A Christmas Miracle
He had been dreaming about a long line of whiney kids when a faint noise tickled his ear. He felt himself draw away from the child sitting on his knee. There it was again, getting stronger and he finally realized it was the phone on the table beside him. Pushing the last bits of sleep from his tired brain, he grabbed it on the last ring.
"Hello?"
"Uh, is this Chris? Chris Norman?"
"Yeah, who's this?"
"Daddy? It's Amy...your daughter."
He wondered if it was possible to have the air sucked out of your lungs in a flash and still be alive? He felt like time had stopped and all he could see was a little girl's face in the rear view mirror as he drove away from his old life. Even now, as a mall Santa, he looked into the eyes of every little girl and wondered what kind of woman his own had become.
"Daddy?"
"I'm...I'm here."
"I'm so glad I finally found you. I was hoping we could meet somewhere for coffee."
Time sped up again and the pain felt so fresh. Later he couldn't even remember the conversation. He quickly got off the phone saying it was almost Christmas and he had to get back to work. Now, listening to the line of whiney kids waiting to sit on his knee, he wondered how he would make it through another night.
"Santa? Are you for real?"
Misty eyes looked down to see bright green ones staring back at him. He was wondering what to say when he looked over the child's head into another pair of green eyes. Eyes as green as Amy's had been.
***Now it's your turn. What does Chris tell the little girl? Does he see his daughter for Christmas? Join in the fun with a sentence or a paragraph. You don't have to run with my flash fiction...if someone else comments and you want to add to their story, then go for it. Let's see where this picture prompt takes us!***
Olive skin, and a faint smile creeping along the corners of those lips, he would recognise anywhere. The long dark hair now shorter, and the fringe now long gone. Yes, yes, it was her, his little girl now all grown up. She had come as she said she would. His chest tightened as if it would explode, it was so full of love, oh how he had missed her. Tears filled his old glazed eyes.
ReplyDelete"Santa, Santa," came the small voice, reminding him where he was. The child now tugging his long white beard with urgency. The young woman, that had caught his attention quickly stepped forward with an outstretched hand to calm the child.
"Now, Suzie, sit up on Santa's knee for your picture. That's a good girl." As she lifted the child onto his knee their eyes met again, closer this time, and hard as he might he couldn't stop a tear escaping out of the corner of his eyes. His little girl had come back.
Hi Diane! I'm so glad you came out to play with my Flash Fiction Friday...;~)...nice job...
DeleteThanks for stopping by and come back any time!
She had come back with a little girl of her own. Santa, studied his grandchild's face. His eyes twinkled with tears. "You're the spittin' image of your mama."
ReplyDelete"Are you for real?" Suzie asked. "Can you make miracles?"
Hi Alayne! I wondered who would hop in the fun...now to see if anyone decides if Santa can perform miracles or not...;~)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and come back any time!
Hmmm... (I was going to post earlier, but my cousin came over and... well we decided to go play LEGOs but now I'm back ;) )
ReplyDeleteChris looked down at the girl. He looked up at the ceiling. He looked left and right, turned to the little girl.
"Where is your mother or father?" Chris wondered out loud.
"SANTA... They're over... THERE! Are you real or not?"
"What's your name an-" Chris began, slightly annoyed.
"My name is Kristina and what I want for Christmas is for the "Daddy" that Mommy keeps talking about to come and see me!" Kristina interrupted.
Only then did Chris look at her mother. She had the brightest red hair and greenest eyes, tall, thin, and wearing a Christmas-y dress. Where had he seen that hair and those eyes before? He waved Kristina's parents over.
"Your daughter has asked me a question that I think you both should hear the answer.
My name is Kris Kringle, my wife's name is Mrs. Jessiphine Kringle. Do you know who Kris Kringle is, Kristina?"
"Yes! Santa Claus! and Mrs. Kringle is Mrs. Claus!" Kristina realized. "So you are the real Santa! WOW!"
"Actually, 'Santa' is the real Kris Kringle. Kringle is the family name, always has been. 'Santa Claus' came from 'Sinterklas', the Dutch way of saying my name. But, yes, I am the real 'Santa'." Kris explained.
"COOOOL!" Kristina said, amazed. "Mom, Dad, can you believe it?!?"
"I'm not so sure, Kristi. He could be a faker..." Her Dad whispered. Kris suddenly felt an ache.
"I believe him, Sean. I have proof." The Mom whispered back. The ache went away. He then thought 'Why, she sounds just like my Am- NO! It can't be!' The realization hit him like a boxing glove full of bricks.
Amy watched her father with amusement, smiling, watching his reactions.
"Hi Daddy."
Kristina and her father gasped. They also tried to talk, but they couldn't speak. Neither could Kris. He and Amy embraced for what seemed like hours, then Kris shook his son-in-law's hand and picked up Kristina, his granddaughter. Kris left the mall without turning back, and thought 'Merry Christmas, mall, and a 'goodbye' too!'
Hi Erik! I'm glad you came back to join the fun. I like how you gave some holiday history with your story and isn't it great that Kris could leave the mall to have a REAL Christmas with his newly found family?
DeleteThanks for stopping by and come back any time!