Why Won't Santa Visit Poor Children?

A Christmas story from the Philippines by Roy Thomsitt

 

 

 

Santa's Special Helper Distributes The Christmas Gifts

Di, dressed in her Santa's Special Helper outfit, and glowing like Rudolph's nose with all the pleasure bubbling inside her, waited just inside the door as Tina showed in the first child. It was a little boy of Di's age, his wide dark brown eyes opening wider still as he stepped inside.

"Wow," he exclaimed, looking at the mass of neatly wrapped gifts before him, the top of the pile way above his head. Di was already reaching down for his gift, and was so delighted to hand it to him. This was what she had been waiting for from the moment she saw the gifts when she woke: the face of the little boy broke into an enormous smile as he took hold of the very first Christmas gift of his own that he had ever received.

"I know you'll like that, James," she told the little boy. Inside the large box was a large toy car, a red Porsche. Di did not know it was a Porsche, but she did know it was a super looking car that any boy would just adore.

James wanted to open it there and then, but Di reached out with a gentle hand to stop him, directing him with her eyes to her Ma, who was waiting to usher him around the gifts to leave by the other door. James, dwarfed by the mound of boxes and Christmas wrapping, stepped gingerly along the wall to the waiting Maricel, who guided him out into the garden.

By the time James was outside, the next child was inside the other door. Well, this time it was a mother, carrying the two day old baby Mary. Di had put the baby at the front of the queue to avoid the rising sun and rapidly increasing heat; but also because she just could not wait to see the newborn baby for the first time.

Di caressed the cheek of the sleeping baby, while the mother, just 18 herself, looked in awe at the gift filled room. Di handed the mother a soft beautifully wrapped parcel, which contained three baby outfits, in pink, yellow and white. That poor family had even less than Di's family, so Di knew for sure that Mary's mother would be overjoyed at what she found when she unwrapped the gift. Again, Di's Ma and then Maricel guided the mother and Mary to the other door.

And so it went on, for the next two hours, Di continued to hand out the gifts that Santa Claus had left overnight. With each happy child coming through the door, Di felt the same joy, the joy of giving and seeing the smiling faces of all the local children.

Outside, the children waited patiently, those at the back being fed first and given some water to help them last until it was their turn to go inside the house. Some of the excited children who had already received their gifts would come back to the queue, and show what they had received. All had toys, the like of which these children had never seen, or clothes, watches or other gifts that Santa knew would be happiest with those. But mostly it was toys, and few of the children had possessed toys before.

It was getting near the end of her Santa's helper role. The room was looking very empty, with just a few gifts left to distribute. Tina counted 5 more to go; outside there were five children, including Crystal, Rose and Charles. Did that mean there was no gift for Di?

Di's Ma and Maricel were both now baffled about the ten gifts they had put out before they slept. They were not there; Di had handed them out already. They were baffled, but far from upset; Di could not appear happier than she was at that time.

Crystal, Rose and Charles all rushed in the house together, much to Di's amusement.

"Wait a moment," Di asked, putting out an arm to hold them back from the remaining gifts. She bent down and picked up Crystal's gift, then Charles's, and then Rose's. Giggling, they all went to the other side of the room to open them.

There were now only two gifts left, and a young 8 year old girl, a good friend of Di, came in.

"Hi Josie," said Di, especially happy to see her friend, who she knew would be overjoyed at the dress concealed by the Christmas wrapping. Josie had loved Di's new dress from the boutique in the city, and had dreamt of having one similar herself one day. She was about to have her wish met.

The room was now looking so barren with all the gifts gone but one. It was quite a large box, and it was for Di. Outside, though, remained one child. Tina whispered to Di:

"Tony's outside."

Tony was 12 on Christmas Eve; in fact, the time of his birth was 11.30pm. The gifts were all for children up to 11. Di glanced across at her Ma, as any child would when wondering what they should do.

Di went to the door, stepped out, and took Tony's hand. She led him inside and stood with him by the gift. Inside was a large gold model of Di's house with Santa's Special Chimney. Despite its massive value, what would a 12 year old boy want with a model of a house; not even his own house?

Di kept hold of Tony's hand, and they stood silently. She bowed her head and closed her eyes, as if in prayer; automatically, Tony followed her.

Santa Claus and his sleigh were just nearing Dubai when Santa called out to the reindeer:

"Quick detour fellows, we're off to England. Di needs our help."

With a quick flick of the reins, they were above London in a flash. Rudolph rolled his eyes.

"Not more mince pies," he muttered. "Why England?"

"It's still Christmas Eve here. Tony's still 11 years old," roared Santa.

"And who's Tony?" asked Rudolph, getting quite grumpy by now.

"He's with Di right now," Santa yelled, happy as a sand boy.

"Ahem," coughed Rudolph. "Aren't you breaking the rules Santa?"

"Rules Rudolph? Just paying a visit to England to taunt you with their mince pies?" Santa laughed. "Anyway, you think I don't know about your little gift you left behind for Di? Eh, Rudolph, who was breaking rules then."

Rudolph became very sheepish for a reindeer, and was silenced as Santa roared away back to Dubai.

Di opened her eyes, squeezed Tony's hand to get him to do the same, and then smiled at him before bending down to pick up the box. Tony received it gratefully. He was a tall boy for a Filipino, and Di had seen him in the village looking the best of those who played basketball.

As Tony was the last, nobody stopped him tearing off the wrapping and opening the box right there and then.

"Thanks Di," he gasped, holding his new top quality basketball. "Thanks."

Di shook her head.

"Don't thank me," she told him quietly. "Thank Santa Claus."

Above Bahrain, Santa let out a great yelp of delight.

"Ah, haaaaaa. That's my gal, Di; that's my gal."

He gave an excited swish of the reins.

"I just knew she'd do that," he told the reindeer, "I just knew it. Woooooo Haaaaaaa!"

Di gave a little jump in the air, elated that her job was complete and everyone was happy. Before anyone could say anything to her, she had rushed into her room and changed back into her other clothes. When she emerged, a proud mother came up to her.

"Aren't you unhappy you had no gift from Santa?" Ma asked, but she already knew the answer. Di could not be happier; in fact, she was baffled by her mother's question. She had not given her gift another thought.

Di had not had any breakfast so grabbed a plate of rice and went to sit outside, followed by Tina.

Di sighed as Tina sat next to her: "Oh, that was so much fun, Tina. Everyone looked so pleased."

She then glanced up at the chimney. Tied around it was a large red bow. She just smiled with a hint of amusement.

"Oh, Santa," she muttered to herself.

As she spotted the bow, Tina spotted a small gift wrapped box on the well. She went over to get it and brought it back to Di.

"This just must be for you", said Tina.

Di opened it carefully. Inside was a small......well, it looked like a pie. Di laughed as she realised what it was.

"It must be a mince pie," she told Tina.

"A mince pie?" a bemused Tina asked, not having any idea what a mince pie was.

"From Rudolph, I think," Di grinned.

"Rudolph?" an even more bemused Tina repeated.

"I think," Di giggled.

Tina finally laughed too.

"Di, you do make life exciting for everyone," she said.

Di just smiled. What a wonderful Christmas it had been.

Out of the corner of her eye, Di spotted a young bearcat between two small bushes, watching her. She grinned at it and gave a discreet little wave.

That bearcat would become a good friend of Di later. But that's another story.

THE END