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escher4096 t1_ixkkz8f wrote

For a month a year, I have the greatest job in the world. I am a mall Santa.

The mall is decked out in its holiday finery. Trees, and lights and garland and Christmas music playing. The hallways are bustling. Parents want to shop and get out. The kids want to come and see me, to tell me their wishes and secrets. It is truly a magical time of year.

“Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!”, I say cheerily from my chair. My voice gets swallowed by the busy din of the mall. One of the helper elves brings a little girl out to my chair. I looked up to the second helper elf who has the child’s name on a little white board that only I can see. It is the little things that let me bring the magic to these kids.

“Hello Mary!”, I say as the child gets close.

Her eyes get wide. I see her turn back to her mom and say, “he knows my name!” She says excitedly.

“Of course, I know your name. You have been a very good girl this year.”, I reach out a hand and welcome her to my chair. “Tell me Mary, what would you like for Christmas this year?”

Mary is a shy girl and looks down and then whispers, “I want a pony.”

“Ho Ho Ho! Oh my, that is a big wish.”, she nods in agreement. “Do you have a place to keep a pony?”

“I don’t know. Maybe in the garage.”

“Do you have a place for the pony to run and exercise?”

“No”, she says sadly

“Mmmmm…. Maybe something a little smaller would be better?”

“I want a Sally talks allot dolly”, she says after some serious thought.

“Oh, that is a great dolly. I really like that one! She has long blonde hair just like yours and she says so many different things. That is a great gift idea.”, little Mary grinned from ear to ear. While I make small talk with Mary, I use my right hand to spell out the gift she wants in sign language to one of my elves to tell the parents. “You have a great Christmas Mary!”, I say, as I send her on her way.

Little Billy is next. He is not sure if he is a believer or not.

“My friend Steve says that Santa isn’t real.”, he says sadly

“I will tell you a secret Billy. Santa isn’t a single person. Santa is the spirit of hope, and innocence, and wonder, and childhood. That spirit lives in you and in me and in all of us. If you do something that gives a child hope or sparks their wonder…. Then in that moment, you are Santa.”, I said as seriously as I could. “But remember, that is a secret.”, I tapped my nose and winked at him and sent him on his way.

The rest of the evening is a blur of children and impossible wishes. Some sweet kids, some bratty kids, some entitled parents and everything in between. A typical evening in the mall.

We were just about to shut it down for the evening and there was one more kid. A young boy, a little older than my usual kids.

He ignores the helper elf and comes out to the chair and sits beside me. “Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas little man. What would you like for Christmas this year?”

“I know you aren’t really Santa. I know Santa isn’t real. I just… I just need some one to see me. To know I am trying.”, he voice breaks and he is about to cry, “ I am trying as hard as I can but he still hits me.”, a tear rolls down his cheek. “I don’t know what else I can do….”

I reach over and give him a hug and he sobs, and then pushes me off and runs away.

I wish I could say it was the first time I had heard a heart breaker but it happens too often.

The chime played on the mail speakers followed by the mall is closing soon message. We pack it in and shutdown for the night. In the backroom, I change into my street clothes. I look in the mirror…. The big beard is natural. I need the glasses and I have a full head of grey hair. Even without the red suit I still look like Santa. “Ho ho ho”, I say sadly to my reflection. That last kid really got to me.

I head out to the bus stop and I see that same kid waiting outside trying to keep warm by a vent. I watch him as I wait for my bus and I see a tall man walk out of a pub a couple of doors away from the kid. He walks up behind the kid and slaps the back of his head.

“Come on you little shit. Let’s go home”, he says drunkenly. The boy visibly shrinks back from him as they walk down the street.

My bus comes and goes and I am still standing there… watching them walk down the street. I start following them. Out of the down town core. Out into the warehouse district. Out into the low income, high density housing…. The high class slums of the city.

They get to a building and he opens the door for the kid and pushes him in. “Get the fuck up stairs you…. Burrrrrrp…. Fuck…”. He leans against the building and lights a cigarette and starts smoking.

I walk right up to this drunk guy. “You need to stop hitting that kid.”, I say in my meanest voice.

“Fuck off Santa.”, he says and spits to the side.

I sucker punch him in the stomach, doubling him over. “I said, you need to stop hitting that kid.”, I lift his head up by his hair, “did you hear me, you fucking drunk? You can Fuck up your life, but that kid still has a future. It is your job to protect him and help him. You don’t fucking hit him. Got it‽”

“Fuck you!”, he yells and he punches me in the gut. It should have doubled me over but it felt like nothing.

I feel cold. Ice cold. My fist is steaming like it is made of dry ice. I hit him in the face and I see ice form on his cheek where I struck him. I hit him again and again…. Left, right, left, right. My hands are literal blocks of ice.

“Who, who the fuck are you?”, he says. His lip is split and cheeks are red and raw.

“I am Santa Clause, motherfucker!”, I say slowly. My breath coming out like thick steam. I grab him by the collar and easily lift him off the ground. “I will know if you have been good. I will know if you have been bad. So you better be good or I will be back and I will fuck you up. Are we clear?”

“Yeah. Yeah. We are clear.”, he whimpered.

“Merry fucking Christmas, asshole.” I say as I drop him. He stumbles. He fumbles for his keys and runs into the apartment building.

I let out a frosty breath and start walking back to my bus stop, humming ‘Santa Clause is coming to town” under my breath.

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