Copyright Oggbashan November 2004
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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I was surprised to get a phone call from Jill. I hadn't had any contact with her since my wife died two years ago. Jill and my wife had set up a nursery school about fifteen years ago. Jill, who was much younger than Maureen and then recently divorced, had taken the school over wholly seven years ago when I retired and my wife decided to retire as well.
We had had those seven pleasant years together until a sudden stroke took Maureen from me as we sat down with a nightcap after a dinner at a local restaurant with our friends. Maureen had just grunted in surprise and then she was gone. The emergency ambulance crew had tried what they could but Maureen had died instantly. Sometimes I envied her. To die without warning after an enjoyable evening seems to be an ideal passing.
After the funeral I suppose I retreated into a quiet world of my own. I still acknowledged my friends and visited them sometimes. I enjoyed my books and my writing and became almost a recluse. I still went out every day, rain or shine, for a walk. I know some people felt sorry for me and thought I was grieving for Maureen. I missed her, yet my life was pleasant if some saw it as boring.
Jill wanted me to be the nursery's Father Christmas. I had done it before and stopped when Maureen retired. Another grandfather had taken over my role. This year he had unexpectedly and at very short notice decided to visit his son's family in Australia. He had apologised profusely to Jill and suggested me as his replacement. Would I? Pretty please, Geoff?
Of course I agreed. I still had the costume in the wardrobe. I had my own white beard and I knew what to do. Some of the younger children might get too excited or even frightened of a large man dressed up as Santa Claus. Usually I spread a red plastic-backed table cloth over my legs under my red robes in case of accidents. There had been a few over the years and the table cloth had saved me from a soaking. I checked. The table cloth was with the costume.
Usually I would arrive about an hour after the school's session started, creep in through the back door and change in a storeroom before being fetched by Jill. I would repeat the procedure for the afternoon session. This year would be different. Jill had arranged an early evening visitation from Santa Claus for both the morning and afternoon children. The children's parents would be there as well. Did that bother me?
It didn't. I knew most of the parents. Many of them had sat on my knees in the past. I'd been doing Santa Claus for other nursery schools and playgroups even before I met and married Maureen. It must be nearly fifty years since I first did it as a student.