One thing I can say for sure for this year is when Santa asks me if I have been naughty or nice. I want to preface my answer with, "I did try!" Well, I thought about trying, which is what counts. At least "they" say it's the thought that counts. I can harken back to my youngster days when I was nice or Santa would take me away on Christmas Eve night, but that happened to my brother, so there is that.
The whole family of children of Grandma and Grandpa Jones would descend on their home, and it would be a fun-filled night of fireworks, sugar coffee, cake, and Santa. It was fun-filled until I heard the adults say Santa was about to come to the door. I didn’t know how they knew that, but lo and behold, he showed up at the door with a loud booming voice.
"Ho, Ho, Ho!" And then he would bang on the door like he had a sledgehammer and was working on a demolition crew.
When we kids heard that first "Ho," we were already headed for the table. By the time that big stick would bang on the door, all about 15 kids would be huddled up under the kitchen table with all the adults sitting around it with their coffee cups … and other refreshments. Santa would come into the house with a thunderous voice and ask where all the kids were. You would think he would’ve remembered after so many years of coming to the Jones’ home.
He was tall, and he was big, at least by six-year-old standards. And he was hitting that huge stick on the floor and asking who was naughty and who was nice. No one volunteered. He would reach under the table, grab one of the kids, and ask the all-knowing question again. We did not have that kid’s back.
He grabbed my brother once and said he would carry him off, and Santa took him outside. I thought Sonny was gone for good! I immediately started to think what I could do with my new bedroom all to myself.
Somehow, it all turned out that Santa would leave us presents in the front room.
We waited until he left, and we would cautiously look around the corner to make sure he was gone. Then, we got the presents.
Jolly Old Saint Nick?! That would have to wait another few years.
