SANTA CLAUS
The frazzled Mom almost dragged her little boy into the barber shop for a
haircut. He had needed one for a couple of weeks now, and it was either
today--- or who knows when?
The first words out of the boy’s mouth were, “well how long is this
going to take?” As if he had anything more important to do?
Then he heard a voice from one of the chairs in the front of the shop. “You
seem to be in a big hurry young man.”
There was a big man just getting out of the barber chair. He had a full
head of white curly hair and a large white beard, with a pair of little wire
rim glasses perched on his nose.
The young boy just about choked as he starred at him, and said in a
voice of wonderment, “are you Santa Claus?”
And the questions kept coming, not even giving the man time to answer
them--- “Do you live in our town or at the North Pole?” “How come you have on Levi’s
a plaid shirt and boots?” The boy hurriedly looked out the window and then went
on; “and where are your reindeer, and where do you get all the toys?”
The man put his hand in the air and said, “Whoa, slow down and wait a
minute, you are asking questions so fast I can’t even answer them.”
The barber had great big smile on his face as he flipped his neck cloth
that was around the big man’s neck, and big bunches of white hair fell on the
floor.
First off, the man said, “Do you have a name?” The boy said, “Yes sir I
sure do. It is Jimmy Hanover, but I like Just Jim better.”
The man put his hand on the boys shoulder and said,”Come on Jim, let’s
sit over here on the bench while we wait for your turn, and I will try and
answer your questions.”
They sit down and the man said,”Jim I guess that lady that you came in
with is your Mom isn’t she.” Jim reckoned that yup it sure was.
Then the conversation went on; “You asked about the red suit, well it is
hard to keep clean so I suppose Santa would only wear it for special occasions,
and Christmas sure is one of those special occasions. I am sure Mrs. Claus
keeps it clean, hung up and ready to go, especially for the Christmas. I would
think Santa wears Levi’s and plaid shirts and boots for work, just like I and
most men do. Jim chimed in, “My dad is in the hospital. He was in a car wreck, but we
are hoping he will be home for Christmas.”
The man said he was sorry to hear that and that he also hoped that Jim’s
dad would be home for the Christmas Holidays.
Jim was listening so intently that he had forgotten that his Mom was
there. She called him and said, “Jimmy you come right over here and sit by me,
and quit bothering that man.” The big man said, “That is OK ma’am, I love
talking to kids.” She told him that it was alright but if he was a bother to
him to just send him right over to her, because as you have already found out
he is quite a chatter-box.
Well now you ask about the reindeer, and I am sure you know it is a long
way to go clear around the world in One Night, so I think the reindeer just eat
and rest most of the time. That is of course all except Rudolph, and I think he
just kind of does his own thing most of the time.
I think Santa just drives a car most of the time, at least until the
snow gets to deep. In fact it is probably a lot like that big old Buick
Roadmaster, parked out there in the street. It is that red car that looks like
it has big teeth in the front, but it is really just the grill.
Jim seemed to think for a minute and then said,”How come no one sees
Santa except at Christmas time?”
Oh I think people see him and just don’t know it. He probably looks a
lot like me when he does not have his Red Suit on. I also am sure he is very,
very busy, helping and supervising the Elves. They work all year long getting
everything ready for Christmas.
I suppose he travels around a lot in that big red Buick said Jim. “Do you think he does Mister?
Then Jim asked the man if he had a name? He said, Yes I do. It is
Nicholas but I prefer “Nick”.
Jim then told him that his Mom made him call older people Mr. of Mrs. So
is it OK if I call you Mr. Nick? Nick told Jim that would be fine, in fact he
liked it.
Jim then asked his new friend Nick if he thought there was snow at the
North Pole all year long, and was it cold all the time? Nick told him that he
was pretty sure there was snow all the time but he would be surprised if Mr.
and Mrs. CLAUS got cold. He told Jim he was pretty sure that they were always
toasty warm, and singing and having fun as they worked making toys and getting
the sleigh in tip top shape for Christmas Eve.
Jim set quiet for a few minutes and then looked at Mr. Nick and said,
“Are you old Mr. Nick?” Oh my yes, he answered. I am probably just as old as
Santa Claus.
Just then “Blackie” the barber took the neck cloth off of the man in the
chair, flipped the hair off and called out, come on Jim you are next.
Jim headed for the chair, but just as he was going to get in the chair
he called to Mr. Nick, “You never did tell me if you were Santa Claus or not.”
Nick looked at him, with blue twinkling eyes and said, “Well what do you
think Jim?”
Jim thought for a minute then answered, “well I really think you must be
because you are so nice to talk to, and most old people do not like to talk to
kids.”
Mr. Nick said, “Jim I think you are a real smart boy and I agree with
you.” Jim got in the chair and Mr. Nick handed Jim’s Mom 2 envelopes. He turned
to the barber and said, “Ho Ho Ho “Blackie”, I will see you next time I pass
through.
Jims Mom looked at the envelopes that Nick had given her and one said, (Jim’s
Mom open now). She opened it and the note said—I will be bringing Jim a shiny
Flexible Flyer Sled for Christmas but do not tell him. The 2nd
envelope said (Jim-Open Now.) Jim’s Mom
gave him the note it simply said—Jim you are a good boy and I will be bringing you
a wonderful gift for Christmas.—and Thanks for visiting with me at the barber
shop today—SANTA
SO
Did Jim visit with
SANTA in the barber shop—perhaps?
Did Jim get a new Flexible
Flyer for Christmas---Of course he did.
Does Jim believe in Santa Claus---of
course he does: And so does his Mom.
WRBaldwin
27 Nov 2015
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