Mystery Guest
by
R. Brian Campbell
Just. Keep. Putting. One. Foot. In. Front. Of. The. Other. Don’t. Stop. She was so cold, she could barely keep moving. Her winter clothing was designed for extreme cold, but it probably wasn’t intended for the amount of time she had been out in the cold. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt her fingers and toes. Or face. Or any body part, now that she thought about it. That wasn’t good. No. Not good at all. But she couldn’t stop. To stop was to die, and that was not an acceptable option. But it would feel so good to just lie down and rest for just a moment.
“Halt! Who goes there?” The voice broke her out of her reverie. It was attached to a huge, round, blindingly white face, with eyes, nose and mouth as black as pitch. Or coal. A second, nearly identical face appeared beside the first. The faces were connected to massive, roundish bodies, with sticklike arms and no legs.
“H-h-he-elp m-m-meee!” She forced through frozen lips. She felt herself falling forward.
“Blizzard! Go get Frosty. “I’ll take her into the guardhouse,” The first one said to second, as slim but strong arms caught her and lifted her up. Then everything went black.
————————————–
When she awoke, she was in a shelter, out of the elements, but still bitterly cold. She opened her eyes to see a large snowman wearing a top hat staring down at her, a corncob pipe jutting out of the corner of his wide mouth, his coal eyes almost glowing and his carved face actually expressing concern. “Hello, young lady. Good to see you awake again. How are you feeling?”
“Cold.”
He blinked. “Really? Even inside here? I don’t feel cold.”
She smirked. “I’m sure you don’t. But to be fair, you are made of snow and I’m not.”
The snowman smiled. “You’ve got me there.” He turned to the two snowmen behind him. “Blizzard. Powder. Go through the village as quickly as you can. We need winter accessories. As many as you can gather on short notice. Scarves, toques, mittens, shawls, coats, blankets if you can find them. Quickly now. Don’t dawdle.”
When the other snowmen left, he turned back to the girl. “So tell me, little lady. Why aren’t you acting surprised to be in the company of talking snowmen?”
The girl shrugged. “I suppose I should be. But a talking polar bear gave me the directions to get here.”
The snowman’s grin broadened. “Once again, I can’t argue with your logic. I’m Frosty. Welcome to Snowville, home of the snowpeople.”
The girl’s mouth dropped open. “You’re Frosty? THE Frosty?”
“So, now you’re surprised? Talking polar bears and snowmen don’t shock you, but the fact that I’m Frosty does?” Frosty rested his stick arms on his wide hips.
The girl grinned sheepishly. “Okay, that one’s on me. It’s just that you’re the most famous snowman in history. I didn’t expect to actually meet you. At least not right away.”
“Fair enough. So, little lady, what are you doing way out here?”
“I need to talk to Santa.”
—————————————
Blizzard and Powder returned with a stack of clothing. The girl put on what she could, then wrapped and piled as much of it around her as she was able. While it didn’t entirely take the chill away, it helped considerably. She had previously been unaware how cold a person could possibly get, but she now knew. She wasn’t sure she would ever be warm again.
“Frosty?” She called, after her teeth finally stopped chattering.
Frosty slid across the floor to her. “You called?”
“Frosty. Sir,” she spoke hesitantly. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. I truly appreciate it. I do.”
“But?” Frosty prompted, smiling.
“But I really need to see Santa.”
“And so you shall, ma’am,” Frosty promised. “I sent Powder to Santa’s workshop the moment he dropped off the clothing he gathered. Someone should be coming for you, soon. In fact…” Frosty tilted his head as if he were listening for something, except that he didn’t have ears.
Wait! No ears? But he could hear. Couldn’t he?
Frosty smiled. “Yes. A sled is coming now.”
Soon, she could hear the jingling of sleigh bells and the thumping of hooves. A few moments later, the door swung open and in burst a tiny elf, wearing a green jacket and pants, a candy-cane striped shirt and an oversized red bow-tie could have passed for the bow on a Christmas gift. He had green, curled-toed boots and a green pointed hat, with bells on the points of both boots and hat. His hair was green as the grass in summer, his large eyes an almost luminous sky blue, and he had a large mouth that was grinning from ear to ear.
He leapt forward, extending a hand. “Hi! My name is Alfie.”
She hesitantly reached out of her coverings and clasped his hand, which was much warmer than it had any right to be, in this weather. “Hi Alfie. Are you taking me to Santa?”
“Yes indeed, I am. Santa is waiting to see you. Shall we go?” The elf was bouncing with unbridled energy.
She looked around her, hesitant to separate herself from the warm clothing surrounding her. “Could you please help me with these things?”
“Oh, you won’t need those,” the elf advised her. “Come on.”
“But I’ll be cold without them.”
“A temporary situation, I assure you. Come on.”
She looked at Frosty, who smiled and nodded, then climbed out of her warm nest, back into the freezing cold. Her teeth immediately began to chatter. “Th-th-ththank y-yyou, Fr-Fr-Frosty, ffffor-”
“Go,” Frosty insisted. “You’ll freeze to death before you finish thanking me. Go.”
She rushed outside into the bitter cold, where she saw a small sleigh, hitched to a pair of reindeer. She ran to it, jumped in, and immediately felt a lot warmer. She looked at the padded seat and sides in shock. It was a pleasant shock, though. The sled was heated and actually quite cozy.
“Told ya,” the elf said, smugly, as he climbed in beside her.
One of the reindeer turned his head to look at her. “Pay no attention to the elf, little Miss. He tends to be annoying at times. My name is Dasher. This is my partner, Dancer, and we will be your chauffeurs today. Sit back, relax, and we’ll get you to Santa smoothly and faster than you can think about it.”
“Thank you very much. I place myself in your capable han- er… I mean hooves.” The reindeer smiled and turned to face the front.
She settled into the warmth of the heated seat, just as the sleigh sprang forward. Soon they were moving so fast that everything outside the sleigh was a blur. She didn’t think they left the ground, but she honestly wasn’t certain. In what seemed like moments, they were slowing to a halt in front of the largest of a group of colorful buildings, several of which had smoke drifting lazily from stone chimneys.
No sooner had the sleigh stopped, when Alfie was already hauling on her arm. “Come on. We have to go.”
“Easy on the poor child,” Dasher admonished.
“But I need to get her to Santa,” Alfie insisted.
“You don’t need to yank her arm off at the shoulder. I’m certain that Santa would like to see her with all her parts attached.”
“It’s alright,” the girl assured them. “I’m coming.” She got out of the sleigh and, in spite of Alfie’s obvious need for urgency, turned and bowed to the reindeer. “Dasher. Dancer. It was wonderful to meet you. Thank you very much for the ride.”
“Nice to meet you as well,” Dasher responded, with a smile. “Take good care, little Miss.”
She followed an anxious Alfie into the building.
———————————————
The next thing she knew, she was seated at a long table, next to a roaring fire, and Mrs. Claus was setting a steaming mug of hot chocolate before her. With the hot chocolate came fresh baked sugar cookies and butter tarts, still hot from the oven. Her stomach grumbled, just smelling the sweet treats. She reached for a sugar cookie.
“Don’t eat too many, young lady,” Mrs. Claus warned. “My cooks and I are working on dinner and I don’t want you spoiling your appetite.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she promised. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” Mrs. Claus turned her gaze to her husband, sitting across the table. “Now don’t you be too hard on her. She’s had a rough time of it.”
“Me?” Santa’s mouth dropped open. “I wouldn’t-”
“Just be nice.” Mrs. Claus kissed Santa on the cheek and retreated to the kitchen.
Santa sipped his hot chocolate and watched the young girl munching away, a sugar cookie in one hand, a butter tart in the other, alternating between them. Alfie was sitting beside him, quietly enjoying his own hot chocolate. Alfie’s sense of urgency ended with presenting the girl to Santa, and now he could wait until he received further orders.
Santa waited until she finished them and began washing the remains down with hot chocolate, before saying anything. “So, young lady, I understand you wanted to see me. Well, here I am.”
She set down her mug and met Santa’s twinkling eyes with what was probably intended to be a grave expression. The effect failed, due to a whipped cream moustache that made Alfie giggle uncontrollably. The girl looked at him, confused, then reached up and touched her upper lip. She quickly wiped away the offending whipped cream with a fancy cloth napkin and began again. “Santa. I came here because I would very much like to work for you.”
The usually unflustered Santa was taken aback. “You came all the way here? For a job?”
The girl was the model of seriousness. “I’m willing to do anything. I can sort and wrap gifts, work in the kitchen, clean rooms and workshops, feed the reindeer and clean their stables. Anything at all.”
“But you can do many of those jobs anywhere. Why do you want to work here?”
She held his gaze. “Because, Santa, you do a very important job. You make people happy all over the world. I want to be part of that.”
Santa nodded. “Commendable. Let me think about this a bit and see if we have a place for you.” He turned to Alfie. “Alfie. Could you call Teddy in?”
“Yes, Santa.” Alfie leapt off his chair and ran to the door. He was back in moments, a second elf in tow.”
Santa turned to the new elf. “Teddy. Can you show this young lady to one of the spare rooms? And see if Mrs. Claus can find some spare clothes and whatever personal items she may need.”
“Yes, Santa.” He turned to the girl. “Come with me, Miss.”
“Oh yeah.” Santa turned back to the girl. “If you will be staying here, it would be helpful if we knew your name.”
“Of course,” the girl said, with a sly smile. “You can call me Cinder.”
“Like Cinderella?” Alfie asked.
“Like what is life in the fireplace after the fire has burned down.”
Santa’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, you mean like… Ash?”
The girl’s head snapped around to stare at Santa. She visibly forced herself to relax, then mumbled, “Uh, yeah. Something like that.”
After she left with Teddy, Alfie turned to Santa. “You know something about our guest, don’t you?”
“Maybe,” Santa said, with a grin. “Did you get a picture with your bow-tie camera, Sherlock?”
Alfie grinned. “I got several. At least one should be good. Maybe more.”
“Good. Take them to Rupert. Have him run them through our data base and see what he gets.”
“I will,” Alfie promised, but continued watching Santa’s face. “But your already know something.”
“Just go,” Santa ordered. “See what Rupert finds.”
“Yes, Sir.” Alfie scampered out of the room.
————————————-
Cinder was in the game room, playing chess with Teddy, when Santa and Alfie walked in with another elf, who appeared to be carrying a laptop. “Checkmate,” Cinder cried out, knocking Teddy’s king over with her rook.
“Awe, you beat me again,” Teddy exclaimed. “You’re very good at games.”
Santa pulled up a chair beside her. “How are things going, Ashley?”
“Wonderful, Santa. I-” She froze, her face rapidly shifting through myriad expressions, from shock, to anger, to betrayal, to fear, before settling on grudging acceptance. She looked down at the table and mumbled. “You found me out.”
Santa shrugged. “I’m Santa. How good would I be at my job if I was that easily fooled? And on that subject, I think you should be aware that I am not in the habit of hiring runaways.”
Ashley’s head snapped around angrily. “I am NOT a runaway!”
“Really? Rupert. Show her.”
The elf, Rupert, set his laptop on the table and opened it. Nimble fingers flew across the keyboard and suddenly a rapid-fire slideshow of images began filling the screen. Posters, newspaper articles, news reports, missing person’s reports, all prominently featuring her name and face.
As she watched, Santa quietly said, “Somebody seems to believe that you ran away.”
A tear ran down Ashley’s cheek. “But I left her a note. I told her why I was leaving. Told her not to worry.”
“I guess she didn’t listen,” Santa replied, softly. “So how about telling me why you left? The truth, this time.”
Ashley turned to face Santa. “We had a good life, my Mom, Dad and me. Dad was a truck driver, both long and short distance. Sometimes, like when I was on summer vacation, he’d take me with him. I’ve travelled with him from Vancouver, B.C., to St. John’s Newfoundland. From Yellowknife and Thompson to Boston and New York City. We had lots of fun on the road. Mom apparently was a big time sales manager in a toy store, but gave up her job to raise me. She occasionally picked up some part time work, but only casual stuff. Nothing regular.
“Then my dad disappeared. He was taking a load to Victoria, and he just vanished. Nobody knows what happened. Or at least nobody will tell us. Mom thinks he must have run off, but she doesn’t seem to know why. If he was having problems, he didn’t share them with us. We don’t know what went wrong. First he was here. Then he wasn’t.
“Anyway, Mom has been struggling. The part-time work she is picking up isn’t enough to pay our bills and feed us, and she won’t try to get her old job back because she says the hours are too long and she doesn’t want to leave me alone that much. I told her that I’d be okay. I’m almost twelve. But she wouldn’t listen. So I left. This way, she won’t have to worry about me and she can get herself a good job and take care of herself.”
“So you left to make life easier for your mother,” Santa said, softly.
“Exactly.”
Santa turned to Rupert. “Rupert. Please show Ashley how her mother is fairing without her.”
Rupert’s fingers gently tapped the keys. An image appeared on the screen, an overhead view of the interior of a house, where a woman who looked very much like an older version of Ashley sat at a table, crying.
Ashley gasped. “You can see into our home?”
Alfie quietly began singing, “He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake…”
Ashely stared at Alfie, then at Santa. “You really can see us? All the time?”
“Not exactly,” Santa corrected. “I can’t see you all the time. Only when something significant happens in your life. Important life events that affect the type of person you are or will become. And our sensors began going off at your place, the moment you chose to leave. We didn’t know why, until you showed up on our doorstep.”
Ashley hung her head. “I see.”
“Now look carefully at your mother. Does it look like things have improved for her since you left?”
Ashley stared at her mother on the screen, the image blurred by tears filling her eyes and running down her face. “No. No it doesn’t.”
“Then don’t you think it’s time we took you home?” Santa asked.
“But what about our problems?”
Santa smiled. “You believed in me enough to come all the way out here to find me. Well, you found me. Now trust me. Go say goodbye to Mrs. Claus and the elves you met, while I get a sleigh ready.”
———————————————
Leslie sat at her dining room table, tears running down her cheeks and falling on the open photo album before her. She had no idea how much time had passed since she sat down, nor did she care. Then she heard something outside. Was that… bells? The doorbell rang, but before she could get up, the door swung wide and a young girl stormed into the room, arms outstretched.
“MOM!”
“ASH!” Leslie met her daughter halfway across the floor and wrapped her in a bear-hug. It had been some time since she had been able to lift her growing daughter off the floor, but today she not only lifted her, she spun her in a complete circle. “You’re Home! You’re Home!”
It was then that she saw the rotund man dressed in red and a tiny, childlike, man, with pointy ears, standing in her doorway. She set down her daughter and turned to face them.
Ashley saw her mother’s confusion. “Mom. This is Santa and Alfie. They brought me home.”
Leslie’s mouth dropped open. She looked from Santa to her daughter and back again. “Santa? Brought you home? From where?”
“Resourceful girl, your daughter,” Santa told her. “Managed to make it all the way to my workshop.”
She stared at Ashley. “All the way to Santa’s…workshop. At the North Pole. By yourself.”
Ashley just grinned.
Leslie sighed. “Let me guess. You got one of your father’s truck driver buddy’s to drive you up north as far as he could go.”
Ashley nodded proudly. “To The Pas. When I got there, I hopped a freight train to Churchill. From there I got on an ice flow and some really nice seals pushed me across to the main ice. I walked and walked and walked through the snow until I thought my feet would freeze off. Then a talking polar bear told me how to get to Snowville, that’s the snowperson village. That’s where I met Frosty. Then-”
Leslie stumbled backwards until her back was against the wall, then slid down until she was sitting on the floor. Her eyes looked glazed. “I don’t think I want to hear this.”
Santa rushed forward. “Ashley. Maybe it’s better that you hold off telling your story for a bit. Help me get your mother to a chair. Alfie. You know what to do.”
Alfie leapt forward, heading for the kitchen. “On it, Santa.”
“Don’t make a mess.”
“I won’t, Santa.”
——————————————-
A short while later they were sitting at the dining room table, each with a mug of hot chocolate, a plate of Mrs. Claus’s sugar cookies on the table between them. At the moment, only Ashley and Alfie were eating the cookies. Leslie still looked pretty shaken and Santa was attempting to calm her.
“The important thing is that she is home safe,” Santa pointed out, calmly. “And I am here to help you.”
Leslie looked up from staring at her untouched hot chocolate. “Santa, I appreciate you bringing Ash home, but what more can you do to help?”
“You’d be surprised,” Santa responded, with a smile. “For instance, Ashley tells me that you used to be a sales manager in a toy store. It just so happens that I know many toy store owners, one of whom is currently looking for a sales manager.”
Leslie’s eyes widened. “That would be wonderful. But the hours…”
“Are reasonable. Strictly nine to five. No late evenings. No weekends. And if you need the occasional extra day off, you can get it. All you have to do is make sure things are running smoothly.”
“But what about Ash? I’ll be still at work when she gets out of school.”
“Leslie, I think that Ashley has shown us that she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself,” Santa pointed out. “But, if it will ease your mind, I have a young friend who can help out.” Santa noticed the defiance on Ashley’s face. “Not as a babysitter, of course, but as a helping hand. And as a friend. She could help Ashley with her homework, keep her company, help clean up your house, even cook the occasional meal. Her name is Rhianna, she’s fifteen, she’s extremely reliable and her rates are very reasonable. With the money from your new job, you’ll have no trouble affording her. I think you’ll both like her. What do you say?”
A broad smile filled Leslie’s face. She looked across the table at Ashley, who was also grinning, then back at Santa. “I’d say yes. Thank you very much. This may be the most wonderful Christmas present I’ve ever received and it isn’t even Christmas yet. How can I ever thank you?”
Suddenly, Santa’s coat pocket began playing Jingle Bells. He reached in and pulled out his cell phone. “Hello Rupert. What do you have? Really? Great job. Could you send the coordinates to the sleigh? Thanks.”
Santa put his phone away and looked from Ashley to Leslie. “Apparently, gift giving isn’t over yet. Get your coats on. We’re going for a ride.”
———————————————
The doorbell rang and Shane swung his chair around and wheeled it to the door. Who could it be? He wasn’t expecting anyone. Few people even knew where he was.
He turned the handle and wheeled back, pulling the door open. His eyes widened with shock. His wife and daughter were standing there. And behind them stood what appeared to be Santa and an elf. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.
“Dad?” Ashley whispered quietly, then screamed. “DADDY!” as she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and nearly toppling his chair.
Shane held his daughter as he desperately tried to get control of his chair, which was rolling backwards across the floor. “Ash. Honey. Take it easy. You’re going to knock me over.”
Fortunately, the elf rushed past them, grasped the hand grips on the back of the wheelchair, and locked his legs, bringing them all to a halt.
Eventually, Ashley got her emotions under control, although she refused to release her father. She settled for sitting in his lap, as Alfie wheeled them into his tiny living room.
Leslie wasn’t quite as forgiving as her daughter. “So, Shane. Would you care to explain why you abandoned us?” She gestured at the wheelchair. “Obviously something happened. Maybe we should start there.”
Shane sighed. “Yes, something happened. Some maniac in a Hummer rammed into the side of my truck and the cab flipped. When I woke up in the hospital, they told me that my spinal column was severed, that I would never walk again, never drive a truck again. They wanted to contact you, but I told them no. I told my boss the same thing. I didn’t want to burden you with a cripple. I figured that you and Ash would be better off if I just disappeared.”
Alfie whispered to Santa, “He thought that they’d be better off without him?”
Santa shrugged. “Maybe it’s genetic.”
Leslie’s voice softened, but only slightly. “Well you were wrong. We need you. Ash needs her father and I need my husband.”
“Even like this?” Shane gestured at his legs.
“Even like that.” Tears filled Leslie’s eyes. “We missed you terribly. I missed you.”
“I missed you too, Daddy,” Ashley whispered.
Tears formed in Shane’s eyes as well. “I missed you too. Both of you.” He held his daughter tightly, as Leslie came over and wrapped her arms around both of them.
“I have a solution I think you can accept, Shane,” Santa said.
“What is that?” Shane looked at Santa, his arms still wrapped around Ashley.
“I got Leslie a job with a toy company I know. They could use a delivery driver. I know it isn’t long distance trucking but…”
“How can I drive with no legs?” Shane asked.
“This company works with disabled people,” Santa told him. “They have trucks that use hand controls. You’ll have to relearn how to drive, but I think you can do it. They also have staff who do the loading and unloading, so all you have to do is drive. What do you think?”
Shane grinned from ear to ear. “If it means I can be with my family and still do something productive, I’m entirely in favour of it. Santa, you have a deal.”
“Glad to hear it. Now I’m going to leave the three of you to work out all the details. I’ll make a sleigh available to get you all home.” Santa got up and motioned to Alfie. “In the meantime, I’ve got to get back to my workshop. Still a lot of work to do before Christmas.”
Leslie turned to Santa. “Thank you for everything, Santa. I’ll ask you once again, what can we ever do to thank you?”
“That’s easy,” Santa said with a twinkle in his eye. “Be Good. And have a very Merry Christmas.”