A Christmas Miracle at Little Hill

Christmas was celebrated in a very special way at ‘Little Hill Home’. It was a time of the year in which the orphanage was filled with love and affection. The sisters would prepare cakes, sweets and many other Christmas treats which would be given to the kids on Christmas Eve. The days before that, all kids would be very busy preparing presents for each other, cards with wishes and decorations for the Christmas fair. The volunteers from town were working hard every year, in order to make the necessary preparations, so everything would be ready for the most important event of the year and the orphans would be nothing more but happy and grateful. Donations arrived from the church and the neighbors. Those would be toys, clothes, books, sweets and sometimes even furniture or free coupons for the local Luna Park or cinema. On the Christmas Eve the kids would wake up early and make some last arrangements. After that they would sing Christmas Carols around the neighborhood and in the evening prepare for dinner. On the dinner they would eat the things that the Sisters prepared for them, read some Christmas stories and finally unwrap their presents. 

            Sal, this year expected something more. He was told that Santa would visit them and give them their presents himself. Miss Katherine, the supervisor, told to all of the kids that this year they should do their very best and prepare everything perfectly for their special guest. All the kids were excited, but for Sal it was very important, because that had been his wish for all the previous years. Not toys, or clothes, or treats and cakes, but that. Every Christmas night he would stay awake for hours, waiting for him to come and put his present into his sock next to his bed but unsuccessfully. The next morning he would find his present, but no sign of Santa. Every time he asked Bobby, his roommate, if he saw something or heard something during the night, but his friend came always with the same excuse. “No. I was in a deep sleep. But I dreamt of Santa and his reindeers. They were flying above the neighborhood and Santa had this bell in his hand and all the kids woke up, and he threw the presents from up there, and they fell straight in their hands. Then I woke up.” No kid from the orphanage had ever seen Santa, but they didn’t care. They all were so excited about their presents and all the Christmas planning, that they were almost forgetting about him and his elves and reindeers. But this year it would be different.

            The big day had arrived and Sal woke up first. His friend Bobby was as usual in a deep sleep with no intention to wake up. Sal started to shake him and to scream in his ear.
            “Bobby, wake up. It’s Christmas Bobby. Tonight Santa is coming.”

“I want to sleep you jerk. Leave me alone.”

He ran downstairs as if to announce the Christmas Eve. Two sisters were sitting on the living room, having a coffee. When they saw him they turned to each other surprised and then again to the excited kid.

“Oh my God! Salvador dear, why are you awake so early?” The sister looked at her watch “It’s just six fifteen. And you’re still with your pajamas.”

“It’s Christmas Miss Breley. It’s Christmas and Santa is coming tonight. I want to make him a present Miss Breley. Do you think that this is a good idea?”

“Oh, young man! I can see that you’re very excited, but isn’t it Santa the one who should bring the presents? A- Anyway, first go and wear your nice clothes. And don’t forget to brush your teeth before that.”

“Yes Miss Breley. I will wear my best clothes for today!”  

            For the rest of the day, Sal was too busy preparing sweets with Margaret and Toby, so he would not sing Christmas Carols with the other kids. He made a lot of sugared buns and puddings and when Sister Annabel asked him why he made so many of them, he answered that some of them, he would give to Santa to take back home so he can give a few to his elves as well. The evening came fast with all these preparations and with all that commotion. The Christmas table was almost ready, when a man appeared on the door. He was a tall young man, caring a guitar case and an old leather binder. Nobody had ever seen him in the neighborhood and he wasn’t a relative of no one in the orphanage. Miss Breley, after a short talk with him, looked pretty upset, but invited him in anyway. Sal, in that moment, was at the hallway and accidentally heard part of the conversation while the old woman and the mysterious man were heading towards the dining room.

“Oh dear, when did that happen?”

“He is like that for two days now, Miss Daphne. I am sorry he couldn’t make it. I know it was important for the kids. For Padre Huanez it was important too, to give the little fellas some happiness. He… he sent me instead. It would be my pleasure to read them something, or to sing some Christmas songs.”

            Miss Breley brought the man, whose name was Santiago, to the dining room and she introduced him. He was the new priest in the church, he arrived in the town a week ago and he knew a lot of Christmas songs and stories. Everything was ready. The older kids brought the turkey and all the other things to the table and the room got filled with Christmas smells. Santiago invited everyone to pray and after all that anticipation, everybody started to eat. Sal ate his portion fast and after that he didn’t take off his eyes from the big wooden clock which was decorating the wall.

“So my little friends,” said the reverent. “Which one of you can sing here?”

All the kids raised their hands and gathered around him while the young priest took out his guitar from its case.

“What about you my friend? Won’t you sing along with us?”

He saw Sal sitting on his chair and staring at his empty plate. The kid turned his head to the window. Outside there was only snow and wind. ‘Soon enough,’ he thought, ‘we will unwrap the presents and Santa is not here.’ Santiago approached him and sat next to him.

“What is wrong little guy? You don’t like to sing?”

“No, I like to sing.”

“Then, what is it?”

“Is Santa going to come tonight?”

Santiago turned his head towards Miss Breley, who gazed at him disappointed.

“What is your name little guy?”

“Sal.” answered the kid.

“Well, listen Sal… I don’t know if Santa is going to come tonight, but even if he doesn’t, I am sure that he has a good reason for that. Maybe, he got sick.”

“Does Santa get sick?”

“Maybe. He is very old isn’t he? Now let’s sing a song for him, to bring him luck and who knows? Maybe by the end of the night he’ll come. What do you say?”

“You believe so?”

“Of course I do Sal. And Santa knows that you believe too.”

“He said that he would come.” complained Sal.

“Maybe he will. If you believe Sal, maybe he will.”

Sal joined the choir and a minute later, the ‘Little Hill’ was overwhelmed by innocent, childish voices, which were escaping from the keyholes and the chimney, to reach the hearts of every family in the neighborhood and spread the magic of Christmas.

            It was almost midnight when all the kids were ready to go to bed. Sal, shared his last biscuit with Bobby and together they went to their room. Bobby took out of his pocket a little wooden doll.

“Here Sal, take this.”

“Thank you Bobby. What did you get?”

“Mary gave me this necklace. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

The necklace was a small dream catcher, tied by a thin shoe lace.

“Yes, it’s really beautiful Bobby. It looks fine on you. Thank you for the doll.”

“I made it for you. What did you get?”

“I got this.”

It was a small paper weight with a reindeer, which Sal placed on his nightstand.

“Oh, it’s really nice Sal,” Bobby remarked. “Who gave it to you?”

“I don’t know. It was under the Christmas tree with my name on it. Do you believe in Santa Bobby?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. No one has ever seen him. I want to sleep now, ok?”

“Ok. Goodnight Bobby and Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas Sal.”

            The snow didn’t stop that night and the cold wind was whistling. Everybody were sleeping in the orphanage, tired from the Christmas party. The sound of a bell, coming from somewhere outside, woke up Sal. At first, he thought it was his imagination. He woke up and saw Bobby sleeping, undisturbed by the sound, next to him. Before his head touched the pillow, he heard the sound again, this time more intense. He ran to the window and he recognized a reindeer on the yard. The animal looked back at him, and then he saw a bell hanging from its neck, making again the sweet intense sound that he heard. He took out, from a box under his bed, a flashlight, he wore his jacket and he prepared to go out in the yard. He sneaked out silently and approached the strange animal. On the sight of him, the reindeer made a few steps back and growled scared.

“Shhh, shhh. Don’t be scared. Are you lost?”

He extended his hand towards it, trying to touch it, when he saw a man, appearing from the mist.

“Oh, Clarice thanks God. Hi little man. Why are you awake so late?”

“The deer sir. It woke me up.”

“Who, Clarice? Oh, I’m sorry little man. She always runs away.”

Sal stared at Clarice and after that lowered his head.

“My white beard tells me that you are upset kid. Was Christmas too disappointing for you?”

“No. It… it was fine. I just thought that I’m going to meet Santa this year but…”

“Ha!” laughed the man loudly. “To meet Santa? Well, what would you ask him if you meet him?”

“Nothing special. I don’t know.”

“What? You would just stand there and look at him? Ha ha ha. Why would Santa come to you son?” he wondered.

Sal took out of his pocket his paper weight glass and shaked it.

“To see if he’s real.”

“Well, do you think that he is real?”

The old man got serious and stared at Sal, while waiting for his answer. Sal raised his eyes and looked at the man’s big face.

“I don’t know.”

The old man approached him and looked at his paper weight. Inside there was a reindeer galloping. He took it gently from the kid’s hand, shaked it and gave it back to him. Sal looked at it, while the fake snow inside was floating.

“Who gave you this, little man?”

“Oh, this I don’t …”

Sal raised his head but the old man was gone. The snow had stopped a while ago and above the chimneys, the first rays of the sun light colored the city.