Santa and the Stranger

A Wonderful Time of the Year

              by Sharon Kohn

"Oh what a wonderful time of the year"

The snow is clean and the sky is clear –

Down the lane stands a reindeer –

The children are excited,

Their eyes filled with delight –

They know Santa Claus is coming tonight.

Santa and the Stranger

     by George F. Kohn

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. The large man inside walked with heavy footsteps from his shop, slowly crossing the house to see who was there. The doorknob turned, the hinges creaked, and the door finally opened. He was dressed in heavy winter clothes that made him comfortable inside the warm house. His pants were tucked inside his large black boots. A pair of suspenders held his trousers up to his big belly. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the lightweight garment across his chest was unbuttoned around the neck. The cool night air gave him a burst of energy. There was a smile on his face as his red cheeks puffed up around his twinkling eyes. A snowy white beard covered most of his face, and his mustache moved up and down whenever he spoke. With one side of his mouth he held the stem of a pipe. When he said hello, the pipe began to wiggle up and down, and a large hand removed it from its resting place. The round-rim glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose were beginning to fog over from the sudden change of temperature as the cool air from outside penetrated his dwelling.

A tall stranger stood in the doorway. He was dressed in black from his head to his shoes, and he wore a pair of dark sunglasses to protect his eyes from the glare of the snow. A black leather glove extended as a form of friendship. “Mr. Santa, may I have a moment of your time?” asked the young man who had knocked with such confidence that the old gentleman knew it must be important. “Of course,” replied Santa as he opened the door wider for the man in black to enter the house. Santa led the stranger through a series of passageways until they came to a large fireplace at the back of the house. Several logs burned with a glow that warmed the room. Two large overstuffed chairs were arranged close to the fireplace as both men made themselves comfortable by the fire. A shiny metallic briefcase rested on the lap of the stranger. As the stranger spoke, he began to work his fingers in and around the many latches, locks, and combination devices that held the briefcase securely closed.

“Now what can I do for you?” asked Santa, trying to put the stranger at ease. “Mr. Claus, I have a revolutionary new idea that may be of great interest to you in the future,” replied the man with a reassuring tone in his voice. The briefcase suddenly snapped opened, revealing several strange looking objects neatly packed inside several compartments holding each instrument securely in place. “I represent a new world order of people who are very much concerned with the advancement of mankind. As guardians, we sometimes find it necessary to intervene by giving them a helping hand to replace what we consider to be outdated technology. We offer more advanced tech to speed up processes and transactions, and to help mankind meet challenges in their quest for civilization. Perhaps I may present to you a chronological history of events that demonstrate the antiquated equipment, methods, and technology that you have used in the past. Then I would gladly share some ideas for updating your systems."

The young man smiled and said, "I have in my hand an intelligent device that people in the future will call a smartphone!" The stranger went through the motions as if he were dusting the object with his fingertips. An image of a moving object suddenly appeared on the device he held in his hand. Like real life, it displayed a sleigh being drawn by eight reindeer with Santa holding the reins and sitting beside a large overstuffed bag as he guided the sleigh through the starry night sky. “What we see here is a system of transportation that is so primitive, it allows the driver to be exposed to the harsh elements of nature.  ..."

(Story by George F. Kohn, author of Holiday Favorites series.

To be continued, wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!)

Image courtesy of DesktopNexus.com nature wallpapers