The Christmas Wish

The Christmas Wish

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause.”

-Francis Pharcellus Church; The New York Sun.

December 24^th. Last-minute shoppers were scurrying everywhere in search of the perfect gift or, for many, any gift that would fulfill their obligation to bestow a sufficient number of presents on their spouses, children, nieces, nephews, and neighbors. One little girl stood out in the crowd.

“Virginia, what are you going to tell Santa you want for Christmas?”

There was a look of sadness in the little girl’s dark brown eyes, a marked contrast to the festive atmosphere surrounding her.

“It’s a secret, Mrs. Brown. I can only tell Santa.”

The woman in the brown coat and the little girl were a traffic hazard… going 45 in a 70 mph zone.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Brown, this is as fast as I can go. I bet these people are mad at me.”

“Don’t worry about it, Virginia. No one is mad at you. You’re doing fine.”

Most shoppers felt a wave of compassion when they saw little Virginia hobbling along with her forearm crutches. Some of God’s lesser creatures viewed her as an annoyance disrupting the flow of traffic.

“There’s Santa, Virginia!”

It was near closing time. The mall was getting ready to shut down for Christmas Eve. One of Santa’s helpers had already strung a velvet rope across the entrance to Santa’s Village. 

“We were running late. Could you please take one more?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve already turned away some children. We had to close sometime.”

The little girl was crushed. And then one of those magical Christmas moments. It wasn’t so much the crutches as it was the look in Virginia’s eyes- pleading, hopeful, and sad, that touched Santa’s Helper’s heart. He gave a quick look around and detached one end of the velvet rope.

“Quick, get in.”

They were tenth in line.

“Are you ok standing for so long?”

“Yes, I’m ok, Mrs. Brown.”

“You still won’t tell me what you want for Christmas?”

Finally, the hint of a smile.

“Nope. Do you think Santa can really get me what I want for Christmas? That’s what Santa does, right?”

“I don’t know know, dear. I’m sure he’ll try.”

“Try”? The hint of a smile faded away, quickly replaced by a worried look. “Try” wasn’t going to cut it this Christmas Eve. The stakes were too high.

Santa looked tired. Kid after kid after kid. It had been a long day.

“Fred, we’ve almost made it. About another half hour and we’re out of here.”

Fred, also known as Billy the Elf, was just as anxious to leave Santa’s Village.

“Yeah, Henry, it’s been a long day, actually a long month. I have to say that you were a great Santa again this year."                                                     

Fred knew Henry lived alone, and he never spoke of any friends or relatives in the area.

“Henry, we’re having some people over tonight. You’re welcome to stop by. You shouldn’t be alone tonight.”

“Thanks, but no, I’ll be alright. Besides I’ve got gifts to deliver all the world tonight.”

“Right. I’ll get the next kid, Santa.”

 Wishlist inflation. Henry remembered the days when kids wanted a basketball, a model airplane, a talking doll, or a chemistry set. For the past few weeks he was flooded with requests for iPhones, laptops, drones, and electric cars. It seemed to him that childhood had been transformed, and not always in a good way.

“Are you ok, Virginia? Are you getting tired?”

“No, I’m fine, Mrs. Brown.”

“You know, Virginia, Santa’s elves are pretty busy this time of the year. Maybe you should tell me what you want for Christmas just in case they can’t get to it.”

That worried look again.

“No, Mrs. Brown, I’ll just tell Santa.”

Virginia grew more anxious every time a child hopped off of Santa’s lap. Slowly but surely the line moved along. Finally, Virginia was the next kid up. The sight of Mrs. Brown helping Virginia up the slight incline to the raised dais touched Santa’s heart. He had the feeling his last visit of the year would be a memorable one. Mrs. Bown took Virginia’s crutches, and Billy the Elf helped Virginia get up onto Santa’s lap.

“Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!”

Billy the Elf detected a little less enthusiasm in Santa’s greeting. It is sometimes challenging to react in a normal fashion to a child in such a condition as compassion alters the mood.

“What’s your name, little girl?”

Virginia was so nervous she could hardly speak. Billy the Elf inched a little closer to hear the little girl’s Christmas wish.

“Virginia.”

“Virginia! What a pretty name. And what do you want for Christmas, Virginia?”

The little girl didn’t say anything. She looked at Billy the Elf, and then turned her head and looked up at Santa.

“Tell Santa, tell me what you want for Christmas, Virginia.”

It took a moment for her to get the words out.

“I want to be loved.”

The joy just got sucked out of Christmas. Santa’s face went blank. His heart went empty. Billy the Elf stood in silence as his eyes fluttered to keep a tear at bay. Santa searched for the words, any words. In his fifteen years as a department store Santa, he had never heard such a request.

“Virginia, I’m sure people love you.”

“I don’t feel like it.”

“What about your Mom there? I’m sure she loves you.”

“That’s not my mom. That’s Mrs. Brown. I stay at her home. They pay her to have me there.”

“What do you mean they pay her to have you there?”

“It’s a foster home, Santa, my fifth one.”

 ‘Where are your Mom and Dad, Virginia?”

“I never even saw my Dad, and my Mom died two years ago. I want to be adopted, but no one wants a child… like me.”

Henry’s heart broke. He searched for the right words. They didn’t come. Billy the Elf felt for his friend as he knew no response could be sufficient for the moment.

“So I just want someone to love me enough to take me home with them… and keep me.”

Santa’s heart ached. Words finally arrived.

“Virginia, you are such a sweet girl. I know someone will love you and take you home.”

“Do you promise, Santa?”

This was a tough one for old St. Nick. What could he say? It was a promise he couldn’t keep, but he had to make.

“Yes, Virginia, I promise.”

“Oh, thank you, Santa!”

It pained Santa to say it. It pained Billy the Elf to hear it. It was a no-win moment. All that Santa and Billy the Elf could do now is hope and pray for the best.

 Henry felt a connection to this little girl. He wanted her to stay, to let her know he cared about her, to convince her that others cared about her too. He wanted to know about her, her mother, the foster homes, and her school. But the mall was shutting down, and his time as Santa was drawing to a close.

As Mrs. Brown helped Virginia down the incline, Virginia’s crutch slipped on the wood surface, and she stumbled forward. Mrs. Brown dropped her purse and grabbed hold of her to keep her from falling. When she retrieved her purse, she didn’t notice her wallet had fallen out. Another magical Christmas moment.

Billy the Elf stood frozen in place as he watched Virginia and Mrs. Brown disappear into the crowd. Santa leaned back in his chair, emotionally spent.

“Fred, that is the saddest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. All that sweet little girl wants for Christmas is to be loved by someone. I about couldn’t take it.”

“Same for me, Fred. She was certainly dealt a tough hand in life. I can’t imagine how a kid would feel if they thought nobody loved them. It breaks your heart.”

Fred noticed the wallet. He checked for some kind of identification and found a license with a picture ID.

“Henry, the lady in the brown coat, the one with that little girl… Virginia…she dropped her wallet. She lives not too far from me. I’ll drop it off at her house later.”

Fred left. Henry stayed. The lights were being turned off in waves, and Henry stayed. The store cleanup crew showed up with their brooms, and Henry stayed. He was affixed to his chair. He couldn’t gather up the energy to move. The words kept circling in his head- “I want to be loved.” He was tortured by the look in her eyes, so sincere and hopeful. After days of boys and girls seeking all those high-priced items, he was stunned by the idea that one little girl’s Christmas wish was simply to have someone love her. It was so sad, so bad, so heartbreaking to think a child didn’t feel loved, especially at Christmas.

His promise tormented him. He promised Virginia that she would be loved and that someone would give her a home. He may have given her false hope. He wished he had never taken the job as Santa. He went through the moment over and over again. What should he have said? Anything but make that kind of promise to a sweet little girl.

He wondered why she was on crutches. Little kids shouldn’t be on crutches. Whatever it was, it was unfair. But even worse, she felt no one loved her. No kid should feel unloved. Henry had never felt such sadness.

It was snowing as he left the mall. As Henry brushed the snow off his car, he wondered how the little girl was doing this Christmas Eve. Maybe she would get some wonderful gifts that would compensate for her not getting her Christmas wish. In a few days his regrets for his Christmas promise would be forgotten and life would return to normal. But what about her normal? Henry didn’t like to think about her normal.

The ride home was picture-perfect for Christmas Eve. Huge snowflakes lazily drifted down, a mesmerizing display of shapes and random motion in the headlights of Henry’s car. The city was big on home decorations, and colorful displays of lights, angels, Santas, and reindeer lined the streets on Henry’s ride home.

Henry approached St. Peter’s church. He thought of Virginia, her wish, and his promise. He pulled into the parking lot, walked through the snow to the church, entered, and sat down in the last pew. The lights from the votive candles danced across the walls and the headlights from passing cars brought the stained-glass figures to life. The darkened, silent setting was perfect for meaningful thought and prayer.

He prayed Virginia would find the love and home she longed for. She had suffered enough and deserved a break. He thought of other children out there who must be in a similar situation- no home, no love. It wasn’t right and God needed to correct it, starting with Virginia. Amen.

Still wearing his Santa suit, Henry entered his house and stopped in front of the full-length mirror. He thought of his childhood days at Christmas and visiting Santa. Now he was Santa, but perhaps not a very good one. His promise to Virginia weighed on him.

Santa, the mythical person who brings wonder and joy to the hearts of little children. He looked in the mirror and saw Santa looking back at him. He thought of the movie Miracle on 34^th Street and Edmund Gwenn as Santa fulfilling the dreams of the little girl Natalie Wood. He continued looking in the mirror and began to feel more and more like the figure in the mirror. What’s the point of being Santa if you can’t bring wonder and joy to the heart of at least one little girl? Henry pulled out his cell phone.

“Fred, did you return that wallet to that lady in the brown coat?”

“No, but I was just leaving.”

“Hang on to it, Fred. I’ll come over and bring it to her.”

“You’re way on the other side of town, Henry. Are you sure?’

“Santa does a lot of traveling on Christmas Eve. You should know that.”

The snow had picked up, a fierce wind from the north creating near-blizzard conditions. The Christmas lights and decorations were barely visible as he drove through town. Henry’s mind bounced around catching all the images- sad brown eyes, crutches, the darkened church, his reflection in the mirror. The Christmas wish and his promise played over and over in his head. He managed a smile when he thought of Edmund Gwenn’s cane leaning against a wall in the home of Natalie Woods’ dreams. That’s what a real Santa does.

But what could he do? He wanted to fulfill her wish, but he had no idea how to do it. He just felt he had to do something, to say something, to make Virginia feel a little bitter, to bring a touch of happiness to this little girl’s heart on Christmas Eve.

Henry got lost in Mrs. Brown’s neighborhood. Street signs and house numbers were obscured by snow. He got out of his car and walked house to house, brushing off streetside mailboxes and looking for the right address. It was getting late, and Henry was getting cold.        

One last little house at the end of the street, a brightly lit angel at the end of the driveway, and a single candlelight in every window. Henry stopped at the angel. It was an unusual sight, Santa standing in a raging blizzard on Christmas Eve, head bowed, in front of an angel outlined in bright white lights. Henry always went with the premise that God is everywhere, in the freezing cold of a raging blizzard just as well as in the solitude of a quiet darkened church. He was seeking a little last-minute guidance.

Henry knocked at the door, still unsure as to what words he could come up with to bring some comfort to this little girl on Christmas Eve.

“Santa?”

“Hello… I believe it's Mrs. Brown.”

“Yes, I’m Debra Brown.”

Henry reached into his pocket and pulled out her wallet.

“You dropped this at Santa’s Village this afternoon.”

“Oh, my goodness! Thank you… Santa.”

Henry glanced around the living room and spoke in a whisper.

“It’s Henry.”

“You drove through this snowstorm to bring this to me?”

“Yes, that’s the kind of thing Santa does on Christmas Eve… and… well, I do have another reason. Is Virginia still up?”

Mrs. Brown was puzzled.

“Virginia?”

“Yes, I just… I just wanted to… wish her a Merry Christmas.”

Mrs. Brown was even more puzzled.

“You drove through a blinding snowstorm to wish Virginia a Merry Christmas?”

“Yes.”

“Ok… I’ll get Virginia.”

“Virginia! You have a visitor.”

“What? Who is it?”

“It’s a surprise. Come out here.”

 When Virginia entered the room, her eyes sprung wide open.

“Santa?”

The mind of a child went back to her Christmas wish.

“Are you here to give me my present?”

Henry’s mind froze. Her wish, his promise. A sweet little girl on crutches only wanting to be loved. It would be Henry’s greatest challenge. He could only hope for the magic of the real Santa. He needed a Miracle on 34^th Street moment. Henry finally found the answer, not through prayer, not through thoughtful reflection, but through the look in a little girl’s eyes. Suddenly the words came easily. The answer was sitting under his red cap the whole time.

“Yes, I guess I am here to give you your Christmas present. Virginia.”

Virginia’s mind was full of wonder. Joy was on its way.

“Virginia, I would be honored if I could… if I could adopt you, give you a home, a permanent place for you to stay… no more foster homes, a place where you’ll be loved, every day, the whole day, even when I’m sleeping.”

 Virginia’s face went blank, her mind went numb, and her arms shook.

“For… for real?”

“Yes, Virginia, for real… please.”

The biggest little girl smile one could imagine.

“Are you saying that you’re my Christmas present?”

Henry laughed.

“Yes, Virginia, I guess I am. I’m your Christmas present.”

Henry dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Virginia. The most tears? Henry? Virginia? Mrs. Brown standing in the doorway? It was a three-way tie.