I woke up to “Deck The Halls” blasting on our speaker. I dashed down the stairs only to see someone standing by the fireplace! It was my best friend, St. Nicholas also known as “Santa”. He wore his cherry red suit with a big black buckle. His fluffy snow-white beard looked like an avalanche and his big black eyes were gleaming with Christmas joy. Santa would only come and meet me for twenty-five days a year, and today was the first day!
“Ho-Ho-Ho! Is that you Sam? My oh my, you’ve grown quite tall, you can now reach the cookie jar on the shelf!” he told me with excitement in his tone.
“Hi Santa!” I said, running towards him to give him a hug. Although I forgot in the rush of joy and excitement whenever I tried to hug him, he would always go somewhere else. From the fireplace he went to the kitchen. I followed him only to see him stealing from the cookie jar.
“Santa! Mom said you can’t have any cookies! While you’re there give me one,” I said in a hushed voice.
“Take it yourself, I want to see if you can reach,” he replied.
“Hmm, hey Santa see this!”
I stretched my arm and grabbed the giant glass cookie jar in the shape of a fish bowl.
“See! I can reach!” I told Santa.
“You can, and I’m proud of you!”
I opened the jar, the smell of sugar hit my face. Oh, it was heaven! Then I heard footsteps coming down the stairs; it was my Mother. I put the cookie jar back in place and whispered to Santa,
“Go hide behind the kitchen door so mother won’t see you.”
He waddled towards the kitchen door and then my mother yelled,
“Sam is that you? Why are you up so early?”
“Good morning mom! How are you? You know it is the first of December!”
“I know, and when can I expect your friend Santa?”
“Oh, he just came, wait I’ll call him. Santa come out!”
From the back of the kitchen door Santa showed himself to my mother. He gave a soft smile to my mother. I looked back at Mother to see her expression but she looked confused.
“Can you not see him Mother?” I questioned.
“No, no I can. Hello Santa! How are you?” she said in a welcoming voice.
“Hello Aunty! Did you miss me?” Santa said.
“What did he say dear, I couldn’t understand,” she said, bending down towards my face.
“He is saying, did you miss him?” I yelled into her ear.
“Oh! Yes, I did miss him,” she replied.
“Now you two go play and come back by two so you can help set up the Christmas tree,” Mother told us.
“We will!” Santa and I said in unison.
The next few days I had so much fun! Santa and I baked gingerbread cookies, we helped set up the Christmas tree, we played numerous games and we made sure to annoy my elder sister, Sara.
On December 21st, Mother had gone out for some groceries and Santa and I went to annoy Sara. We went up to her cream door and flung it open. We started singing Christmas carols in a terrible voice! After we were done with our show, Sara looked at me in anger and frustration, her eyes widened with rage and she was ready to yell. Instead she took a minute to calm down and took a deep breath. She then asked me in a cool voice,
“Sam, who did you sing these marvelous Christmas Carols with?” she asked.
“With Santa, why are you asking? Can’t you see him?” I replied in doubt.
“No, I can’t where is he?” she said with a evil smirk on her face.
“He is right over here Sara, are you crazy?” I told her pointing to my left.
“Where Sam?” she questioned.
I looked to my left and there was no one. I yelled in fear and my mother who had just returned from the grocery store rushed up the stairs in fright.
“What happened? Is everybody alright?” she said in fear.
“I thought that it was time for Sam to learn the truth, Santa is not real. He is fake! He doesn’t exist! Live with it Sam! Live with it!” she yelled with all her might.
“He does exist! He comes every year for twenty-five days,” I said with tears filling up my eyes.
I looked towards my mother, she looked at me with a worried look.
“Sam there is something we as a family need to tell you,” she told me in concern.
“None of us can see your friend, except you. We think that he is not real. Sam, we think that he is in your imagination,” she told me.
“No no, he is right over here,” I exclaimed, pointing to my left.
Santa walked towards me and knelt down. He then said, “Sam, thank you for being my best friend for six years, but I’m afraid that I have to go.”
“Please no, don’t go!” I said in tears.
He gave a big sigh, got up and walked away until I couldn’t see him anymore. I hugged my mother in tears, I couldn’t stop crying. My mother soothed me down until I finally stopped. From then on I never saw him again but every year I make sure to celebrate Christmas in honour of my childhood friend who helped me spread the joy of Christmas. He is the reason why I love Christmas.
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