WriterMom: Inzared, "Inzared, Queen of the Elephant Riders"

If she were to be a character in the manger scene, my protagonist, INZARED, Queen of the Elephant Riders, would be Joseph. Joseph displayed many unusual qualities, as does Inzared.

Joseph was kind, considerate and loving to Mary, the mother of Jesus. He was understanding. How many men would continue to love and care for a woman who was pregnant, still a virgin, and claimed the child came from God? He must have loved his wife very much to make the sacrifices he did. He worked hard to care for Mary and her unborn child. He made sure she was warm and sheltered on the way to Bethlehem. After a long day’s journey he built a fire and make her a hot drink. She sipped it while he rubbed her back and swollen feet. When the couple reached the city and time for the birth had come Joseph was persistent. He knocked on doors to ask for a room and was turned away countless times, all the while worried about his wife’s condition and that of the child that was soon to come. When the owner of an inn told him all he had was the manger, Joseph gratefully accepted the offer and led his wife to the warmth of the barn full of animals.

Joseph must have had issues, but he stayed silent and accepted his fate. He loved his wife and eagerly awaited the birth of their first child, even though he knew he had not sired Jesus. He was a carpenter and planned to teach the child his trade. He must have had high hopes and dreams for the boy, even as he fought confusion and envy. Family was important to him.

Inzared displays many of these same traits. She is adaptable to new situations and learns to live in a totally different culture from the one in which she was raised. She is non-biased and stands up for the Gypsies when they are bad-mouthed. She learns a trade from an old Gypsy fortune-teller (even though her own parents would not have approved, because of their strict Christian values).

Inzared is kind and gentle. She turns the other cheek when people wrong her. She feels guilty for leaving home but keeps a sunny disposition as she learns to ride the elephant. While she carries her first child she knows he will be half Gajji and half Gypsy. She must worry about it but never lets on, instead keeping a soft voice and doing her best to be happy. The overlying thread of Inzared’s life is that she is strong, just as Joseph was. She cares deeply for her family, both the one she grew up in and her new Gypsy familia. She is kind and generous and giving.

These traits are special and indicative of the Christmas season, when we think of the manger scene and what it depicts. Inzared could do a lot worse!