Kate James - A Child's Christmas

Daniel was particularly struck by the last item printed neatly at the bottom of the page.

Jason wanted to be a “normal” boy. What would that mean to a kid like him? To be healthy? To have a father?

Daniel stared long and hard at the list and the little boy’s meticulously neat printing. Daniel might not be able to make Jason’s last wish come true, but he resolved to take care of all the others on the list—and more.

* * *

THE NEXT DAY was no better for Daniel. By six-thirty, he’d had enough. After another discussion with his new twenty-something client, he’d hung up the phone, packed his briefcase and left the office. He hadn’t planned to stop at Westfarms Mall. He just wanted to get home, have a light dinner and catch up on his paperwork. But as he was approaching the New Britain Avenue exit off I-84 W, he remembered that he needed refills for his electric shaver. He took the exit, regretting that decision as soon as he saw the packed parking lot. Who said there was anything wrong with the economy? Based on how full the lot was, half the population of Hartford must’ve decided to go shopping.

He hated crowds. That was one of the reasons he tried to avoid malls, especially at this time of year.

Well, he was here. If he could find a parking spot, he might as well brave the crowds. They certainly wouldn’t decrease as the days before Christmas flew by. He reluctantly squeezed his Mercedes coupe into a tight spot between two hulking SUVs. He entered the mall by one of the main doors leading into an atrium. Jewel-toned Christmas lights shone everywhere. Children’s laughter and the occasional wail mingled with the buzz of shoppers, all layered over traditional Christmas music. The smell of greasy fries and overcooked burgers wafted over to him from the nearby food court.

The atrium was filled with people, many of them kids. As he made his way in, he realized why. At the far end of the atrium, a very convincing Santa sat on his throne, surrounded by a half dozen elves. What person in his or her right mind would wear those green outfits with the green-and-black-striped tights and still be able to smile about it?

He couldn’t say what compelled him, but he stopped to watch.

Santa had a little boy who couldn’t have been more than five sitting on his lap. The boy was hunched in on himself and kept glancing with pleading eyes toward his mother at the side of the dais. Daniel felt for the kid. He looked painfully uncomfortable, but the mother seemed oblivious. She was preoccupied with capturing the perfect shot of him with Santa.

Daniel hadn’t noticed how tense he’d become watching the poor kid until he heard his own breath hiss out when the kid was finally allowed to slide off Santa’s lap. Was that how it had been for him when he was a boy?

Daniel was about to move on when he noticed the next kid in line to have an audience with Santa. She was all blonde curls and porcelain skin, and she wore a pretty, frilly dress. She reminded him of the child on the billboard visible from his office window. There was nothing shy about this kid. She clambered up on Santa’s lap, took his face between her tiny hands and placed a smacking kiss—he could have sworn he heard it where he stood—right on Santa’s big nose. As the child spoke intently, she used her pudgy little fingers to count, no doubt enumerating the things she wanted for Christmas. Daniel caught himself grinning. Self-consciously, he forced his lips back into a straight line.

He cast a glance at the girl’s mother. Unlike the previous woman, this one was filled with pride in her daughter. If the look on the mother’s face was any indication, the little girl would get everything she dreamed of for Christmas.

An image of a boy with a mop of blond hair, bright blue eyes and a smattering of freckles came to mind. Daniel thought of what Jason’s Christmas would’ve been like if he hadn’t agreed to sponsor him. He was glad it was a rhetorical question. He’d guarantee the kid wasn’t disappointed.

Forgetting all about his electric shaver refills, Daniel consulted the mall directory and headed to a toy store.

A couple of hours later, carrying numerous shopping bags, he entered a hobby store. He was hopeful he’d be able to tick the toy train off his list, too. Finding the appropriate section, he stacked his bags in an out-of-the-way corner so his hands would be free. He began to examine the various toys neatly arranged on the shelves.

He picked up and examined a locomotive, then a caboose. He was fascinated by the perfectly crafted miniature pieces, but there were so many of them. When he was a child, his parents had encouraged him to play with educational toys. He’d never had anything as frivolous—or as much fun—as a train set. Perhaps because of that, he wanted to make this a special gift for Jason, but he had no idea where to start.

“May I help you?” Daniel nearly jumped when he heard the pleasant, cheerful voice behind him. He carefully replaced the caboose on the shelf and turned to see a lovely dark-skinned young woman with short, springy hair and an eager-to-help expression on her face.

Generally not one to ask for assistance, at this moment he considered the young woman a godsend. “If you know about trains, yes, I beg you to help me!”

“It’s not my specialty, but I’d be happy to see what I can do. Are you interested in a particular piece or a set?”

The kid had asked for a toy train, but Daniel wanted to do more. “A set, I think.” He gave her a grateful smile. “Something special.”

After a brief discussion, the sales associate advised Daniel that the complexity of the set he was considering was beyond her level of expertise and said she’d fetch the owner of the store. With the owner’s assistance, Daniel decided on a deluxe electric train set. He knew it was over the top, but somehow his own childhood’s unfulfilled desire had become entangled with the kid’s wish, and Daniel couldn’t resist. He hoped Jason would be as excited about it as he was.

The challenge was that the set had to be custom manufactured, and the company was already backed up with orders. When Daniel shared Jason’s story with the owner of the shop, the man made a firm commitment that he’d do whatever needed to be done and personally guaranteed that Daniel would have the train set in time for Christmas.

Another hour later and still without the shaver refills, Daniel was loading shopping bags into the trunk of his car. Doing a quick scan of his doors, he was grateful for small blessings that his car appeared to be undamaged. Shopping malls, especially during the hustle and bustle of the holidays, tended to put him in a sour mood. Yet he found his disposition decidedly brighter than it had been when he’d left the office. He paused. Had he ever been this happy and excited about Christmas?

At home, he took all the parcels into a spare bedroom. Despite his growling stomach reminding him that he hadn’t had dinner, he unpacked the gifts. He read labels, examined assembly instructions and realized he felt like a kid himself.

He suddenly remembered that he was supposed to leave for Newport to visit his parents the week before Christmas. At the thought of spending a whole ten days with his family, he nearly shuddered—and immediately felt guilty. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his parents. There just wasn’t any warmth in the relationship. Not like the depiction on the billboard across from his office.

He’d visit his parents. He was too much of a dutiful son not to. He’d spend the weekend, but he’d make excuses and return home before Christmas. That way, he’d be in Hartford to finish shopping for Jason—not that he hadn’t already covered everything on the list—and he’d make the most of the holidays on his own.