Mary rolled her head out of the window of Joe's pickup truck and stared in awe at the traffic on I-10. It was backed up crazily! Who knew so many people had been born in the Jacksonville area and were rushing to get registered just like they were?
"Hi, I'm Mary Baer on the Channel 4 News for Radio. Thousands of Floridians are breaking records for having the highest numbers of travelers on I-10 in history! With an estimated 3 million citizens trying to go to Duval, Clay, Baker, Nassau, and St. Johns counties to register for Governor Rick Scott's mandated birth census that will occur tomorrow, December 24, traveling on the interstate is nearly impossible."
"You're not kidding me," Joe grinned. "Six hours since we stopped for a potty break in Madison County and we have gone 30 miles!"
"But," Mary interjected, "nothing is impossible with God."
The couple looked at each other and smiled.
"We're gonna make it to Macclenny," Joe said. "Baker County here we come!"
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"Macclenny sure is an interesting little town," Mary whispered to Joe in the Baker County Courthouse. They had finally made it and were now registering. "You have one Wal-Mart, one high school, one McDonald's that EVERYONE and their brother goes to, but like 30 million gas stations that advertise fishing bait and gator tail. Oh, and everyone in Macclenny dresses the same-you guys all wear camo!!!"
"It's hunting season!" Joe loudly cried to his hometown's defense.
"Sho' is, youn' mahhnn. Little Johnny just catched his first buck last nigh'! And I has some pictures on my phoh-nuh. Look!" The fat man in front turned around to show Mary pictures of a dead deer. Mary felt like throwing up. She felt sharp pains running through her pregnant belly.
"And I thought YOU had a Southern accent," Mary texted to Joe so the man wouldn't hear. They started giggling when he read the text aloud. But when Mary started to snicker, she felt those sharp pains again. They were like cramps she'd get on her period, but much stronger.
Mary stopped snickering.
Those were mild labor pains. Baby Jesus was on his way.
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"Finally! That's over with!" Joe cried after they had registered. "Do you want to stop for McDonald's and then maybe try to find a place to spend the night?"
Mary sighed. She hadn't told Joseph anything while they were in the line, but now she needed to say someting.
"I think I'm starting to go into labor, Joe. Where's the hospital in Macclenny?"
"Fraser's. Let's go," he said, and Joe raced them through the Macclenny traffic as quickly as he could. But when he arrived, there was a sign on the itty bitty hospital:
"Closed for the birth census registration."
Joe sighed. "Okay, plan B. Let's see if we can get a room at Travelodge, American Inn or the Econolodge." They tried each hotel but all of the places were full. Everyone was in Macclenny for the birth census.
"I'm so sorry, baby. I just didn't think that we'd have to spend the night since Tallahassee is only usually a two hour drive to here so I didn't make hotel reservations." Joe sank into the couch at the Econolodge lobby.
"It's okay, but Joe, Jesus is coming. I am really starting to hurt right now. It's coming in waves, every other minute. Can't you call an ambulance and I go to a Jacksonville hospital?"
"Mary, I could, but the roads are so busy that I don't know how long it'd take even for an ambulance to get here. Our best bet is to find somewhere for you to be comfortable and for you to just give birth."
"But Joe! What if something goes wrong and Jesus comes out the wrong way? We can't do a C-section. I could die!"
"God has taken us this far. He will still provide now." Joe kissed her on the cheek. "Just trust Him." At that moment the man who worked at the front desk called Joe and Mary over.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," the man said in his thick accent. "Here's my address. You can spend the night in my barn, free of charge. I'd let you stay in my house but it's already full with the others."
"Thank you," Joe whispered. He looked at Mary.
Mary screamed in labor pain. It looked like God was about to be with them.
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"2345 Hillside Drive. 2345 Hillside Drive. The Brannens. Here." Joe bust open the truck door and carried Mary outside to the barn. She was sobbing in pain.
"My water broke. My water broke. Ohhhhhhhhh...."
The men outside smoking cigarettes turned to Joe. "Is she in labor?" he asked. Joe nodded. "I'll go get my wife. She's a nurse and she's sleeping inside."
"Thank you!" Joe cried. "We'll be in the barn."
Mary yelped.
"Shhhhhh...." Joe whispered.
"YOU REALIZE THAT I'M A VIRGIN SO THIS HURTS TWICE AS MUCH?!?" Mary screamed. Um okay. Joe was not messing with the pregnant lady again. He put her down gently in the hay and took off her clothes so the baby could come out. The women who were inside of the house ran outside to the barn to help Joe with delivery.
After two hours, Joe held his son in his arms. He took a picture of Mary and Jesus together with his phone. It was so beautiful. Looking towards the sky, he saw a great light and heard majestic voices singing. Angels. People started freaking out at the sight of them, then trembling in awe. That was all too familiar for Joe and Mary's family, huh? But Mary was no longer baffled by angels. For she had the Son of God in her arms.
"Immanuel," Mary whispered, looking into Jesus' eyes. "God is with us. At last."
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EPILOGUE
"Check this out. The Brannens mailed us a copy of the Baker County Press. And Jesus' birth announcement made the first page." Joe threw a copy of the paper at Mary who was holding their son.
Mary chuckled and held her milk bottle. "I'm feeding Jesus, silly. But go ahead and read it to me."
"It's titled, 'Immanuel?' It says, 'A young married couple simply known as Mary and Joe gave birth to the first barn-born baby in Macclenny in years since Fraser Hospital came about in 1967. A series of strange events surround this baby's birth. Witnesses say that the couple was denied room at all of the hotels in Baker after arriving in Macclenny for the birth census, but local hotel owner Steve Brannen allowed them to join other denied guests at his farm, where the mother gave birth. Other citizens are claiming that they saw angels singing, especially the farmers at Old Nursery Plantation working the night shift. These individuals have been given a drug test, which they have passed. Meanwhile, R.N. Tiffany Griffis made the most unusual claim of the night: 'The mother of that barn-born baby was a virgin.' Nurse Griffis says that she helped birth the baby that night.....' yeah, you get the rest."
"It sounds so crazy, but to think it's all true," Mary stated.
"Then know that this is true," Liz walked in the living room and flipped on the tv to CNN.
"Philosphers in Jordan have claimed to see a star that will lead them to a majestic king who will bring them to the savior of the world. Where does NASA predict this star will lead them to? Tallahassee, FL."
Mary smiled. "I think with our little Jesus of Tallahassee, we will never cease to be amazed."
The End
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