Thursday, July 17, 2008

Scotia Bank Santa

As most people who believe in Santa and Christmas do – I have a number of warm fuzzy memories from Christmases past. And a few that absolutely traumatized me. Like the year I went to the Scotia Bank with my mother, while she was doing her banking I lined up to sit on Santa’s knee.

My mother had long ago come up with the concept of store Santa’s being Elves dressed as Santa to help him access all the kids in the world as a way of getting around the question of how come there are simultaneous Santa sightings. We began to call them the Super Save Santa, the Craft Fair Santa, the Bayshore Mall Santa and today while my mother waited in the teller line I waited in the line to meet Scotia Bank Santa.

I could not think of a single item I wanted Scotia Bank Santa to bring me and when it came to be my turn I hesitantly walked up to Santa, he hoisted me up on his lap and when he asked if I had been good I nodded yes, my mother who was observing smiled at me. Then Santa and I had a conversation that went something like this:

Santa: Michelle have you have been a good girl?
Michelle: I nod yes
Santa: What would you like Santa to bring to you?
Michelle: Um, Uhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmm, Um.
Santa: Cat’s got your tongue today – you’re usually so talkative.
Michelle: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmm.

I couldn’t think of anything and I panicked.

Michelle: A toy train?

Santa: A toy train well if you are good we can bring one for you if Santa ‘s elves back at the workshop have made enough for all the boys and girls this year.

I was so disappointed. I didn’t want a toy train. What am I going to do with a toy train? I can’t believe I wasted my one chance to tell Santa what I wanted. I lay in bed awake worried sick over the idea that I had panicked and asked Santa for the wrong thing. What a dolt I was.

On the 23rd of December I was in our town’s Pharmacy with my mom. She was waiting on a prescription and I was told I could look at the kid’s books and magazines and not to go anywhere from there.

The store had a gift section with a “break it – you - buy it” policy. Thanks to me, my mother had recently become the reluctant owner of a pair of ugly overpriced white porcelain salt and pepper shakers shaped like doves that sat on a perch with their wings open - when I and all my coordination ventured in that area on a past visit … she carefully glued the broken piece back together and placed the doves in the china cabinet at our house. They weren’t even re-giftable! I knew she hated them as much as I hated the constant reminder of my embarrassing break it and buy it incident. She told me not to ask her for anything inside the four walls of the pharmacy because we were broke now that we had to buy the doves.

From then forward I was quarantined to the books and magazines isle where on this day I found a beautiful book. Not just any book, but a POP UP Dolls book of the Nativity scene. The manger, sheep, cows, wise guys, Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus were looking up at me from the pages of the book and I never wanted anything a much as I wanted this book. Why had I not seen this book before I met with Santa at the bank? What had I asked for a stupid train? A train! Only kids in re-runs of televised Christmas stories asked Santa for trains not modern kids like me. We wanted Pop Up Nativity Scene Paper Doll books! Well I did.

Mom finished her shopping and came to collect me in the book isle. I showed her the Nativity book, but I did not ask her for it because I knew full well the ugly doves had cost ten times as much as the book.

Michelle: I wish I had told Scotia Bank Santa about this book mom, look at how neat it is. I sure would like this book. I LOVE this book more than any other book I have ever seen.

Mom: Well put it back on the shelf where you found it. You can ask Santa for it next year.

I did. I put it back on the shelf in the store but it sat on the front shelf of my brain for the rest of the day. At dinner I talked all about the book describing it’s colours and all it’s features to my father.

Dad: That sounds nice Michelle. Maybe you can ask Santa for it next year.

Michelle: Yeah – next year.

The house was a flurry of activity over the next day as the 24th of December seems to be every year, we had run out for last minute grocery purchases, had wrapped gifts, sorted baking and mom had allowed us to sit in front of the TV which was a very special treat so she could get the rest of the vacuuming done before our Christmas eve touring began.

Off we went to visit relatives and drop off gifts and when we returned it was just after midnight on Christmas. We were rushed into the house into our PJ’s teeth were brushed and we were put to sleep.

But I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t excited I was dreading waking up to a toy train. I hope the Scotia Bank Santa forgets file my request with Real Santa!

Michelle: Mom! Mom!
Mom: What do you want scooter - you have to go to sleep or Santa won’t come.

Michelle: I made a mistake!
Mom: What? Did you wet the bed? You drank enough pop to float away at your cousin’s house.
Michelle: No! I told Scotia Santa I wanted a toy train set and I don’t!
Mom: Oh I am certain he knows you don’t want that and if you go to sleep when you wake up you will see that he will have brought you exactly what you wanted because Santa always knows.

With that she hugged me and left me to go to sleep…

Early in the morning, very early in the morning, my sister and I snuck out into the living room. Mom and Dad were on our heals. For some reason there was no protest at how early we were up. Sue and I stopped dead in our tracks to take in the splendor of the Christmas scene. The tree was filled with presents – a Mickey Mouse record player was spinning a 45 record and beside it were two blue sleighs each filled to the top with toys. One for me and one for my sister. So many toys!

I approached my sleigh to have a closer look at all it’s contents. I had never seen so many toys. We must have been so very extra especially good that year – this was not usual. I mean we were well taken care of but this was over the top! There in the centre of my sleigh was a book with an envelope paper clipped to the front of it. What’s that? I reached in and pulled out the book more curious in the envelope than the book when I discovered it was the - Nativity Scene Pop Up book! I shrieked in total happiness. Wha? How did Santa know?

Mom: Michelle what does the letter say?
Michelle: Can you help me?
Mom: Of course. Oh look it’s a letter from Santa!

Mom reads out loud:

Dear Michelle,
It was brought to my attention by my faithful helper the Scotia Santa that you wanted a toy train. For some reason this did not seem right. I think the Scotia Santa might have had you mixed up with another Michelle who lives on the other side of your town. She wanted a toy train very much and had even written me a letter asking for one. I only had so many trains to go around this year so I brought you what I thought you might like a whole lot better. This book. The Nativity Pop Up Book, I do hope you enjoy it.

Continue to be a good girl and thank you for the cookies,

Santa.


It was a magical Christmas – one I look back at the photos of and am filled with warm fuzzies….the one thing that catches me now is the thought that Santa brought me the Nativity – Religion and fantasy collided that year.

I remember bringing this album to the hospital on one of my visits with mom. In her morphine haze she breaks the parent child code by demystifying that Christmas.

MOM: I was sick that year. I was going through a battery of tests and I thought I was going to die and that it was going to be our last Christmas together. That’s why I bought you so many toys. You were only five years old. Your sister was only three.

Michelle: Humph. To me it was the most magical Christmas ever mom. I guess the joke’s on you – you’re still here.

My mother died a month later on December 12th, 2000. That Christmas I spent in the OBX with my boyfriend’s family. I stayed in bed and mourned for all the Christmases past and wondered if life would ever be the same again.

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