"But I don't wanna sit on some creepy old guy's lap"! Michael said for what must have been the tenth time since leaving the house.
Lincoln watched as Michael headed for another snow pile.
"He's not a creepy old guy, he's Santa Claus, and besides it's for Mom you dimwit"! Lincoln said as he pulled his 6 year old brother roughly out of the snow.
"You're gonna get your clothes all wet, Mike, stop doing that"! Lincoln scolded.
Michael ignored him, but stayed on the sidewalk.
"There's no such thing as Santa Claus, Linc", Michael said shielding his eyes from the sun to stare up at his big brother.
"There is too. And if you want anything good for Christmas you better sit on his lap and pretend to like it", Lincoln said as he resumed walking, leaving his little brother standing there contemplating his older sibling's wisdom.
After a few moments Michael ran to catch up with him. When he was walking beside Lincoln once more, Michael reached out and grasped his arm.
"Linc, it's not logically or technically possible for Santa to be real", Michael stated with the serious tone Lincoln always dreaded.
Why, oh why on this day of all days? Lincoln asked himself as he looked into what he liked to call the deep blue intelligence. Michael blinked his eyes and Lincoln looked away from them. He knew he was going to have to trick Michael into believing.
"Ok listen, Mike, I'll tell you what. When you sit on the old guy's lap, and you're telling him what you want for Christmas? Why don't you ask him for something really silly? Ask him, for I dunno, a toothpick or something", Lincoln said and started walking again. Michael rushed to catch up with him.
"But if I ask him for a toothpick you'll just tell mom I asked for a toothpick and that won't prove anything", Michael reasoned.
Lincoln looked sideways at his brother and fought the frustration which eventually won.
"Fine, Mike, don't ask for a toothpick! Ask for some other stupid thing! I don't care what you ask for anymore. As a matter of fact I don't even care anymore if you even sit on the fat guy's lap or not"! Lincoln fumed and started walking faster.
Michael ran to catch up.
"You mad at me Linc"? Michael asked as her caught up to him.
Lincoln sighed. "I'm not mad, Mike. I just wanted this Christmas to be nice for Mom. You know she hasn't been feeling good. I just thought a picture of you with Santa would be nice, that's all", Lincoln said looking down at his shoes.
Lincoln always felt bad after losing his patience and yelling at his little brother.
He kicked once more at the snow pile by his foot and then looked back at Michael's much too serious expression.
"I'll do it Linc", Michael said as he slipped his gloved hand into his big brother's much larger one.
Michael looked up with a grin. "I'm gonna ask him for something really different".
Lincoln cast a worried look at Michael.
"You know it also won't prove anything if you ask him for something we couldn't possibly keep in our small apartment", Lincoln said figuring Michael was going to ask for a gorilla or something.
"I mean if you were to ask Santa for a…let's say a pony or something. Santa would never bring you a pony", Lincoln said continuing to walk.
Lincoln hadn't walked far when he realized Michael was standing a ways behind him.
"Come on Mike", he said impatiently looking back at his little brother.
"The malls gonna close before we get there".
Michael looked down the sidewalk at Lincoln and ran over to stand beside him. He grinned and looked up at him.
"Well"? Lincoln looked at his little brother expectantly.
"I know exactly what I am going to ask for and it's not impossible", Michael said slipping his hand into Lincoln's once again.
Lincoln sighed and shook his head.
Later that night
Lincoln slipped quietly out of his bed and made his way into the living room, Remembering having seen his brother's jacket on the sofa before dinner, he began to search the dark room.
He slapped his head. Of course Mike would never leave his coat out. His little brother was much too neat freaky for that. He opened the hall closet and grabbed Michael's jacket.
He quickly retrieved the small tape recorder he had slipped into the pocket earlier that day and hung the coat back in its place. Lincoln then went into the bathroom and turned on the sink. He perched himself on the closed toilet lid, and wearing a huge grin he rewound the small tape.
Lincoln fought a giggle as he listened to the mall sounds followed by Michael telling him to wait around the corner so he wouldn't over hear what he was going to ask Santa to bring him.
He heard a thump as the jacket was tossed down, or at least that's what Lincoln guessed must have happened.
He heard a strange voice say "Now smile nice".
And then he heard Santa asking his brother if he was a good boy this year.
Lincoln covered his mouth trying to hold in the giggle that burst forth at his brother's reply of, "Oh, I was good alright, not like it matters…Is this thing even real? It looks like a dead cat".
Lincoln fought another giggle as Santa ignored Michael and asked what the good boy wanted for Christmas this year.
Lincoln strained his ears as his brother's lowered voice answered the creepy old guy's question.
Lincoln sat back on the toilet lid and scratching his head he switched off the tape recorder.
Now all he had to do was figure out what a kumquat was.