Chrissie has one special request for Santa.
Tony Randall hated his life. He had three failed marriages, a son in prison for armed robbery and a daughter going through a custody battle with her ex husband. He had been a shopping mall Santa for over 10 years now and he was fed up. He often contemplated suicide but turned to hard liquor to ease his depression. Nothing seemed to work. Little did he know that he would be approached by a tragic yet lovable figure one day whilst in the role of Santa Claus. He was to be given a life lesson in the form of a simple request.
Chrissie trotted alongside her big brothers, her hands tightly gripped onto each of the brothers hand for protection. Her boots squeaked on the titled floor as she hummed Jingle Bells to herself. Unlike most infants her age, the Christmas holiday was almost alien to her. She never received a mountain of toys or even sat down to a large turkey dinner. Christmas consisted of her sitting with her brothers in a motel room watching TV whilst her father was passed out drunk. That was her Christmas. This year however she wanted to get something special for her father. The only person she could ask. Santa.
"We gonna see Santa now?" asked the infant, looking up at her brother Sam.
"Yup we just need to find him" answered the gangly twelve year old smiling at the youngest sibling.
"Is Daddy gonna be here for pwesents dis year?" the child quizzed hopefully.
Sam exchanged an awkward glance to the eldest of the children. Sixteen year old Dean simply shrugged. He knew the answer but could find the right words to tell the little girl.
Sam sighed "I dunno Chrissie. Maybe. I hope so."
Chrissie then broke free from her brothers hands and pointed over to a colourful little shack with stuffed reindeer and fake snow. Her small gloved hands clapped excitedly and she beamed gleefully.
"Der's Santa! Der's Santa!" she squealed running over to the queue of waiting children, her brothers dashing after her.
Most of the children in the line were in the company of their mothers. Chrissie watched one little girl, who was a year or two older than her with curly black hair, hugging her heavy built mother. Chrissie felt a pang of sadness. No more so than her brothers. They hated the fact that she didn't know her mother. They hated the fact that she was dead.
"Sammy? How does Santa know were to go?" questioned Chrissie taking a hold of her brother's hand once again.
Sam smiled "That's because Santa's magic. He knows a lot of cool tricks and he can get into everybody's house without anybody knowing."
Chrissie wrinkled her nose "But will he find us? We's ain't got a house."
Sam tapped her nose "Course he'll find us. Like I said he's magic."
Tony was tired of hearing the demands from spoilt bratty children. He questioned himself on why he was still working this gig. It got him a peanuts wage combined with his as a garbage man. In his fifty five years he had done nothing worth being happy about. Still each year he pulled himself into the Santa suit and yanked on the beard and hat, and he would sit there for hours balancing kids of all ages on his knees. Life sucked for this Santa Claus. His eyes focused on the last child of his shift. It was a little girl about four years old, she was with her older brothers by the look of it. She had large jade green eyes and dark wavy hair. He hadn't come across a child like this before, she was dressed almost like a little boy and he assumed she came from a poorer background from the rest of the children. He grimaced under the white beard and glasses as the child hurried over to him with her brothers behind her.
"Why hello there little girl," boomed Tony in his Santa voice as he pulled the infant onto his knees, "What's your name?"
"I's Chrissie," she grinned, she then introduced her brothers to Tony, "Der my bwothers, Dean and Sammy."
"Have you been a good girl this year Chrissie?" Tony asked in the usual Mall Santa manner.
Chrissie glanced over to Sam who nodded at her in encouragement. She nodded at the man.
"And what would you like for Christmas this year?"
"Oh it not for me. It for my Daddy."
"Your Daddy?"
"Can you bwing people back from heaven?"
Tony frowned and glanced at her brothers who were holding their own breathes as if they knew what she was going to ask.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I's want you to bwing back Mommy from heaven. Daddy's sad all the time. Sammy and Dean too."
Tony had softened, he felt sorry for this motherless little girl. No child should be without a mother. He knew that all to well. Tony was only three when his single mother succumbed to cancer, leaving him in the care of a foster family.
"You want me to bring back your Mommy for your Daddy?"
"Uh huh. Pwease. It would make him so happy. Sammy says your magic and you can do anything."
Tony smiled sadly "I'll see what I can do. But what can I get you."
Chrissie gazed up at the bearded man "Nothin. I's just want Daddy to be happy again."
Tony's heart broke for the little girl. He handed her a small present from the sack at the side of his chair. She beamed and hugged him much to his surprise. Poor kid he said to himself as he watched her being led away by her brothers. He thought his life sucked. That poor little girl.