The Christmas Promise

The Christmas Promise

Every year on Christmas day Rajen goes to the village Church and stands in front of the Crib for a while. A few years back, it was on this day and very place he made a promise, which altered his life. He still remembers the fateful day.
 The day marked as the beginning of his new life. As he ruminates over the past, his memory flashes back to that day. It was in the evening Rajen was lazing on the cot when he received the SMS from Sujan. It read that the next day they would meet in Tuhin’s room to discuss about the Christmas celebration. They were a bosom of friends- Rajen, Tuhin and Sujan. During their college days, at Notre Dame College, Dhaka, they had developed a bond of friendship, which they continued to foster. After completing the college studies they got admission in the Dhaka University and began to stay in different hostels. They regularly kept in touch with each other and occasionally met over a glass of whisky. It was their much contrived plan that the coming Christmas they would celebrate together.

Rajen shared a room with one of his distant relatives Suresh, who is also a student of the same University. Suresh was a studious and industrious guy. Rajen never really liked to stay with him. It was at his mother’s insistence that he had to share the room with Suresh. By and large Rajen would avoid Suresh. At times he felt that Suresh was constantly nagging him about his dealings with Tuhin and Sujan. Suresh would try to persuade him not to waste his time with them; but concentrate on his studies. Rajen was forced to keep up a rapport with him because time and again he had to borrow money from him.

As Rajen was thinking about Christmas, he suddenly remembered that he needed a favour from Suresh for the coming Christmas celebration. He sat next to Suresh and inquired about his studies. When both were fully engrossed in the conversation he said, “This year I am planning to celebrate Christmas with my friends in Dhaka itself”.

“But at home masi (aunty) will be alone. How could you leave her alone during Christmas?” Suresh replied. “After your father’s death you are the only one for whom she is living.” he continued.

‘Please Suresh, you must convince my mother. Inform her that I have got exams. If you tell her, she will definitely believe.’

Suresh did not reply, but Rajen was confident that Suresh would do the needful.

As per schedule, Rajen and Sujan converged in Tuhin’s room. They had unanimously decided that they would inform their parents of their inability to be at home for Christmas due to exams. They decided that on Christmas eve they would have good drinks and then go for mass at the Dhaka St. Mary’s Cathedral. On the afternoon of the 25th they would roam around the city. At night they would go to a bar and have dinner. They had even decided to collect money in the name of exams fees.

0n Christmas eve, with the illuminations sparklingly and crackers bursting all around, they gathered in Tuhin’s room to raise the toast. When they were going for mass, Rajen was already feeling intoxicated. As he sat for the mass he was almost out of control. At one point he vomitted and leaned back on a foreigner who was sitting next to him. The foreign lady screamed and created a chaotic situation. The whole mass got disrupted. The surrounding people took him out of the Church. In the meantime Sujan and Tuhin quietly left him. The Parish Priest came and handed over him to the police. Rajen could not recall, what happened after that.

The next day when he got up he found himself in Police custody. It was already 8:00a.m. He was supposed to give a call to his mother at 7:00a.m. He was sure that his mother would be desperately waiting for his call. But there was no chance for him to contact his mother since he had left the mobile in the hostel itself. As he was ruminating over the previous night’s boorish incident, the police inspector came and wished him Merry Christmas. He asked him about his home, profession and so on. Rajen politely answered all his questions. He found that the police officer was quite gentle. The Inspector informed him that the Priest had requested him not to file any case against Rajen. He was brought to the police station to be taught a moral lesson. Now Rajen could be released if some one came and stood guarantees that Rajen would not repeat the same act again. At that moment Rajen could only think of Suresh. He called Suresh from the Police Station. At the first ring itself, Suresh received the call and asked hastily, “Where are you now? Masi is dreadfully waiting for your call. She tried to call you up several times. But every time she found your mobile switched off.”

Then Rajen briefly narrated what had happened to him and asked him to come to the police station. He also requested him not to inform his mother.

It took almost three hours for Suresh to reach the police station. The police officer was very co-operative. Rajen thanked him for all the help. He promised him that he would never do the same thing again.

As they were travelling by taxi he asked Suresh to pardon him for all his churlish behavior. He also told him that he now realized that Suresh was his true friend. As he was talking his eyes were brimmed with tears.

By the time they reached home it was already 6:00 in the evening. His mother was sitting in the veranda. The moment she saw Rajen she ran to him and began to weep. Rajen could not say anything. But deep within he made a promise that he would do all the possible things to make her happy.

His mother immediately arranged a sumptuous meal for both of them. After the meal, he went on a stroll to their village Church with Suresh. As he stood in front of the Crib, he made a promise to Baby Jesus that he would lead a good life. That year Rajen could experience the real joy of Christmas. He decided to abide by the promise he made on Christmas day …

(Ripon Rozario S.J.)