In the quiet little town, a celebration was in the works. On a warm, sunny November day, the little town kicked off its first Christmas market in its recently acquired event center. The old building and the little town were full of hope for a new Christmas season.
The mayor got in on it, bringing in a real Santa with a real beard. Another local rancher got in on the theme, bringing real live reindeer for folks to enjoy.
The real, live Santa and the real, live reindeer were placed in the center of the town, just outside the event center. The rental Santa waved and ho-ho-ho’ed as kids sat on his lap for parental pictures.
Some of them even disclosed what they really wanted for Christmas. Billy Buford, 5, wasn’t ready to sit on Santa’s boney knee, but the boy, barely above a whisper, startled his dear mother with his previously undisclosed Christmas wish:
“I want people to treat each other better.”
Sally Seagate of the County Cadet newspaper was told of the young boy’s selfless wish. She quickly captured the noble young’un next to the rental Kris Kringle and put a heartwarming headline above it: “A Child’s Wish”
Miss Sally wrote an endearing article about how we should all follow the Buford boy’s sentiment.
Indeed, the words were merry and bright.
Rental St. Nick had to tear away from the crowd of two or three assembled in the warm afternoon sun. Though Santa had shed his infamous red coat, he was perspiring indeed under his mandatory red hat with the white fur trim.
Waving to the crowd, he was hustled away, not by a sleigh, but an SUV driven by a woman who could perhaps be a relative of his, by the turn of her nose.
“Where’s Santa going?” Billy boy asked his mother. The woman shrugged. “Maybe he’s got other little boys and girls to talk to.”
The Mayor overheard. “He’s got another appointment in Branson,” she said. Branson was a big touristy area, and familiar with Santa appearances. Nothing like this little town, which rarely saw a real live Santa at all.
Until this year.
That’s right. Another Santa appearance was soon announced. This time, in the little park away from the downtown Santa’s warm early November event.
As is customary with many grownups, comments on the community Facebook page was divided. Some cited the absurdity of the mayor promoting a Santa so early in the season. “Why, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet,” one citizen wrote.
“It’s too early to think about Christmas,” another commented.
But, as is customary with many grownups, others came to the defense of the mayor and the early bird Christmas kickoff. “I’m glad we can get our kids out to see Santa before the Christmas rush,” one wrote.
“He looked real, with a beard and everything,” another gushed.
That last comment set the parks department people up for retaliation. All in the spirit of good, clean competition, of course!
After all, what’s a small town without a big fuss over simple things, right?
And so, the Second Coming of Santa Part 2 was announced with great pomp and great circumstance for the Parks Department People, who pledged a better, brighter Santa than the mayor and her premature celebration.
Santa 2 would definitely be at the park in December, the proper month for such Christmassy Festivities. Even if arctic winds shrieked and moaned across the barren landscape of the park, as it often does in December, there would be a holly jolly Santa so merry and so bright that even the Grinch would be greener than normal with envy just looking at it!
And so, it was to be. A Second Coming of Santa, Part 2, in the park, one to not only outdo the original Mr. Claus in the downtown celebration, a real, live, bearded Ho Ho Ho’er to delight and amaze all the kiddos who didn’t want to get out too early and too warm for such a winter wonderland of a spectacle.
Santa Number 2 hasn’t arrived yet. It’s not yet December, as of this writing.
But, if a small town can have TWO Casey’s, it can SURELY enjoy TWO Santas!
Merry Christmas!
Written by Johnny Rooster
(Inspired by actual events.)
Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be taken too seriously or republished without eating some figgy pudding in advance.
One response to “A Tale of Two Santas”
Hahahaaa! Well done!