Naughty and Nice
1/1
In the crowded mall, with an uninspired instrumental version of 'Deck The Halls' playing on the P.A. Chris Church sat on a large plastic throne with a seven year old boy on his lap. The young man- Jared was his name- was rattling on about the latest legos, plastic guns, and toy trucks which he hoped to find under the living room tree next week. Chris was a Mall Santa and was expected to listen to the child that sat upon his knee and give a toy to the child, showing no opinion on the requests or irritation at the child.
It was a boring, aggravating job. There were small children who were scared to see Santa who were told to see him by the parents, the older kids who were forced to sit on Santa's lap to show a younger sibling that it wasn't scary, and the rude kids who pulled on the beard and made a lot of upset children. It was almost assured that by the end of the day the suit would be soiled. He wouldn't have volunteered for the job if it didn't offer the possibility to see Cynthia. He had lost custody of his lovely little Cynthia after the divorce. Cynthia went to Santa every year, he knew that, and he hoped this year would be no exception. He had been doing this job for a month and still hadn't seen her. In fact he was losing hoe that he would.
"Good bye Jared. Have a merry Christmas! Ho ho ho!" Chris said in his booming, Santa voice after giving the boy a small football from a big red bag next to him. Jared went off to be joined with his parents, who were carrying stuffed bags from different stores and looked stressed. "Alright, who's next to see St. Nick, huh?" He asked.
A girl walked up. Chris was surprised as he looked at the child. Her hair was cut just like Cynthia. She even had his blue eyes and brown hair. It wasn't Cynthia, but he couldn't help but be charmed by the little girl in pink snow boots as if it was his daughter.
"Ho ho ho, young one!" Chris said as he bended over to lift her up. She weighed little, almost too little. "So, what's your name?"
"Virginia, Santa." She had a sweet little voice. Almost like a Cherub.
"So, have you been a good girl to your mom and dad?"
"I don't know my mommy but I've been a good girl for my daddy, but I can't see him anymore."
"Why is that?" Chris asked quietly.
"He was stealing and the lawyer said he was a bad daddy so I can't see him anymore." Virginia looked directly at his eyes. "Could you take him off the naughty list Santa? He wasn't being bad really. He was just taking some soup and a teddy bear so that we could have a good Christmas together."
A thought crossed Chris' mind. Would he do the same for Cynthia? And if he did, how would he feel if he was told he was an unfit parent? When he had completed his short-lived musing he spoke again to Virginia.
"Virginia, thank you for telling me. Anyone who would go do something like that loves their child very much. As long as your daddy is truly sorry for stealing, he will go back on the nice list."
Virginia grinned wildly and her eyes gleamed. When he handed her a stuffed teddy bear from the sack, she hugged it madly. As he let Virginia go to her aunt he thought that if a child could still keep faith in an improbable thing during an obviously tough time, maybe he could keep faith that he would see his daughter.
Chris grinned as madly as Virginia when the end of the line came along and he heard a quizzical remark.
"Dad?"
It was a boring, aggravating job. There were small children who were scared to see Santa who were told to see him by the parents, the older kids who were forced to sit on Santa's lap to show a younger sibling that it wasn't scary, and the rude kids who pulled on the beard and made a lot of upset children. It was almost assured that by the end of the day the suit would be soiled. He wouldn't have volunteered for the job if it didn't offer the possibility to see Cynthia. He had lost custody of his lovely little Cynthia after the divorce. Cynthia went to Santa every year, he knew that, and he hoped this year would be no exception. He had been doing this job for a month and still hadn't seen her. In fact he was losing hoe that he would.
"Good bye Jared. Have a merry Christmas! Ho ho ho!" Chris said in his booming, Santa voice after giving the boy a small football from a big red bag next to him. Jared went off to be joined with his parents, who were carrying stuffed bags from different stores and looked stressed. "Alright, who's next to see St. Nick, huh?" He asked.
A girl walked up. Chris was surprised as he looked at the child. Her hair was cut just like Cynthia. She even had his blue eyes and brown hair. It wasn't Cynthia, but he couldn't help but be charmed by the little girl in pink snow boots as if it was his daughter.
"Ho ho ho, young one!" Chris said as he bended over to lift her up. She weighed little, almost too little. "So, what's your name?"
"Virginia, Santa." She had a sweet little voice. Almost like a Cherub.
"So, have you been a good girl to your mom and dad?"
"I don't know my mommy but I've been a good girl for my daddy, but I can't see him anymore."
"Why is that?" Chris asked quietly.
"He was stealing and the lawyer said he was a bad daddy so I can't see him anymore." Virginia looked directly at his eyes. "Could you take him off the naughty list Santa? He wasn't being bad really. He was just taking some soup and a teddy bear so that we could have a good Christmas together."
A thought crossed Chris' mind. Would he do the same for Cynthia? And if he did, how would he feel if he was told he was an unfit parent? When he had completed his short-lived musing he spoke again to Virginia.
"Virginia, thank you for telling me. Anyone who would go do something like that loves their child very much. As long as your daddy is truly sorry for stealing, he will go back on the nice list."
Virginia grinned wildly and her eyes gleamed. When he handed her a stuffed teddy bear from the sack, she hugged it madly. As he let Virginia go to her aunt he thought that if a child could still keep faith in an improbable thing during an obviously tough time, maybe he could keep faith that he would see his daughter.
Chris grinned as madly as Virginia when the end of the line came along and he heard a quizzical remark.
"Dad?"