Christmas with the Browns

“Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh, hey!…Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. … Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw him, you would even say it glows. All of the other reindeers used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolph, join in any reindeer games…. Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon Virgin Mother and Child. Holy Infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace…..”. Children from the church choir are caroling in the streets, ushering in Christmas Day. They go from door to door singing soulful Christmas carols and the occupants would come out of their homes to offer them food, drinks, chocolates or presents. It is bad luck to send them away empted handed! Stores are brightly lid and beautifully decorated, playing Christmas songs from their loud speakers. The streets are radiantly lit and lined with a kaleidoscope of colourful Christmas decorations. Every household is adorned with a Christmas tree, prominently displayed in the lounges. The spirit and magic of Christmas is in the air. There is a song in the hearts, a good story to tell, a wish we want to make, a present we want to give. A feeling of wanting to share the magic with everyone, especially those dear to us.
Daniel and Ringano are onboard the British Rail on their way to Richmond which lies in South West of London. They are invited by the Browns to spend Christmas with them. Both of them are eagerly looking forward to the event as they had never spent Christmas time in a British home before. Daniel met the Browns quite by accident. It was one sunny Spring day when Daniel decided to take a stroll in the Westminster Park. He sat down on the park bench reading his Daily Mail, admiring the crisp air of Spring and enjoying the peace and serenity of its surroundings. He noticed an elderly British couple sitting on another park bench directly opposite, but not too far away. They have sunken skin and white silvery hair. They must be in their seventies, Daniel thought. They were talking to each other in soft low voice and occasionally the old man would reach out to touch the lady’s forehead as if to push up her flowing hair to take a closer look at her face. What had attracted Daniel’s attention was on seeing the old lady proceeded to pick up some packed sandwiches from the lunch box and began to gently feed the old man sitting next to her. They continued to talk to each other at the same time. Often, the lady would take out some tissues from her coat pocket to wipe away the loose breads hanging from his mouth. The park was full of people with much activities but the elderly couple were lost in the own world, oblivious to the surroundings. What a loving couple, Daniel thought. It must be nice to live old together like that. The old man has wrinkles on his face and his eyes pensive which seemed to be lost deep into his thoughts. There is a melancholy look about him. He wondered what was their story? What story lies behind the lines on their faces? Daniel continued reading his papers, trying hard not to be distracted by the antics of the loving couple opposite. Suddenly he noticed the old lady stood up and walked towards him. “Do you want some sandwiches young man? It’s roast beef with lettuce and tomatoes”, the lady extended her hand, holding a tempting sandwich towards Daniel. “Err..Oh. Ok. Thanks ma’am”, Daniel accepted it hesitantly. “Are you a student? Where are you from?”…and that’s how Daniel came to know Freddy and Kathy Brown. They finally arrived at the Browns’ house. It’s a double-story detached house of tutor architecture with a large garden at the back of the house. They saw some people arrived before them. There is a Chinese couple and an English man and a Chinese lady next to him, holding his arm. In the background there are some children playing some board games. “Come Daniel, Ringano. Let me introduce my folks to you”, Freddy Brown decides to break the ice. “This is my son Charles and his wife Mei Ling. And this is my daughter Elizabeth and her husband Peter. Those children playing over there are their children, my grandchildren”, Freddy Brown introduces his family to Daniel and Ringano. Daniel and Ringano are naturally surprised on hearing the Browns have oriental looking children! They continued to enjoy the occasion without asking questions, but at the same time fighting hard to keep their curiosity at bay. The night is happy and gay. Everyone is having a good time. Dinner is served with a big turkey staffed with puddings and roast lamb, roast beef, mashed and boiled potatoes. There are a variety of alcoholic drinks to compliment the food. The Browns had invited them to stay over night. Elizabeth and her husband and their two children bid farewell. They have to visit her husband’s family on Christmas Day. Charles his wife Mei Ling and their children would be staying for a few days. After that, they would be leaving for Hong Kong. After diner, they sit down beside the fireplace, sipping wine exchanging stories about their countries and the story of the Browns unfolds.
Freddy Brown and Kathy Jones both were born and raised up in Coventry. Freddy is older than Kathy by 2 years. They knew each other since they were babies because their parents were best friends. And they used to take their children long whenever they visited each other’s homes for card games, parties or festivities. Freddy and Kathy went to the same nursery school and later to the same college during their teens. Freddy has eyes for no one else except Kathy Jones. He knew at a very young age that Kathy Jones is his soul mate. They planned to marry when Freddy turned 21. But, their relationship was put to a sudden halt when First World War broke out in 1914. Freddy was 20 years old at the time. Great Britain's dominance of the world was challenged by other powers, notably Germany. The UK was allied with France and Russia, and when the First World War broke out, the British Army sent the British Expeditionary Force to France and Belgium to prevent Germany from occupying these countries. The War would be the most devastating in British military history, with nearly 800,000 men killed and over 2 million wounded. It was no surprise that Freddy Brown was drafted into the army and he experienced front line actions in France. In later life, his mates in Coventry often asked him whether he had killed any enemy in the line of duty. He never gave them a direct answer and only told them that he would never shoot an unarmed soldier. He said he believed that soldiers could still act humane in unhumne circumstances. It was the memory of his beloved Kathy kept him company, especially during nights lying in the trenches in the dark with fright and loneliness crept in, he thought of Kathy. Soldiers doing battles in far away land are a lonely lot and are known to have a good time with the local ladies. Freddy was never unfaithful to Kathy. His greatest anxiety was waiting for Kathy’s letters which reminded him of the life he temporarily left behind and that her love for him is still solid despite the long absence. After the war ended, he came home and immediately proposed to Kathy. They lived a happy life but the only thing missing is they were not blessed with any children. He was working in the British Railways as an engineer and she a nurse. Kathy worked and studied to become a qualified and certificated nurse while Freddy was away. The folks in Coventry adored Kathy. She is known for her astute devotion to her duties as a staff nurse and her selfless attitude towards fellow nurses and patients alike. They admired her hard work and work ethics. She could cycle for miles, often at nights to the homes of the sick and wounded to care for them.
Then the Second World War broke out in 1939 with the invasion of Poland by Germany. Freddy Brown was 45 years old. He and his wife had moved down to London due to his promotion to a position in the headquarters. Much as he would like to volunteer for front line actions, he was considered too old. He continued to work as engineer with the British Railway. In September of 1940, Britain suffered heavy sustained bombings by Nazi Germany. This was the time when Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler wanted to demoralize the British into surrender by fierce bombings which was called ‘The Blitz’. ‘The Blitz’ began with the bombing of London for 76 consecutive nights and quickly spread to other important British military and industrial centres. More than a million houses were destroyed or damaged in London alone. By the end of May 1941, over 43,000 civilians half of them in London had been killed. Kathy was a head nurse attached to the Hackney Hospital. One evening at end of September 1940, Kathy saw many wounded civilians being transported to the hospital beds in Hackney Hospital. A couple of Chinese couple caught her eyes. For they did not moan or move at all, like the rest. They were the victims of bombings that evening. Kathy went over to their beds to check. She found them breathless, their bodies were lifeless. There was not much she could do. They were already dead. Kathy learned from the couple’s injured compatriot lying on the bed next to them that the couple had two young kids at home. He enquired what had become of these kids? The dead couple are known the Chans. They were illegal immigrants from Hong Kong who came to London in search for a better future with the hope that one day they could save enough money and return to Hong Kong. Mr. Chan worked as a cook in a Chinese restaurant in the part of SOHO they called China Town. Mrs. Chan was a waitress in the same restaurant. She stopped waiting at the tables after she became pregnant with their first child. It was a boy. A year later she became pregnant again and this time gave birth to a girl. On that faithful night, Mr. Chan came home after work, carrying with him some leftovers by the customers so that he could give them to his wife for supper. The children were 2 and 3 years old and were asleep. Mrs. Chan came downstairs from their rented council flat to greet her husband. Just as she stepped into the open, a bomb dropped nearby, fatally wounded both of them. The children were instructed by their mother not to come out of their room. They were told to hide behind the cupboard to avoid any bombing. And so they were not harmed. Kathy went home and related the story to Fred. And without entertaining any negative thoughts, they decided to adopt the small children. They learnt that the children were put in the care of an orphanage. They went to the orphanage and after some legal procedures, succeeded to officially adopt the children. The elder child is Charles and the girl is Elizabeth. Now, Daniel knows how the Browns have oriental looking children. The Browns were devoted to their adopted children. Fred often baby sat while Kathy was busy saving lives in the hospital. He changed nappies, fed them and put them to bed. The Browns revolved around old values of honesty , hard work and family. When the children grew up they often asked about their origin. Fred and Kathy never hid the truth from them. They told how their parents were killed during the war and how they were saved from the orphanage. Charles grew up and became a journalist and Elizabeth became a school teacher. Charles’ wife Mei Ling is the daughter of a doctor practicing in Hong Kong. Both of them worked and reside in Hong Kong. They often come home to visit their aging parents, the Browns, especially during festive seasons, ever grateful for their benevolent deeds. “Why Hong Kong? London would offer you more opportunities and you grew up here”, Daniel asks. “I think Hong Kong offers more opportunities and being a Chinese, I could gain access to people and information much more easier than here. Moreover, great changes are taking place in the Far East. It is an exciting prospect for a journalist, especially journalists like me who write about people and societal changes”, Charles explains. “You are welcome to visit us in Hong Kong”, Charles offers.

Phone rings. It’s a call from his father. Daniel has arrived home after spending Christmas with the Browns. “Hi Father. It’s me”, Daniel answers. “I am glad to hear your voice Son. How are you? Are you ok? Still feeling homesick?”, his father is still worried, affected his son’s original outburst when he first arrived in London. “Err…I am ok Dad. I think I am going to like it here…”.