Father Christmas is a Person

Jack stood up to admire his construction. He had been playing with his Duplo and with Daddy's help had built a whole town, there was a fire station, a car wash, a school and a playground. Yesterday they had put up all the Christmas decorations and he looked around the sitting room, it looked like a magical kingdom.  Maybe he could ask Daddy to put some round the Duplo town. He stepped back, the room looked really marvellous, in the corner near the Christmas tree, a little door had appeared and an elf lived there. Mummy said the elf worked for Father Christmas and came to see if Jack had been good.

Jack wasn't all that sure about Father Christmas and preferred it when the elf didn't live in their sitting room but mummy seemed so excited about it and every morning told Jack what the elf had been doing. 

There was a loud cry from the bedroom which meant his sister Lucy had woken up. Mummy went to get her holding a bottle of milk. Jack was just about to ask Daddy for some lights for the Duplo town when there was a burst of laughter from the bedroom, a joyous sound, one that made Jack smile and run to look what had caused it,

Mummy was giggling and bouncing Lucy up and dow. She pointed to the floor, 

'Oh look Jack, look.' Daddy rushed to join them and he burst out laughing too. Jack looked to where mummy was pointing and his smile froze on his face.

Batman was wearing Cinderella's ball gown, Spiderman was in the doll's cot and Superman had on Ariel's mermaid's tail . Jack  couldn't believe it. What was funny about that?' He looked at his sister giggling in mummy's arms and daddy laughing with his head thrown back and laughing like he did when the television was on.

He picked up Batman, Spiderman and Superman and tore the clothes off them, he threw the mermaid's tail on the bed and stormed out of the room.

Lucy started crying and Mummy ran after him saying something about Father Christmas watching him.

Jack went into the kitchen with his Superheroes, he lined them up next to the dog's basket and told them they had to save the lego man in the cat's basket and he would help them by throwing some string across. He got the string from the peg basket. Lucy waddled in and started to take out the pegs, she smiled at him, putting her face really close to his and pulled at his curls. Her fingers were sticky, he gently pulled them away and kissed her on the cheek,

'It's alright Lucy, look you can have the pegs.'

He threw the pegs into the corridor and she crawled after them. As he helped Spiderman fly across the kitchen to Superman near the fridge which was the North Pole he thought about Father Christmas.He seemed to have super powers like Superman, he could fly all over the world in one night and take presents to millions and millions of children. He was a superhero like Batman, always kind and good and could do incredible things like Spiderman, he could land his sleigh and reindeer wherever he wanted.

 Last year had been so different. Lucy just slept all the time and he and Daddy had built a train set with mummy serving them coffee and cakes from the Armchair Cafe. He didn't know what to think this year. He'd made Lucy cry a lot and Daddy and mummy shouted at him. Maybe Father Christmas wouldn't come. It seemed like now there was Lucy only Grandpa didn't get cross with him. Grandpa never shouted. He always said things like, 'It's a phase, it's alright, kiss and make up.' and always in a soft and gentle voice.

There was a shout from the sitting room and he ran to see what it was. He stood still at the sight of his Duplo town lying in bits and scattered over the floor. Lucy was giggling and it made him want to just, to just, he din't know what, just push her or something. Daddy picked Lucy up and said,

'Lucy that was Jack's town, you mustn't touch Jack's toys.'

Mummy bustled in and trod on one of the Duplo blocks, she cried in pain and started kicking the blocks all over the room,.

She glared at Daddy,

''Paul couldn't you have built the town on the table? You know, like high up, out of someone's reach?'

Daddy rolled his eyes, put Lucy down and held his hands up like a cowboy.

'I?ve got an idea, why don't we go and see Father Christmas? He's in his Grotto at the Garden Centre.'

Mummy looked cross and then smiled at him and went to kiss him

'What a great idea Paul, it will do us good to get some fresh air.'

The next thing there was a whirl of being stuffed into jackets, then gloves and scarfes and hats and they were in the car. Mummy put on the Christmas CD and started singing Jngle Bells. Lucy gurgled, 'Jing jing.'

Mummy turned her head and put her hand on Jack's knee.

'Come on Jack, you know this one, you know the words.'

Jack closed his mouth and put his lips together tight. He didn't feel like singing, he was feeling a bit scared of Father Christmas.

They walked round the Garden Centre and joined the queue for Father Christmas. Jack held on tight to Daddy's hand. The boy in front of them climbed up onto Father Christmas's knee and in a loud voice said all the things he wanted him to bring. He wanted everything in the whole world it seemed to Jack. The list went on and on. He wanted a laser gun and an electric scotter and a jeep. Father Christmas  put the boy down and said, 'Ok off you go, I'll see what I can do. I'll ask my elves what they think.'

The boy skipped off to his parents.

Daddy gently took Jack by the arm to Father Christmas, and whispered, 'Go on Jack tell Father Christmas what you'd like'

Before Jack could do anything he was sitting on Father Christmas's lap. Their faces were very close. He had crinkly blue eyes that smiled and shone like Grandpa's, he looked like ... a person. Father Christmas was a person.  He smiled at Jack,

'What would you like for Christmas little fellow?'

Jack whispered in his ear, he didn't want the other people in the queue to hear,

Father Christmas threw back his head and laughed, 'Ho Ho Ho.' It was a wonderful sound, a joyous sound. 

'Oh Jack that's the smartest present I've been asked for this year, maybe ever.'

The people in the queue were all smiling, Daddy and Mummy were smiling, Lucy ran towards him and threw her arms round him. 

Later that evening when Daddy had finished reading his bedtime story and turned off the light Daddy stroked his hair and whispered, 

'What did you ask Father Christmas for Jack? I know it's meant to be a secret and I won't tell anyone, only Mummy.'

Jack put his arms round Daddy's neck,he liked the roughness of his cheek and his warm daddy smell.

He felt safe, he felt good, 

'I asked for a Superman outfit so I can be Lucy's Superhero,.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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