I had gone to bed last night marveling at the change that had come over Todd. He and I had suddenly become like newlyweds. I wondered if my appeal was actually read by Santa. If so, could my wish have actually been honored?
I have been observing major changes in myself over such a short time. And this has caused more than a new spark in our marriage bed. Beds and couches were now on fire. Hell, I seemed to be on fire, and sex had developed into a hot urgency that was explosive. I wondered if that was what had been needed to rekindle our relationship. If so, then I was the one who had to change, and Todd was responding very sensuously to the new me.
I went to sleep last night wondering if the rekindling of passion had been accomplished. Yet, I awoke in a very different state of mind. I awakened with a startle as if I had been dropped upon the mattress. My eyelids were heavy, and it seemed as if I was unable to open them. I literally pried one lid open with my finger. The clock showed 7:00 a.m., and a faint light was visible through the open blinds. Dawn had broken, and the sun would soon be up.
Suddenly, an odd suggestion came to mind: "Wish it, dream it, do it." And then my mind was flooded with the recollection of a dream and Santa's invitation. Now, it was flowing across my mind like a 3D movie.
In my dream, I walked to our mailbox and was surprised to find an envelope with a return address that simply read: Santa, North Pole. There was a brief note inside. "Received your letter. Wish manifestation in process. Meet me in Santa's Village at the Gingerbread House."
"How odd," I thought. I remembered a Santa's Village in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but it was torn down decades ago.
Yet, in an instant, I was at the village. The details of the elves' little retail stores, workshops and cottages were more lifelike than I remembered from my childhood memories of a visit so long ago. Ahead of me was a large figure in a Santa's outfit waving at me. He was standing in the candy cane doorway of the most exotic gingerbread house I had ever seen.
When I got close enough to see his face, I was shocked to discover that he looked just like Angie's father when she and I were young. I had known Angie since childhood and always thought her father was like Santa. Would I have remembered the resemblance if Angie had not convinced me to become a ghostwriter for her telephone sex script?
Her father had a dimpled smile, a twinkle in his eyes, and a generous nature that reminded me of Santa. "Yes, that must be where I developed my secret fantasy of Santa having a passionate relationship with Mrs. Santa," I thought.
The only differences were the cascading white curls that merged with the full white mustache and long beard, all below a red velvet hat. Its fur-lined brim brought out his rosy cheeks, full lips, and twinkling eyes behind a pair of metal spectacles. Otherwise, he was the exact likeness of Angie's father.
Santa's bowing and sweeping gesture invited me into the gingerbread house. No words were used, and there was no movement to his lips except for variations of that enticing smile. I scanned the small dwelling, which consisted solely of a red brick fireplace with a small flame dancing above golden embers, two forest-green cushioned chairs with matching ottomans, and a red velvet sofa. I assumed that the absence of a kitchen was because the exterior offered plenty to eat.
Santa motioned for me to sit in one of the chairs that faced the fireplace. It was difficult for me to take my eyes from his face because of the resemblance to Angie's father. In fact, the entire scene was perplexing, because he seemed to be in greater pristine 3D than real life. But then I realized that I had only seen Santa's helpers.
I felt like a very shy young girl around him. Maybe, I was more than timid, because I felt like there was a fist down my throat, and my belly had tightened as my heart began to thump in my chest. And then I almost got panicky when a thought crossed my mind that maybe I was going to be chastised for my naughty thoughts about Mr. and Mrs. Santa.
"Hey, hey," came a very gentle voice. "You are moving towards a panic attack, and this is only a dream. In fact, it is your dream, and I am just a visitor." Santa had found his voice, and not a minute too soon.
His voice had an indescribable soothing yet invigorating tone; a blend of crooning with chuckling at a mid-tenor pitch range. It was not at all like that deep "Ho ho ho," that I'd heard in the movies. No, it contained a blend of two qualities: seductiveness and kindly assurance. My mood changed immediately into a state of relaxed curiosity that put me on the cusp of a giggle.
"I am experiencing such extreme emotions in a mere instant of time," I thought with a smile as I lowered myself into the chair. Santa sat down in the chair next to me, and I studied his profile as he gazed into the fire. Yet, it was as if I was in a dimension of slow motion, and I began to fidget, which meant I was becoming impatient.
"Antsy are you?" observed Santa.
"Who begins?" I wondered silently. "Begins what?" asked Santa. "Begins this dream," I replied. "But you are in the dream already; your dream." he explained.
"Well, if that is the case, I would like you to tell me the reason you invited me here," I stated a bit more assuredly than I felt. "How is it he makes me feel like a shy young maiden in the presence of an accomplished older man?" I wondered.
"Ah, yes," answer Santa. "It is the shy young maiden that I would like to first address." And, before my thoughts formed the question, Santa added, "Of course I can hear your mind, and I can feel your emotions as well."
I sat back against the chair and stared into the fire. "It is just a dream," I reminded myself. I thought about all the courage I drew upon to deliver my letter of appeal to Santa's helper. "Dispel this cloud of reluctance and voice your desires," came an encouraging voice so silent yet strong and audible in my mind.
And suddenly I was in a dream within a dream. Mrs. Santa was lying naked upon a bed in her bedroom. Her body was youthful. Her shoulders, the curve of her back, buttocks, thighs, and calves were as smooth as sculpted white marble. Her head was turned to the right with her left cheekbone resting upon her right wrist.