“God put Santa Claus on earth to remind us that Christmas is 'sposed to be a happy time.”
Bil Keane, Jeffy's Lookin' at Me
Luanne was just six-years-old and troubled. As she lay in her bed, with her little dog, Jinx, beside her, snowglow from outside made a nighlight unnecessary and so she could see her bedroom with hardly any trouble at all. Her daddy had said they made it just for her with a white canopy bed and pretty flowered paper on the walls. Usually it made her feel happy being here, but not tonight. Tonight she was worried, even scared. You weren't supposed to be scared on Christmas Eve, she didn't think. But she was.
Suddenly Jinx raised his head and looked toward the door. Then, with a whine, he jumped from the bed and hurried into the hall. Moments later, she heard him whine again and give a soft “woof,” followed by a whisper from the living room. Curious, she slid from beneath her blanket and quietly left her room, her pink footed pajamas allowing her to pad almost silently down the hall. Mommy had left the Christmas tree shining in the living room so Santa could see when he put her presents under it. Its lights drew her toward them, her fear forgotten before her curiosity.
Emerging from the hallway, she stopped in her tracks and gasped, for there, beside the tree, was Santa! Startled, he turned then smiled when he saw her.
“Well, hello Luanne,” he said softly with a welcoming smile.
“Hello, Santa,” she replied politely, though her heart was pounding happily in her chest.
Santa held up a shining gold key with a red bow tied to it.
“Thank you for leaving this magic key to let me into the house. I wish every little girl and boy without a fireplace would leave one. It would save me a lot of trouble.”
Walking further into the room, Luanne smiled, showing the gap where her two front teeth were missing.
“I'm glad, Santa. Mommy and me found it at Walmart and she said it would let you get in even though we have to lock the door at night.” She suddenly noticed the small box in his hand. It was white with a red and white curly ribbon around it. Tied in the middle was a little candy cane and a tag that read “For Luanne.”
“Is that for me?” she asked, her eyes wide as she clasped her hands and rose up on her toes in excitement.
“Why yes, it is,” he responded laughingly.
“Can I open it now?”
His lips pursed thoughtfully from within his long, white beard.
“Weeelll, technically, you're supposed to wait until you wake up in the morning,” his smile returned, “but why not?”
Rushing forward, Luanne dropped to her knees beside him and he held out the present to her.
“This is so neat!” she declared and struggled for a moment with the ribbon until Santa showed her how to slide it off one end of the box. “What is it?”
He laughed again, “Open it and see!”
With hands that shook with anticipation, she lifted the lid and stared at the golden bracelet that reflected the lights from the tree on a snowy bed.
“Oh!” she whispered, “It's so pretty!”
“See that little tag hanging from it?”
It was in the shape of box with a key etched into it.
“Yes.”
“Turn it over. Can you read what it says?”
Carefully she turned the charm over to find words written on it.
“It says 'Santa...will...al-always love you Luanne'.”
He smiled tenderly and he lifted it from the box.
“And I always will,” he promised as he placed it around her wrist. It fit perfectly.
“Oh, Santa, thank you!”
Beside her Jinx whined happily, his tail wagging furiously as he nosed the strange object.
“Jinx likes it, too,” she giggled and gave the little dog a fond pet. Then her smile disappeared as she looked up at him. “Santa, what did Mommy mean when she said this would be my last Christmas?”
Santa's face grew serious as well.
“Your mommy is afraid,” he explained gently.
“But why?”
It was inconceivable that her mommy could be scared.
“Because someone told her something that made her that way.”
“What do you mean, Santa?”
He took a breath and laid his hand gently on her head.
“Someone told her that you would be going away to heaven.”
“And that made her scared?”
“Yes.”
“Why do I need to go to heaven? Does God want to see me?”
“Well, as a matter of fact, He did. But just tonight He changed His mind because He decided He would wait to see you. He said your mommy and daddy needed you to stay here with them. You make them happy and He wants them to be happy.”
“Oh. That was nice of Him.”
Santa smiled.
“Yes, it was. Maybe when you say your prayers next time you can thank Him.”
Luanne's curls bobbed as she nodded.
“I will, I promise!”
“Good!” He patted her back fondly. “Now, maybe you should go back to bed so Santa can finish up and be on his way. I have many, many more boys and girls to leave presents for before I go home. But I promise I'll be back next year.”
“Okay.” Luanne rose to her feet then noticed the big bag on the floor beside him and her eyes widened again. It was bulging with presents of all kinds. “Are those all for me?”
Santa chuckled, “Most of them because you were so good this year. But this one,” he lifted a large, white envelope with her parents' name and address on it, “this one is for your mommy and daddy.”
“It doesn't look like a present,” she said doubtfully. She didn't know what most of the words in the corner were, but she did understand what “Dr” meant. “It looks like a big bill.”
“I promise you, it's a present that is going to make them very happy.”
“Okay.” she leaned down and kissed him softly on his cheek where the beard didn't reach. “Good night, Santa.”
“Good night, Luanne, and Merry Christmas.”
~
The next morning, Luanne rushed into her parents' bedroom and shook her mother's shoulder.
“Mommy!” she cried happily, “Santa came! I saw him!”
Her mother jerked awake.
“Wha-what?”
Then she watched groggily as her daughter rushed around to the other side of the bed to shake her father.
“Daddy! Wake up! Look what Santa gave me!”
She abruptly held out her arm, nearly punching him in her excitement.
“See?”
He blinked a couple of times then yawned mightily.
“Luanne, you do realize it's only six o'clock don't you?”
“But it's daylight already.” She held up her arm again and he jerked away as her hand came perilously close to his nose. “Look! See?”
He stared blearily at the bracelet then looked back at her. His expression was doubtful.
“Where did you get that?”
“Santa gave it to me! I saw him! Last night!”
She was dancing again, her eyes beaming happily.
Her father's brow wrinkled as he looked back over his shoulder at his wife. She was sitting up with an equally baffled look on her face. He faced Luanne again.
“But, Luanne, there really isn't....”
“There really isn't any need to get so overexcited,” her mother finished with a stern look at her father. “Here, let us see.”
Luanne held out her arm again as her father sat up and turned on the bedside light.
“See what the little tag says?” she asked, and lifted the charm with her small fingers.
Her father held her arm up closer to the light where both he and his wife could see it. First they saw the side with the key, then her mother gasped when they read the other side.
“Luanne! We didn't...I mean, you really saw Santa?”
“Yeah! And he left you guys a present, too. But it don't look like much of a present to me. He said it would make you happy, though.”
Sleep forgotten, her parents jumped from the bed and pulled on their robes as they rushed out of the bedroom behind their daughter. Arriving in the living room, they stopped abruptly when they saw all the presents circling the tree. Luanne continued forward and lifted the large envelope from among them.
“See?” she said as she brought it back to them, “It don't look like a present at all.”
They read the return address then looked quizzically at one another before her mother opened it. Next she pulled a sheaf of papers from inside and their mouths each fell open in shock.
“Remission?” Her mother breathed. Her hands began to shake as she handed the papers to her husband. “Can you believe this?”
“It was postmarked only yesterday.” He shook his head, baffled. “How did it get here already?”
“Because Santa brought it,” Luanne reminded them. “Is it a present? Santa said it is.”
Her mother laughed and knelt as she reached out to pull her daughter close against her.
“Yes, honey, it's the best present ever!”
Her father laughed, too, and knelt beside them, pulling them both into his arms.
Bishnupriya Ghosh, Professor at University of Santa Barbara contacted me asking to use my painting of Mother Teresa in her upcoming book, "Global Icons" which was published by Duke University Press Books. You may see Judy Jones's painting of Mother T
Luanne was just six-years-old and troubled. As she lay in her bed, with her little dog, Jinx, beside her, snowglow from outside made a nighlight unnecessary and so she could see her bedroom with hardly any trouble at all. Her daddy had said they made it just for her with a white canopy bed and pretty flowered paper on the walls. Usually it made her feel happy being here, but not tonight. Tonight she was worried, even scared. You weren't supposed to be scared on Christmas Eve, she didn't think. But she was.
