Warming Father Christmas
Copyright Oggbashan November 2016
The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.
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It was late afternoon on Christmas Eve. I had wrapped all the presents for the grandchildren and made sure all the ingredients for the dinner on Boxing Day were in the refrigerator. I was sitting down with a well-earned cup of tea when the door bell rang. I swore under my breath. Why? I could have sworn out loud. There was no one to hear me since my wife Penelope died five years ago.
I opened the inner door. Standing in the porch with the outer door shut behind her was my friend and near neighbour Helen.
"Come in," I said. "I've just made a cup of tea."
Helen followed me into the kitchen. I poured her a cup of tea before we went back to my sitting room.
"This is an unexpected visit," I said because Helen seemed reluctant to say why she had come.
"I don't know how to ask this," she said hesitatingly.
"Then just ask," I prompted.
"You know this evening we have the Christmas procession?"
"Yes, Helen. I know. I used to be part of it."
I had been until about five years ago. I had the major role of Father Christmas on an illuminated float. The procession went to all nine churches in our town as a mobile version of the service of nine lessons and carols. One lesson was read outside each church, a carol was sung, and the procession moved on to the next church. The procession ended in the town square and Father Christmas distributed small presents to the children. I had been replaced by a younger man.
"Jack's in hospital," Helen blurted out.
"Oh dear!" I said. "I hope it's nothing serious."
"He was knocked off his bicycle this morning. We think it is only cuts and bruises but they are keeping him in tonight."
If they were keeping him in hospital on Christmas Eve I suspected that Jack was more seriously hurt than just cuts and bruises. I knew what Helen was going to ask before she did.
"Paul? Could you do Father Christmas again, please?"
"Helen. You knew why I stopped doing it, don't you?"
"Yes, Paul. Your medication was changed and you couldn't stand the cold anymore."
"And that's still true, Helen. I'd like to help. But since I gave up I haven't even been to watch the procession. If I get too cold it takes me hours to recover and could be serious for me if I get really cold."
"I know, Paul, but we've changed the float and I think we can keep you warm."
"How? Obviously I'd like to help but the risks to me are real."
Helen explained that the float on which Father Christmas rides now has a roof. It's like a sleigh and the front curves up over Father Christmas' legs. It has transparent acrylic sheets at the sides and if it is raining there is a roll down plastic curtain at the front. Father Christmas no longer gets off the float to hand out presents. His helpers do that. All I would have to do is sit in the float as we moved between the churches and wave at the crowds.
"The real problem for me was when we stopped for the lesson and carol," I said. "I was sitting still and freezing."
"I, no we, will make sure you stay warm when the float is stationary. Once we arrive at each church the float's lighting is turned off because the attention is on the church's choir and the reader of the lesson. We'll make sure you are warm then."
"You're sure, Helen? I don't want to end up at the hospital."
"Yes, Paul. I'll make sure you stay warm and safe."
"OK, Helen. I'm sold. I rely on you. If I do start to feel cold you'll have to get me to a warm place quickly. I'll do it -- for you."
Helen put her cup of tea down, took my cup, put it the table, and then kissed me passionately. I enjoyed that. Helen may be only a few years younger than me but she is still a very attractive woman. I could never understand why her husband had divorced her. She is delightful company and her kisses are wonderful.
She asked me to dress as warmly as I could and come to her house at five-thirty. She would have the Father Christmas costume ready and would help me to dress in it. The float would arrive at ten to six. As usual the procession would start at six o'clock.
"I promise you won't get cold," Helen said before kissing me just before she left.
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By twenty-five past five I had dressed warmly. I had several layers of clothing with thermal items as the base. My breath steamed in the cold air as I walked the few yards to Helen's house. I was worried that Helen had persuaded me to do something that could really damage my health. My doubts vanished like the mist of my breath as Helen pulled me inside her door and kissed me fiercely.
The doubts returned as I saw the costume. It wasn't very thick nor did it look particularly warm. The trousers went over the layers on my legs. Even those layers wouldn't be enough to keep me warm for an hour or so of sitting still. The upper part of the costume was just for show. I couldn't see how I could keep warm even with the Santa Claus hat.
Looking at Helen warmed me up. She was dressed as Fairy with a tight silver bodice trimmed in fake white fur. Although concealed the bulge of her breasts was obvious. Below her wide belt she had a floor length silver quilted skirt. She lifted it briefly to show gold furry boots. She had large golden wings and a tiara on her blonde wig.
"You'll have fur-lined boots too, Paul, but they're on the sleigh. You wouldn't be able to walk in them but they'll keep your feet warm."
I still wasn't convinced. This costume seemed so thin and not really a thermal barrier. I trusted Helen but I was confused.
The float arrived on time pulled by a large four wheel drive vehicle. It was brightly lit with interior lights and flashing lights around and over it.
Helen took my arm as we walked out to it. There were two women dressed as Elves with long green quilted skirts sitting in the middle of the seat. I recognised both of them, Jane and Ruth, also mature ladies that I would like as partners for an evening or more. I have been out with all three women during the last year. I enjoyed their company. They seemed to enjoy mine because they kept asking me to escort them.
They lifted the curved front of the sleigh before they moved aside for me to sit between them. Jane slid my feet into a foot muff which she had been wearing. Even through my socks and shoes I could feel that it was warm. It came up to just below my knees.
Ruth and Jane squeezed against my sides as Helen zipped up a double sleeping bag around us. We were contained inside it up to our chests. The front had replicas of the tops of our costumes. Even though we were inside a sleeping bag it looked as if we weren't.
The two women grabbed my hands, pulled them down inside the sleeping bag and kept hold of them.
"You keep your hands here unless you are waving," Ruth ordered.
I had no choice. My hands were firmly held.
Helen pulled a massive cloak around our shoulders. It had three hoods, green for them and red for me. Once they had arranged it only my face was exposed to the air. Helen climbed up to sit behind us. Her silver skirt was about a foot behind my head. Jane and Ruth pulled the front of the sleigh back over our legs.
"I control the lights and music from back here," Helen announced.
The lights went out just leaving the rear lights and illuminated number plate at the back.
"Ruth, Jane? Recline the seats," Helen ordered.
Our three seats tipped back like airline seats. My hooded head was against Helen's skirt.
"Paul? While the seats are reclined and the lights are off no one can see us except as vague shapes. We'll be like this during the carol singing. But to keep you warm while the sleigh is standing still..."
I was suddenly plunged into darkness. Jane and Ruth had lifted the hem of Helen's skirt before pulling it down over my head and shoulders. Helen's warm lycra clad legs squeezed lightly at the sides of my head before relaxing. I was breathing Helen's perfume inside a satin lined skirt. I had warm women pressed on either side of me.
"OK, Mary, you can drive off now," Helen said. Mary is Jane's daughter.
I assumed Helen had an intercom to Mary. As the sleigh started to move my head moved backwards slightly. Even through the hood I could feel that the back of my head was against Helen's panties. She wriggled behind me to make more contact. If I was to be surrounded like this except when waving to the crowds I would be warm. I felt not just warm but loved and hugged. I was enjoying myself.
Their arrangements to keep me warm worked. At the start of the procession the lights came on just after our seats moved upright. I took my right arm out and waved to the crowd as young women dressed as Elves distributed sweets and small presents to any children. Those helpers had white tights decorated with green Christmas trees under a green mini-skirt and a furry jacket. They looked wonderful but I was enjoying the proximity of three women I loved. Each time I stopped waving and brought my hand back inside it was grabbed by both of Jane's hands and warmed up again.
Each time the sleigh stopped at a church Helen turned the lights off, the seats were reclined and my head was stuffed inside her skirt. Her warm legs cradled my head until it was time for me to appear again.
The only time my right hand got slightly cold was at the final stop in the town square. I had to keep waving for about a quarter of an hour as all the children were given their gifts. When we finally moved away in the darkness Jane grabbed my hand. She felt its coldness and instead of warming it with her hands she pulled in inside her top and between her breasts. If my hand had been warmer I might have explored. As it was I just enjoyed the firm softness and the warmth. Helen's legs pulled me closer to her cleft, scissoring gently across my face. I was sorry when we got back to her house and climbed off the sleigh.
All three women bundled me inside. Jane and Ruth helped me to remove my costume while Helen made tea. All three of them had taken off their warm upper layer to reveal bare arms and cleavage. I stripped off my outer pair of trousers, a fleece and a sweater and the next layer. When Helen brought the tea in to the sitting room Jane and Ruth were pressed against me even closer than they had been on the sleigh. Their hands grabbed my head to turn it for alternate kissing.
