Silent Night... at last

[TheBigDog]

So, here I sit, waiting for the quiet hour. Little heads are still alive with wonder of Santariffic suprizes. And I wait for the silent hour, so I can step out of my normal identity and become my alter ego, "The Good Saint Nick".

 

This is always such a peaceful thing. I have gotten used to the late hours. And even the early morning, although I have managed to make that start no earlier than 8:00 AM.

 

But I am digressing from my intended point. I thought I would wonder out loud as it were, at the magic of Santa Clause. What better time than 10:30 on Christmas Eve to make such profound wonderments?

 

I learned the conventional truth of Santa at an early age. I was in Kindergarten, and my mom had myself and three of my sisters out shopping. We were at Toys R Us. We were give a dollar to find presents for each other, and my mom was putting other stuff in the cart under her jacket where little eyes would not see. But being the ever so curious type, I vividly remember peeking though the bars of the shopping cart, and prying with my finger to get a glimps of a little gold action figure robot, hidden under the coat. Now let me clarify, my mom was not stealing anything, she was hiding stuff from us. The maneuvers she pulled at the cash register so that we would not see what she was buying were on par with the best magicians in history.

 

At the time we lived in a townhouse in Royal Oak, Michigan. We had lost all of our furniture when we moved (I didn't know why until years later the financial realities my parents faced at that time, for me it was just something that happened). I shared a room with my three sisters that overlooked busy train tracks. We used to count the train cars that went past our window. I remember counting 777 cars one time. Not bad for a five year old. Only three of us were old enough to talk. My older sister Samantha and I knew everything, and Sabrina just tried to keep up. Celestine was still in diapers. Our bed for the first few weeks we lived there was garbage bags filled with my parents clothes. We ended up with some mattresses before to long, and as I recall we were on them by the time Christmas rolled around.

 

We were true believers. I don't know how many stories of Santa we told in the weeks before the big day. We didn't have a TV that year as I recall, so there were no specials to watch, just swapping stories and having my mom read to us. By the time Christmas rolled around the air was electric with kid anticipation.

 

On Christmas Eve we set up a little tree. It was about 18 inches tall. My dad had a string of lights. And we had a piece of round styrofoam with gold glitter on in that was the star on top. We put it on the card table so it looked taller. And we were all sent to bed. I swear I must have slept for 20 minutes that night. And Santa managed to come in during the only 20 minutes that I slept. He ate the cookies we left out, drank the milk, and left presents under the tree! I snuck out into the living room lit by the magical light of the tree and inspected every present. Before the sun was up my sisters were up with me, and soon after my parents.

 

We opened our presents one at a time, everyone watching as each person revealed their gifts and everyone cheered! What a magical Christmas. As always we saved the good presents for last. Those are always the "From Mom and Dad" and the most special of all the "From Santa", after all, Santa didn't have to worry about money or anything, he had elves and all the raw materials of the North Pole. Samantha and I each got the same gift from mom and dad, a new 9 volt battery to power the transistor radios we had gotten the year before. Well, I got to my Santa gift and sat - well - bounced and impatiently waited for my turn to open it. I took pride in making short work of wrapping paper - and that was one more thing about Santa, he used REAL wrapping paper, not newspaper - and having gotten the wrapping paper off what did I have in my small hands? What wonder was I greeted with? It was the same gold action figure that I had seen in the cart under my mom's coat. My heart sank.

 

"Mom, there must be a mistake. I saw you buy this. Where is my gift from Santa?" She didn't miss a beat and explained that I must have been mistaken, but I could sense the tension in the message. And suddenly my five year old mind knew the truth. I didn't say another word about it. But from then on I knew the truth. It would be many years later that I would realize how mistaken I had been, and just how real Santa Clause really is.

 

The next year we lived in San Jose, California, at Christmas. That was the year that I got my army men and Samantha got her Dinosaurs. I don't recall what the others got, it is always the army men and dinosaurs I remember. What I didn't know is that when we went to bed that night, with our little tree lit up, was that there was nothing to put under the tree. I can imagine now the stress they felt that night. They were going to just entertain us in the morning I guess. I never found out what the plan might have been. Later that night after we were asleep they heard a knock on the door, and when they answered it they found those army men and dinosaurs and food for dinner on the doorstep. To my child mind that was one of the happiest Christmases that I can recall. Why? Because on that Christmas Santa had been good to us. Or at least Santa by proxy, which is good enough.

 

If those were the leanest times then we generally got fatter as a family after that. I can remember the year we all got bikes! And the year that I got a magazine.

 

When I got married and had a family of my own I wanted very much for them to not suffer the same lean times. And I have for the most part succeeded at that goal. But I wonder if it was really suffering or not. Hmmm...

 

Anyway, I am informed that the boys are asleep. Time to make people believe for another year, if I can...

 

Bill

[InfiniteNow]

And Santa managed to come in during the only 20 minutes that I slept. He ate the cookies we left out, drank the milk, and left presents under the tree! I snuck out into the living room lit by the magical light of the tree...

We'd always put out carrots for the reindeer, too. Invariably, in the morning, all but one or two carrots were gone, and those that remained had clear teeth marks in them, with little bits where one of the reindeer began but did not finish eating it. Also, each morning brought with it a thank you note from Santa, stating how hungry he was, and how refreshed he and the reindeer felt after partaking in the offering. :( :(

 

We did it tonight, at my sister's, for my niece/godaughter. When she awakes, she'll find an empty glass of milk, half a left-over cookie, and two unfinished carrots complete with teeth marks. :(

 

Have a safe and peaceful holiday season, Everyone, whether you choose to celebrate or not.

 

Happy Now be unto you and all those with whom you share love and friendship.

 

 

Peace. :shrug: