Santa's Coin

Julia pulled down the lever from the ceiling of her Grandmom’s house. The panel opened and the steps poured down with a creek and a groan. Dust poofed outward like a cloud. 

She thought of Grandma, how thin and frail she’d become as she laid in bed at the hospice. 

Christmas was just days away, and the only decoration that stood in her barren room was a small desktop tree decorated with dollar store balls.

Grandma loved Christmas, her home full year round of ornate decorations, twinkling lights and Christmas Rif Raf. New things showed up yearly including a full size hundred-year-old carousel horse and new Jingle bells to decorate her tree.

Every year Janie had looked forward to seeing her newest gifts. “Who sent them Grandmom?” Julia would ask.

Grandmom Maria would wink and smile and simply reply ‘Santa’ of course.

Two years before Grandmom got sick the gifts had stopped. Grandmom had become sullen and sad. Nothing Julia’s Dad or Aunt could do helped. The doctors had no real diagnosis.

Dad and Aunt Millie had recalled when their father died. Dad had been twelve and Millie just six. Grandmom had gone through something similar then. They told the story of Christmas that year. They’d gone to bed both knowing that Christmas wasn’t coming. There had been no tree, no gifts, no feast to anticipate. Those times were lean to begin with, and it was worse after their fathers passing.

They’d woke up the next morning to a virtual wonderland, stacks of gifts under the tree and food like they had never seen filled not only the kitchen table but all the counters and cupboards.

“Santa stopped by.” Their mother had said when they asked where it came from. Her dad had been too old to believe in such nonsense. He waited to ask her privately, but she answered him the same even twenty years later.

Grandmom had just lost the will to live. She cried and moaned quietly to herself, that was until the day they put up that little tree.

“Julia come here,” Grandma called her to the bedside. The thin blankets framed her tiny skeletal frame.

Grandma had whispered her instructions. She was to go to into her attic and retrieve the large brown box from beside the army chest. It would be obvious which one it was by the blue ribbon tied around it.

Julia climbed the steps to the attic and pulled the string that triggered the light. The light flickered a moment and then came on, followed by multiple strands of Christmas lights that trimmed the ceiling. 

Large dusty vintage decorations including several jumbo snowmen, stand alone life size wooden reindeer and a large chair like the mall Santa’s used, sat among the many cardboard boxes labeled with years and contents. 

The army chest was next to the velvet covered chair.

“Wow,” Julia exclaimed aloud, unable to contain her confusion even to herself. “Grandmom where did you get all this stuff?” 

She walked towards the army chest and located the coat box beside it. It was large and tied with a fine dark blue satin ribbon with silver trim.

Dusting off the seat of the chair, she sat down. At five foot seven she was no small woman, regardless she felt dwarfed in this throne. “How did you get this up here?” She wondered aloud.

Placing the box in her lap she carefully untied the ribbon. Inside there was what appeared to be a fur lined large red robe. Julia ran her fingers over the fabric. It was exquisite. Standing, she unfolded the robe. As she held it up as far as she could she noticed it still draped on the floor. 

“Should I?” Julia couldn’t help but toy with the idea of trying it on. Stripping off her faded flannel top down to her a spaghetti strapped tank, she slipped the robe over her. The lining was smooth against her skin. She looked across the room in a dusty mirror that sat in the corner. 

Her dark brown hair was tied up in a severe ponytail. She reached up to loosen it and shook it out, taking another look at herself. “Much better.” She smiled.

The robe was heavy and felt like a warm luxurious hug. Julia sighed as she ran her hands over the fabric again, her right hand sliding into a pocket. Immediately she felt a coin. The surface was cold, despite being inside the pocket.  Pulling it out she examined it. It appeared to be made out of gold, it was bigger than a fifty-cent piece. The surface was ringed in holly and a hole was punched in the center. The lettering was foreign. As she held it between her fingers she examined it closer. Her breath reacted to it, creating a fog.

Suddenly an electric current seemed to come from it, shocking her slightly. Julia dropped the coin to floor and watched as it seemed to vibrate.

In a shower of sparks a man appeared in front of her.

“Ho Ho Huh” A deep male voice boomed confused.

His silhouette for a moment blocked the light. Julia stumbled, her heart pounding with fear. The heal of her boot caught in a loose board and she tumbled backwards unable to regain her balance.

Within a blink the large man stepped and caught her in his broad arms. The light moved revealing his features. His long thick curly white hair hung over his shoulder; his hipster beard was neatly trimmed accentuating his square jaw. His light blue eyes studied her.    “Hello there.”

“Ummmm….Hello.” Julia righted herself, but his arms remained on her waist. His breath smelled of peppermint.

He was dressed in neat fitting relaxed fit jeans and a red checkered lumber jack flannel. He smelled of wood fire places and gingerbread.

“Are you ok Miss?” Santa Marc asked surveying the very startled young woman. Her long dark hair tumbled over the shoulder of a coat that he recognized. He brushed it back to look at the collar. Her eye lids fluttered as she sighed. 

His hands were warm and soft, as the pads of his fingertips touched the collar brushing against her neck. “Yes, but who ….where?”

“Hmmm….Well yes. I suppose some explanation is due.” He closed his eyes thought for a moment. Her name came to the front of his mind. His inherited psychic ability on point as always. “Julia Brushings, you never failed to make it onto the nice list. Ho ho ho.”

Julia shook off the strange dreamlike fog. It was if sugar plums clouded her head. “I’m sorry. Do I know you.” She stepped away from him.

“Most likely you knew my father. We’ve never officially met.” Santa Marc hadn’t seen an adult react to his ‘draw’ as his father had called it.  His father had said it was rare, but possible and that these persons typically would hold a special place in your life.  “You probably new him until you were about nine.” 

The ‘draw’ was what children found comforting. It let them knew he could be trusted. More than once last year he’d purposefully used the draw to lull awoken children back to their Christmas dreams when they’d accidently awoken. He was still learning the ropes and wasn’t nearly as stealthy yet as his father.

“Your father? What was his name?” Julia wracked her brain as she studied the man who despite white hair and beard seemed to be in his late thirties. 

“He was known by many name I too inherited. Jultomten, Ded Moroz, Swiety Mikolaj, Julenissen, Hoteiosho, Babbo Natale, Pere Noel, Father Christmas. But let’s see…by the sound of your accent and my internal compass I’d say we are in the Americas, probably somewhere around upstate New York. So Santa Clause would be how you knew him.” Santa Marc watched her face drop in disbelief.

“Get outta here.” Julia exclaimed. “There’s no such thing as Santa.”

“It seems he’s left you a souvenir.” Santa nodded to the coat. After his mother died over forty years ago there were rumors that his father had taken a mistress. But he’d never brought her home to the North pole. Marc had been in college then and returned home for the funeral. While Santa Senior kept up the ‘holly jolly’ façade of being happy with the sole purpose of bringing gifts to the children of the world, it was obvious to Marc that his father had changed. There was no longer a spring in his step, his biggest smiles appeared a bit forced, and he’d find his father in his quiet moments reflective and sad. That was until the year he returned home minus his coat. 

“An unfortunate incident indeed,” Santa explained trying to hide his smile and appear concerned. “I took it off on my flight over the Atlantic as I was feeling a bit hot. The sleigh lurched when I hit an air anomaly and it must have fallen out of the sleigh.”.

“Anomaly huh,” Elf Jack, Santa’s oldest friend. elbowed him and laughed. “Was that anomaly curvy, young with legs past my head?”

“Ho ho ho…” Santa Senior laughed holding his sides. ”Not at all.” Santa said with good humor. His nose and cheeks always reddened when he lied, and Marc had never seen his fathers cheeks more red.

“I’m going crazy.” Julia put her hand to her forehead as if checking for a fever. “That explains it all. I’ve watched too many Hallmark Christmas special. ‘Hunky hero sweeps in to win over the independent but lonely single woman.”

“Hunky? Ho ho ho, I don’t get called that often. But then most of the grown females I meet are under three feet tall and have an attraction for high pitched voices and tiny feet.” Santa laughed. “You think I’m hunky?” He winked; his grey eyes sparkled with delight.

“Yeah, lets forget I said that out loud.” Julia pleaded. Of course, he was hunky, he was over six foot three, his muscles bulged under his flannel coved arms and tight jeans and when he’d grabbed her he’d pressed her against his tight stomach. This man was the new and improved Santa. He was definitely attractive if you liked ripped lumberjacks.

Again, she felt swoonish, her senses overtaking her. She recalled the first bite of the warm gingerbread cookie her grandma had baked, the anticipation of Christmas morning as a girl and catching snowflakes on her toung for the first time. There were no words to explain how standing next to him made her feel, just memory sensations. 

Quickly she removed the large coat and as it slipped off her bare shoulders, she couldn’t help but notice Santa look away. He was blushing.

Gathering her flannel shirt, she quickly put it on and buttoned it.

“Where I come from, we don’t often see so much naked flesh.” He apologized. 

“What?” Julia asked confused.

“It’s very cold at the North Pole.” Santa looked down at his feet and his eyes widened. There lay one of Santa’s own special coins. These were only given to exceptional people who Santa Senior had kept personal relationships with. Squatting he picked it up. “I see, this is how I came to be here.”

Julia folded the coat again and carefully placed it back in the box. “What do you mean?”

“These coins are special and given out very rarely.” Santa placed his hand on her shoulder. “Who does this belong to?” 

“My Grandmom is dying, she sent me here to retrieve this box. I found it inside the pocket.” Julia felt ashamed for going through her Grandmother’s things.

Santa Marc sighed relieved. He tried to replay in his head their conversation. Had Julia said she was single?

“I don’t know who you really are, or what just happened, but I’d really like to hurry back to her now. The doctor said she may not make the day.” Julia replied sadly. 

“I think we should go then.” Santa picked up the box and placed his arm around Julia’s waist. 

“What are you doing?” Julia began to protest.

“Hold on.” Santa winked and suddenly they were floating through a bright light.

Julia squealed and nearly climbed Santa Marc. His hand was firm around her waist. Pleasant feelings tingled down her spine radiating throughout her until she nearly moaned aloud in pleasure.

Suddenly the hospice floor was beneath her feet. She became acutely aware that she’d buried her face into his chest. Her face was covered in sweat. “What was that?” She pushed away from him and stumbled a bit. 

Her eyes were dewy and bright as she held onto the wall and looked over at him.

“How did we get here?” Julia asked confused.

“Miss, you haven’t got much time.” The nurse appeared from inside Grandmom’s room.

Santa gestured towards the door. 

Grandmom whimpered a little, the only response she’d had for hours. Julia’s parents and her Aunt sat in the rooms taking turns at the bedside.

Santa Marc closed his eyes and allowed her name to come forward. “Hello Maria.” His voice was warm and deep. 

“Marc…” Maria called out. 

“I believe you knew my father Marc Senior.” Marc watched as her thin eyelids opened. 

Julia’s Dad stood up from beside the bed looking over at her for an explanation.

“He told me so much about you. You look like him.” Maria extended her hand to him. Santa Marc folded it between his.

Julia’s mouth fell open. 

“He saved me you know. That Christmas so many years ago. He showed up and found me ready to end it all. He stayed with me as long as he could even though he had a job to do.” Grandmom Maria struggled to sit up. Julia went to her bedside and placed a pillow behind her back. 

Marc opened the coat box and carefully draped the large coat over her as she gasped with pleasure. “Being near him made me feel so special, it was like those first moments when you wake up Christmas morning and see the gifts under the tree. Just like that, all the time.” Maria pulled the coat up under her chin. “Thank you.” Maria sighed.

Marc held up the coin for her to see.

“He used to visit me. All the time. I used that coin when I missed him the most and he’d show up with such gifts. Out of thin air. He could only ever stay a few hours and begged me to come with him.” Maria explained.

“But he had you and I had my children to raise. It would have never worked out for us. We both had our lives.” A tear slipped down Maria’s cheek. “And then he stopped visiting and I just new those extra hours he spent with me had aged him prematurely.” 

“What does she mean?” Julia asked.

“In the North we age slower as humans. The elves live hundreds of years, but humans are lucky to make it to two hundred , maybe two twenty. The more time we spend away from the North the more we age. My father died at a hundred and eighty.” Marc placed the coin in his own pocket then patted Maria’s hand. “And while that seems young, I’m sure he never regretted the time he spent with you Maria.” 

“I’d really like to have seen his home once though.” Maria laughed weakly. “The stories he told sounded so other worldly.”

Marc nodded removing the coin from his pocket. He looked up to Julia, winked and smiled. Julia blushed a little without knowing why. 

“Well Maria, I think we can do something about that.” Marc tossed the coin to Julia and before she realized what had happened Marc lifted up her Grandmother into his arms and they disappeared together in a blink. Sparkler like sparks lit of where they’d once stood. 

Everyone jumped to feet in amazement, gasping and shouting.

*********************

Julia removed the coin from her pocket. She sat in the large Santa Chair she’d drug out of the attic. Admist the chaos of Grandmom’s disappearance no one had seen when Marc tossed it to her. So it was one less question she’d had to answer after they’d vanished together.

A few days later Julia received a postscript letter sent overnight from the north pole. It was delivered by a three-foot-tall mail carrier with pointy ears and a sing song voice.

“Dearest Julia,

Please don’t worry about me. Up here in the north I am much happier being close to the work that was so important to my Santa Marc. I feel close to him in spirit. Amazingly enough it seems I am reenergized up here, and age holds little restriction for me. Please come visit soon. I’ve told Marc all about you and I have a feeling that you two have much in common. To be honest I think you have him all in a tither. 

Much love to you, Grandmom.”

Julia studied the coin again. It was cold to the touch, and as she exhaled as before her breath turned to vapor.

Santa Marc appeared grinning widely. This time he wore his thick white hair in a loose man bun and a three piece red business suit with brightly polished black shoes. “Busiest night of the year for me Julia.”

“Oh, is that so Santa.” Julia smiled mischievously. She slid her flannel shirt off her shoulder slightly exposing her shoulder.

Marc raised an eyebrow. His heart pounded hard in his chest. “I have a lot of stockings to fill.”

That feeling you got when the eggnog was spiked just right, and you’ve taken your first sip washed over her.

“Even Santa deserves a gift.” Julia moved closer reaching up to touch his chest. 

“Ho …Ho ho….” Marc laughed pulling her tightly in to him. “I think your just a sucker for a red suit.”

Her hand clenched the top of his neat red suit vest. “That must be it.”

“