Why Won't Santa Visit Poor Children?

A Christmas story from the Philippines by Roy Thomsitt

 

 

Santa Claus Arrives At The Rainforest Edge

As Di and Tina came within view of the waterfalls and the pond at their base, their eyes popped wider open than ever before, and their mouths were agape with surprise and delight. Through the last few trees and shrubs, they could see the most magnificent sight either had ever seen or could wish to see.

Just above the swirling water of the large, deep pond, and with the wonderful backdrop of the waterfalls, was Santa Claus in his sleigh, and his reindeer. They were all enshrouded by a dazzling and sparkling golden aura, which had Di and Tina mesmerised, unaware of their last few steps to a rock at the edge of the pond.

The girls no longer needed the guidance of the fireflies, who backed away about twenty metres and waited. The wonderful glow from the scene before them was more than enough to light the whole area.

Di and Tina just stood there, unable to speak, each consumed in their own attempts to take it all in. So consumed were they, they did not even notice that all around them, the animals, the birds, the reptiles, and the spiders and insects, of the rainforest, were gathered to watch. To them, this was an annual event.

They did not even notice that, behind them at the picnic tables, two groups of teenagers sat, like statues, unaware of what was happening just a few metres away from them.

Across the stream, in the massively tall trees with the steep mountain behind, hundreds of macaques watched in silent reverence; a small group of Palawan bearcats rested just a few feet from the water's edge; thousands upon thousands of beautiful giant and small butterflies, lured from their night's rest, were fluttering above the stream that flowed from the pond.

Close to Di and Tina, scores of monitor lizards watched the spectacle, from the ground, while hanging from the trees behind them, hundreds of snakes were equally entranced. On the rock face to the left of them, thousands of smaller lizards clung with ease, with heads twisted to watch the magical sight of Santa Claus, the sleigh and the reindeer.

Thousands of parrots and cockatoos, mynahs and hornbills, owls and fruit bats, all watched silently from the branches of surrounding trees, their eyes lit by the dazzling golden aura. Not a sound disturbed the night air, which was usually full of calls from the jungle and nearby fields.

The eyes of Di and Tina were just fixed on what was before them. There were nine reindeer, all reaching down with stretched necks to lap up Estrella's pure water. They made no sound, nor did all the creatures watching. The golden aura was discharging golden stars of all sizes, soundless fireworks that were never lit nor extinguished, scattering them in the amphitheatre around Estrella Falls.

The sheer beauty of the scene would entrance any human, but only Di and Tina would ever see it; only Di would ever remember it.

 

 

Next: Santa Claus Story (cont)