, destroying stuffs that found itself before him, all these he did like a mad dog. The carriage crashed into one if the stores along it's path.
"My cabbages!" The driver said. His carriage had turned upside down and the cabbages contained in it found their paths.
The ox found it's way into Joseph's compound, where Mary and other women sat under a shade pilling grapes.
“Run!” the women ran helter-skelter, leaving Mary to the ox - their actions had come naturally to them.
Mary in her scared state of mind, stood toe to toe with ox, unable to move, talk more of running away due to her pregnancy. She stretched forth her hand, tightly clutching the knife she was using for the grapes, earlier.
"Shuu!" She said.
"Baahh," the ox slowed down, took gentle steps closer, and found a place at her feet.
Mary calmed down, sat next to him, patting his fur. The carriage driver along with three animal controllers he had hired ran into the compound, surprised on seeing the him calm.
“Cabbage!” Mary recognized the carriage driver, “The ox's yours?”
“Yeah, I  hired it, though. I was on my way to Bethlehem, but on getting to the neighborhood, he broke free from my carriage.”
“God be praised. My husband, please come, our ride's here.”
“You want to go to Bethlehem?”
“Yeah, for the census, my husband's from the house of David,” Mary said, “Please, you guys should have some grapes.”


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Continuing on 25th of December...
Stay tuned.