Submitted for the
2024 Winter Holidays Contest
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"Ho, Ho, Ho and Merry Christmas, young fella. What's your name?"
The shy boy of maybe four years looked sheepishly from his perch on Brad's knee to the woman who was with him.
"Go ahead, Honey. Tell Santa your name."
"Uh, Jimmy, uh, Jimmy Smiff."
"I thought that was you, Jimmy. Have you been a good boy?"
He nodded nervously while looking back at the woman Brad assumed was his mother.
"Good, I'm glad to hear it. My elves are telling me you're pretty good most of the time though they say you sometimes don't want to take your nap in the afternoon."
"I take my naps!" he pouted.
"Oh, I know you do, it's just that sometimes you don't want to."
"Uh-huh."
"OK, Jimmy, I'll tell you what. Is this your mommy?"
The boy nodded yes.
"Alright, if you at least lie down when she tells you to take a nap, then Santa will be happy. OK? Between you and me, well, you don't have to sleep, you just need to lie down and rest. Even I need my rest and I like to lie down every afternoon."
"But you're
old
," he said, to the chuckles of the parents waiting with their children.
"Yes, I'm old. Now, I have to meet all these other boys and girls so I need to hear what you want for Christmas."
"Now, Jimmy, remember, just a few things. Santa can't bring everything you might want," said his anxious appearing mother.
"I wanna Furby!"
"A Furby?" asked Brad as he glanced at the attractive but panic-stricken mother. Her clothes were clearly old. There was fraying around her collar and the end of the right sleeve. Her jeans had a rip which had been mended and her coat had seen better days, as well. He knew Furbys were expensive, in high demand and he figured she would not be able to get him one.
"Jimmy, do you have anything else you might want? My elves are working hard but they might not be able to get a Furby for everyone who wants one."
Jimmy threw out a few other cheaper items to which Brad said, "I'll try to do the best I can." He saw a relieved look on the woman's face and gave her a quick wink.
"One more thing, Jimmy. You are the winner of a free picture with me. Here, turn and look at Elf Suzie over there. She'll take a picture and I'll mail it to you next week. OK?"
"What do you say, Honey?"
"Thank you, Santa! You're the bestest."
Jenn in the elf costume gave a puzzled look at Brad's sudden announcement but went ahead, took the picture and wrote down the information she needed for mailing the photo. Brad turned to the next child, a squirming little girl who wanted a Barbie doll for Christmas.
As his time playing Santa eventually was coming to a close, he told the kids in the line he needed to go feed his reindeer and he would be right back. Once he slipped into the staff lounge with a sigh, the replacement Santa left the room and headed out to the 'village.' After Brad had his street clothes back on and right as he was getting ready to leave, Jenn popped in, also done with her shift.
"What were you thinkin' giving that kid a free photo. Our boss will kill you."
"Nope, 'cause I'm paying for it."
"You are? Why?"
"Well, Jenn, I saw a mom at the end of her ropes. Her clothes were pretty marginal and she told the boy not to ask for too much. I bet she can barely put anything under the tree much less a Furby."
"Ohh, that's so sweet of you," she said smiling, "But you now owe me five bucks so my books balance."
"OK, but when will the pictures be developed?"
"We'll have them tomorrow and I'll mail them before my shift."
"You have the addresses, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Eh, could you maybe let me have Jimmy's address?"
"I don't know. I don't think it's against the rules but why do you want it?"
"Maybe I want to send him a special present."
"Ohh, I see. You've got the hots for that good lookin' Mom."
"I do not! I liked the kid and it was clear they're on the edge. I thought it would be nice to help someone this year. Besides, I'm guessing she's married since she has a kid."
"But you looked," she cackled while pointing a finger at him. "The list is here on the desk and I'm going to the restroom for a few minutes. I don't want
anybody
to see it," she said as she winked at him.
Brad quickly copied down the information. Jimmy's mother was Samantha Wilson, not Smith as he had assumed, and she lived in an area of town not known for luxury housing, to put it mildly. By the time Jenn returned from the restroom, Brad was getting ready to leave.
"Here you go; five bucks. Thanks, Jenn."
"Sure. See you tomorrow?"
"Yup, same time, same place, same outfit and same 'Ho-ho-ho'."
On his way home, he wondered about Samantha. What was her story? Why was she having financial difficulties? Where was her husband, if there was a husband? And most importantly, he wondered if there was something he could do to help.
Brad was in his mid-thirties and had made a lot of money in the computer world. With every last dime he owned, he had purchased stock about ten years before in a little computer company in Seattle and, as they say, the rest was history. Technically, he figured, he could have lived off the money alone but he wanted to keep busy. He worked about half-time as a computer consultant, sometimes for that same growing Seattle company, and the rest of the time he traveled and volunteered, including being Santa at the local mall.
As he fixed his meal, he thought about the boy again. His mom had suggested he temper his requests to the 'old man' but Brad wondered what she would be able to purchase. Maybe if there was some way he could help out. Maybe he could slip her some money though he assumed her pride might not stand for that. Or perhaps he could simply buy what the boy had asked for and give it to her.
He decided to call her, introduce himself and get a sense of how he might help. A quick run through the White Pages did not turn up her phone number nor did a call to 4-1-1. 'Must not have a phone,' he thought before his mind got distracted by another news program discussing the presidential impeachment of Clinton. After watching the news and an episode of Seinfeld, he went to bed knowing he would be busy being Santa again the next day.
He went to the mall early to hit the toy store. He had recalled three things Jimmy wanted and found two of them easily. Furby, the third item, turned out to be too popular and the store had already sold out. Still, he figured the two items would be appreciated by the mother. He had them gift-wrapped and later placed them in his staff-room locker until he could take them home that evening.
The next day he drove to Samantha Wilson's place around one p.m. It turned out to be a small apartment complex and once he found the correct number, he lightly rapped on the door. He heard some light footsteps and could tell someone was at the peephole. A few seconds later, the door opened slightly with the security chain still in place.
"Yes?" asked the woman he recognized from the Christmas village.
"Hi, I'm Brad Jones and I work at Northland Mall. I have a delivery of a picture for Samantha Wilson."
"That's me, but a picture?"
"Yes, you were the winner of a free picture of Jimmy with Santa and I have it here."
"Really? I thought it was a scam."
"No, not a scam. Here it is," he said as he tipped the picture to slide it through the narrow gap between the door and the jamb.
"Just a sec." She closed the door and he heard the chain rattle before she opened the door completely. "This is so nice of you. Hmm, let me look at it...It's lovely! Thank you."
"Yeah, nice lookin' kid you got there. Cute smile."
