My Santa Wish

"I wish I could have just one Christmas without all the drama! No fussing and arguing with each other, no complaining and no dogging each other out for doing or not doing something." I said, in response to Santa asking me what I want for Christmas.

The company I work for always has a Santa for employees and their children to have pictures and tell him what they want from Santa for Christmas.

One of my co-workers, Tom, helped me alight from Santa’s lap. “I’ve never seen you partake of the whole Santa thing before. What did you ask for?”

I told him what I asked for Christmas and headed to the cloak room.

“Well, you know what they say, be careful what you ask for.” Tom said.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what Santa said.” I confided.

“Hope your Christmas turns out to be everything you want.” Tom leaned down and kissed my cheek. “See you on the New Year.”

“You have a happy and safe Holiday as well.” I said as the elevator door closed.

Normally, I wouldn't get into all the Santa hype, but before I left the house my mother started in on me about all the things I should have done for our family Christmas dinner in two days', time.

According to her, I should have already put the turkey into brine, made the dressing, cranberry relish, pumpkin pies, green bean casserole and home-made fudge. That is of course after I had all the presents, wrapped-including hers and stacked neatly under the Christmas tree.

I love my mother, but she certainly knows how to push my buttons, well, mine and other family members too. I have heard family members mention repeatedly how they dread coming to

the house for our yearly Christmas exchange and dinner, because they didn't want to listen to her complaining. I think the only reason they didn't offer to have the gathering at their own home is then they wouldn't have a reason to leave when they couldn't take anymore of all the "Christmas cheer".

Our family has never been what you might call close, but we love each other despite how it appears when we lock horns, usually, over trivial things.

 After the company Christmas party, I checked on my mom to make sure she was sleeping easily and let the dogs out before I grabbed a cup of hot chocolate and headed to bed. I have difficulty falling asleep, as a rule but I was so tired I was out before taking a sip of my beverage on the bedside table.

I awoke with a start the next morning noting how quiet it was in the house. No dogs barking and playing, mom wasn’t in the kitchen banging the pots and pans, sometimes she does that just to wake me up, especially if she is mad at me for one thing or another. I bundled up in my cozy chenille robe, pushed my feet into my fluffy slippers and headed down the stairs in search of someone. My brother and his wife were supposed to have gotten in town this morning and figured mom would be cooking breakfast for everyone once they arrived.

As I walked through the house, I wondered why the dogs didn’t come to greet me as they usually did and made my way into the kitchen. No one. I scratched my head and again wondered where everyone was. I looked out the window that faced the driveway-no cars, even mother’s car was missing. I hoped something hadn’t happened to my brother’s car and mom had to get them. Normally she would have gotten me up to do something like that, but I couldn’t think of another reason for her leaving in her car at seven o’clock in the morning.

I ran back to my room and hurriedly dressed, with the idea that I would be getting a call soon to go out to wherever they were. Three hours later, still no call. I called my sister in case she had heard from my mother or brother; her cell phone rang with no answer and the usual message telling me to leave a message of my own never came on. I began to worry.

Not knowing what to think, or do, I went to the kitchen to get the turkey in the brine and begin the dinner prep for tomorrows Christmas event, missing, the turkey had flown the coop, it was gone. There must have been a perfectly good explanation for this I thought, but again one didn’t come to mind immediately. I went to the cabinet and removed the pumpkin and spices needed to make the pies and went to work on those. When the pies went into the oven I called my sisters’ cell again, with the same results as earlier. Knowing I should have done it sooner, I dialed my brothers’ cellphone. After getting a system message “this number is no longer in service, please check your number and dial again” I hung up more confused and worried than ever. One last number to try-my other brother, Sam, who was flying in the next day. I dialed his cellphone-no answer.

I ran through the house, grabbed my car keys, and ran out the door. When I drove down the street on which my sister lives, where her house should be, it was missing. All the other houses on her street I recognized, but hers wasn’t there. I began to think I was going crazy; a house couldn’t just disappear. I drove around the neighborhood thinking I was on the wrong street. How could I be on the wrong street when the street sign said the name of her street? Circling back to the street I knew her house should be on, I stopped the car and got out. I walked around in the middle of the road for one or two minutes, looking at all the familiar houses on the street. I knew I was in the right place.

I walked up the sidewalk to a house where I had been with my sister on another occasion and knocked on the door. I was speechless when the woman answered the door, I didn’t recognize her. “Is Jana here?” I looked around the woman in the doorway hoping to see someone or something familiar, but it all looked foreign to me.

“There is no Jana here. I don’t think I even know of anyone with that name in the neighborhood.” She looked a little concerned or it was confused. “Are you sure you have the right house?” she asked.

“To be honest, today I’m not too sure of anything.” I looked around at the other houses. “How long have you lived in this house, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Not at all. We bought the house new, that would be twelve years ago now.”

“Well, I guess I won’t keep you any longer. Thank you for the information.” I walked back to my car with no idea where or what I was going to do now. I felt like I was in the twilight zone. I sat in my car for a while trying to figure out my next move.

As I headed down the road, I remembered the pies in the oven, I pushed the accelerator down and sped the last few miles home. I crossed my fingers hoping I wouldn’t get a ticket for speeding, or that the house wouldn’t burn down before I got back. There was no smoke barreling out of the house when I pulled into the driveway, so I figured it was safe to go in. Voices floated through the house, and I ran to see who was there.

To my surprise, there stood my mom, brother and his wife, and my sister. I hugged each of them in turn while the dogs jumped up my legs and barked. I was never so relieved to see my family. I heard the front door open, my brother’s voice calling out to let us know they were there, we all moved into the living room to greet him.

Later that day while I was cooking cranberries for relish, I overheard my brothers arguing about which team was going to win the football game. I smiled; how nice it was to have the entire family home for Christmas.