Santa saved Christmas!

It was a dark , cold night as we drove through the forested countryside. Snow was just beginning to fall on the road ahead and causing the car to occasionally skid -- but it was no problem. Papa knew how to drive in this kind of weather. This is where he grew up. This is where he found mama and they fell in love. I wasn't frightened, at least not much, cause Papa was at the wheel of our old Plymouth and if anyone could manage those curves, he was the one.

The year was 1947 and I was eight years old. My sisters were a few years older than me and they were mostly pretty good, as older sisters go, but sometimes they were mean and told me scary stories. Not tonight though! As we rode along they took turns telling me stories, like, you know, the one about the little baby Jesus and how he was so poor all he had to sleep in was a manger with some hay to keep him warm. You know that baby was really lucky that the animals didn't get hungry while he was using their food dish.

Well, anyway, I was telling you about our trip. It was Christmas eve night and we were going to stay at Grandpa and Grandma's house and we needed to get there pretty soon.

“Mama, when are we going to get to Grandma's and Grandpa's. We have to get there before midnight or Santa won't be able to stop if we aren't fast asleep.”

“Don't you worry your little head sweetie, We will get there in time or he will just have to swing back by later!”, Mama said.

That's my mama, always thinking positive about what ever is going on.

As we traveled along, singing Christmas carols and laughing our heads off, the car suddenly began to skid across the road, all the way to the other side. As it reached the other side we slid into the ditch with a bang! I flew off the seat into the floor and my two sisters came crashing down on me.

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I heard Mama in the front seat praying, “Please Heavenly Father, protect my babies, “ over and over as the car finally came to a stop. She turned around and saw us all on the floor, and asked 'Are you girls alright?”

“Yes Mama,” we all cried out at the same time.

Papa and Mama managed to get us all out of the car and Papa said, “Mama, we are just going to have to start walking and pray some kind person will come and give us a ride before we freeze to death. We can't stay in the car all night or we will freeze It's only a few more miles down the road”

“Mama, if we don't get to Grandma and Grandpa's house in time do you think maybe Santa will just leave our Kewpie dolls we asked for at their house? He knows everything so I know he knows we are having to walk and that's why we aren't in bed when he gets there.”

“I don't know child, we will just have to wait and see.”

Mama said something to Papa that sounded like, “They are going to be so disappointed when they don't find what they want, but we just couldn't afford them.” But it must have been my imagination, because we didn't ask them for the dolls. We asked Santa when we went to that store in town.

As we walked along, we heard a jingling noise coming up behind us. We turned to see what was jingling and the first thing we saw was two horses appearing through the snow . Then we saw this beautiful, red sleigh with a man all dressed in red. Oh, my gosh, he looked just like Santa Claus with his big white beard and he was even fat like Santa. And then, he shouted out, “HO HO HO!, what are you folks doing walking way out here? Looks like you might need a ride. Hop on into my sleigh, just move those big bags over out of the way.”

When we arrived at my grandparents house, Mama and Papa thanked him for helping us and he said, “Well,it isn't often I get to spend my Christmas eve with such a nice family. Wait just a minute while I reach back here in my bag. I think I have some gifts for these little girls.”

As we watched in amazement, Santa pulled out three of the prettiest little Kewpie dolls we had ever seen and handed them to us. Then he yelled out at his horses to giddy-up, and as they began to run, I just was amazed at how much those horses began to look just like reindeer as they disappeared into the dark night.

Mama and Papa were looking at each other with a really strange expression and saying “Who was that man who looks like Santa Claus? How did he know?”