Seven-year-old David was looking out of the window and thinking to himself “Will it snow on Christmas this year?” he looked at the sky and couldn’t see it happening unless Santa gave a miracle! David laughed to himself. It was one night until Christmas. He left the last advent calendar door for his grandparents who were going to be joining him on Christmas day. He was so excited that his thoughts took him back to last year when he spent time with them at the Santa’s Grotto with a complimentary meal afterwards.
David’s mother wanted him to eat the dinner that she had left on the table, but David jumped out of joy and shouted to his mother “Mommy, it’s the parade that goes around town with Santa on it. Please may I have some money to give to Santa?” “He needs all the money to buys presents for the kids around the world.” His mom smiled at his innocence and brought some money and keys to the door, but she said, “You haven’t had your dinner.” David said “Please mommy I do not want to miss Santa and want to meet him before he leaves our street. I promise to return in a flash.” He pleaded. David’s mom let him see Santa.
David hastily unlocked the door and handed the keys to mom and ran out with the money. He scurried to the parade but in his excitement, he dropped a pound out of the three pounds that mom gave to David. He realized quickly and collected it then he put it in his trouser pocket.
David came to the parade and shouted, “Santa here is the money, please buy a year’s stock of clothes for the less fortunate families.” Santa looked at David and smiled with joy and then said “Boy, you can count on me”. David was so overjoyed and handed over the two pounds and forgot about the coin in his trouser pocket. After, the parade started to slowly edge away. David, out of curiosity, followed the van despite Santa warning him to return home.
The parade continued to the next street and David thought “I know this area pretty well and I’ll be back in a jiffy before mommy notices.” Then after he followed, followed and followed. Santa, out of curiosity thought “Why has the boy not returned home despite me warning him.”
After some time, he walked and then remembered his promise to mommy to eat his dinner and get back home quickly. Then, he turned back and saw a man with a scruffy outlook, long beard and strong odour staring at him. David, however, was so frightened and he realised that he should not have left home and listened to Santa. He shouted to Santa, but the parade has reached far off from where he was, and the tears started to roll down his cheeks.
David tried to run, but the man’s hand stopped him and said, “I can help you”. David threw the man’s hands off and ran into a narrow street and hid behind a bin. He could hear the parade’s music at a distance, but it was slowly fading away. Suddenly, David felt hungry and thought to himself “I should have listed to mommy and ate my dinner.”
“Who will give me food at this time?” He remembered the money from his trouser pocket. He wanted to wait until the scruffy man had left. David waited and felt cold. He noticed some old blankets nearby and had no choice but to put on the blanket. He felt warm and dozed off.
David woke up to the scruffy man staring at him. He instantly jumped up and ran to the neighbouring street gasping for breath. He felt so hungry and realised he skipped his dinner last night. In hunger he remembered that he had a pound in his pocket. He went into the shop and bought food for himself. Before he could eat, the scruffy man came to his mind, after all he was trying to help me and is homeless like me!”
David then went back to the scruffy man and offered him a share of what he bought. The man smiled back and took what David gave him and offered a warm place next to him.
David’s grandparents arrived at his home to hear the shocking news and his parents couldn’t sleep all night. They informed the local police and every family that came out to support them. The news went out the local newspapers, radio and the television.
Santa, who was parading yesterday, was reading the local newspaper at breakfast time and instantly recognised the boy that followed him to various streets yesterday. He tried to recollect where he last saw this boy. Then an idea sparked his mind and he quickly wore his clothes to set off to the place where he thought the boy could be found.
The scruffy man hardly spoke anything to David, so he lost trust in him that only a miracle from Santa could get him to his home.
He closed his eyes and prayed to Santa “Please Santa I really need to be with my parents especially when my grandparents were visiting me, I do not want to disappointment them” He then opened his eyes and he couldn’t believed that Santa was standing right in front of him.
David quickly got up and hugged Santa with joy and Santa said, “I am going to deliver a special gift to a special family.” The boy turned to scruffy man and said you were kind to me yesterday, would like to join us?” The scruffy man looked at Santa and he nodded.
Finally, David got home and knocked on the door and hid behind Santa. The grandparents opened the door and Santa said, “I have got a very special delivery this Christmas day.” The grandparents asked, “what is it?” Then out of nowhere David jumped from behind and hugged his grandparents. They shouted in excitement and with all the noise David’s parents came out Their joy was out of bounds.
David introduced the scruffy man who helped him the night before. His parents invite him to join and extended the invitation to Santa too. But he refused and greeted Merry Christmas and disappeared. And, so the family was reunited with the special guest.
Merry Christmas!
Sisir and Ramesh Kalavala