Street Corner Santa, Inc. (Part 2)

So what do ya think so far? It was written 10 years (10 YEARS! Jesus Christmas!!) ago, but I think it holds up. Now you might ask yourself what kind of sick person would write a story about a missing child on Christmas, but I’ve always been the type to watch this or this type of Christmas movie over this type of Christmas movie. Also, I lied yesterday; there will be four parts to the story, with the finale on Christmas (synchronicity). Anyways, on to the next one!

Part 2

A white van pulled up to a brick apartment building with boards over the windows. On the side of the van, bright red letters spelled out, “SCS, Inc.” A sliding door opened on the passenger side and Joshua stepped out.

“This doesn’t look like a Winter Wonderland, Santa.”

The driver side door slammed shut. Santa walked around the front of the van, smoking a cigar.

“Just wait till you get inside, kiddo.”

Santa took Joshua’s hand and walked towards the building. He quickly undid the three locks on the front door and stepped inside. There were stairs leading up and another door to the left. This door was painted completely black. Santa quickly opened it and motioned Joshua through. Behind it was a steep staircase leading downwards.

 “I want my mommy.”

“You’re mommy said to stay with me, didn’t she? You trust Santa, right?”

“Of course, Santa, but…”

“I can easily get someone else to come with me.”

“No! I want to go.”

Joshua slowly walked down. He saw another door at the bottom of the stairs. Behind him he heard Santa locking the black door. The staircase was now completely dark except for beams of light showing through the bottom of both doors. Joshua felt his heart racing and quickened his pace. He reached the bottom of the stairs and threw the door open. His heart stopped as he looked around with wide eyes.

“It is a Winter Wonderland.”

Joshua stood in the doorway, unable to move. The room before him was the size of a football stadium, completely covered in snow. White twinkling lights illuminated the entire place. Arcade games, pinball machines, and candy dispensers lined the walls. Children in red sweat-suits crowded around these machines. A giant playscape stood on the far end of the room, swarming with little red bodies.

Joshua finally walked forward. He couldn’t believe it. His wildest dreams were coming true. All the games and candy he could ever want. And no parents! He kicked joyfully at a pile of snow and stared as it wrapped around his foot. He had never seen snow do that before. He bent to pick it up but was stopped by a loud yell.

“Don’t pick up the snow!”

“What?”

“Don’t pick up the snow.”

Joshua turned around to face a child in a red sweat-suit gnawing on a turkey leg. Grease was running down the boy's chin.

“You’ll get a rash on your hands.”

“What is it?”

“The guys and I think it’s insulation with white spray paint.” The boy held out his turkey leg. “Hungry?”

Joshua ran back to Santa. He was re-lighting his cigar which was now barely a stump. The door to the staircase was closed behind him.

“Santa!”

“Hey, kiddo.”

"I wanna go home."

"Home? Why would you ever want to go home? You have all you ever wanted right here."

"Yeah, but, I don't know…"

"Don't know what?" Santa asked, throwing his cigar to the ground and crushing it with his big, black boot. "Would you rather do homework and clean up your room all day?" Joshua shook his head. "Oh, I see. You want to keep eating all that squash and broccoli your mom forces you to eat, is that it?" Joshua made a sour face as he thought of his last supper: Codfish, green beans, and squash. Yeccchhh. "You know what we’re having for dinner tonight? Turkey and chocolate ice cream. And for dessert, cake and hot dogs. How’s that sound?" Joshua's face lit up. Why had he never thought of turkey and ice cream before? "It's all yours, kiddo. But if you want to go home, that's okay, too. You just can't come back. Ever." Santa took another cigar from behind his giant belt buckle and lit it, inhaling emphatically.

"It's all up to you, kiddo."

Joshua looked into Santa's blood-shot eyes, reminding him of his mom on the early morning drives to his older brother’s hockey practice. The cigar smell made him think of his grandfather who gave him a dollar every time he saw him. Not much, but he only gave his brother a quarter.

He turned and looked at the enormous room again. There were dozens of kids just like him, all having the time of their lives. If he passed this up, he would regret it forever. Like the time he chickened out of Splash Mountain at Disney World. His brother still wouldn’t let him live that down.

"No, I'll stay," he said. "I really like it here."

"Good," Santa said. "Listen, kiddo. I know you're a little nervous, but once you get used to it, you're gonna love it here like everyone else." Santa placed his arm around Joshua’s shoulder. “You’re really gonna love it.”

There you have it my friends. Stay safe this holiday season!

I Love You all…Class Dismissed.