Rotary Eclub- Butterfly StoryBook Participant
Age: 11 years old
Enis Adams Primary School
British Virgin Islands
A VIRGIN ISLANDS CHRISTMAS
Alli-Anna Davis
Christmas in the BVI is like no place else. Our main reason for celebrating is the birth of Jesus. We celebrate Christmas by spreading joy, happiness, love, and kindness. I want to tell you a story; one that shows the true spirit of a Virgin Islands Christmas.
Ms. Margo was a little old lady who lived in the village of East End. She was not the typical old lady who was happy and gave children candies around Christmas time, nope. She hated Christmas and everything about Christmas. She hated Christmas so much that when carolers stopped by her house during the Christmas season she would scream through the window “Ayo geh from my house now!” This happened year after year. Until no one stopped at Ms. Margo’s house anymore. She was the Scrooge of East End. But this year, The Enis Adams’ Hawks carolers decided to spread Christmas joy to everyone, Ms. Margo included.
Up on her porch they went and struck up a Christmas tune. The banjo, the squash and the triangles made a sweet sound in the area. “Mama bake yuh Johnny Cake”, they began to sing. Then in a crackling voice Ms. Margo lamented, “Ah tyaad tell ayo doan come here!” “Get from ma place wid dis set ah noise!”
The Hawks were surprised and sadly turned to leave. While leaving, a neighbor said, “Doan worry. She always like dat at Christmas time.” The children wanted to know why Ms. Margo was a grouch at this time of the year. The neighbor told them that Ms. Margo’s only son had left to go to college in the States many Christmases ago. Every year he promised to come home to spend Christmas with her but never came. So poor Ms. Margo was always alone at the most joyous time of the year. She was just really lonely.
Standing in the street, the carolers got a great idea. They decided to remind Ms. Margo what it was like to have a good Christmas with people who cared about her. They had to work fast because it was 5 days before Christmas. The Hawks got decorations and lights and asked their parents to bake cakes, to cook ham, and bake a turkey. They even bought gifts for Ms. Margo.
On Christmas Eve they went back to her house and started to sing. Ms. Margo started to shout and the carolers sang even louder. When she realized they were not going away, she came out onto the porch and saw them with all of the food they had prepared. They then started to decorate her yard and house with the lights and decorations while still singing. Ms. Margo stood on the porch speechless. Then she started to cry. Every child gave Ms. Margo a hug and a small gift. She thanked the carolers for helping her feel the joy of Christmas once again.