Too Many Questions

A midnight meeting with Santa.

“I want your job. All those toys, flying sleigh, magical ability to visit the world in one night.”

“It’s not for sale, Johnny. Besides, you’d need to grow up before you could take it on. Pass another cookie.”

“Grown-ups get all the good stuff. They’re greedy. They keep it all for themselves.”

“Don’t you want to know what present I brought you this year? I was just going to put it under your tree.”

“I get it. You don’t want to talk about it. You are treating me like a kid.”

“You are a kid, a very good little boy or I’d be bringing you a sack of coal to put in your stocking.”

“Yeah. What about that? How did that become a thing? Or can’t you talk about that either?”

“These cookies are really good. Thank your mom for me?”

“I guess you don’t give answers, just questions. You’re leaving now, aren’t you?”

“Sorry, Johnny. I’ve got a long night ahead of me. Things to do, places to go. It’s not as easy a job as you might be thinking it is. I was in too big of a hurry or I wouldn’t have let you see me. Now close your eyes, count to ten and then you can open up your present.”

“Johnny? Who were you talking to? Why are you up? You should be in bed if you want Santa to come visit.”

“Hi, Mom. He was just here. See? He said to thank you for the cookies.”

“So that’s why you got up! You ate them all yourself. Bad little boy. They were for Santa.”

“No, Mom. He was just here. I can prove it. He left me a present under the tree.”

“My goodness. I didn’t put that there. What a pretty Christmas stocking. It looks warm enough to have been one of Santa Claus’ own socks. What’s in it?”

“Gee Mom. Santa must have left this by mistake. It’s smelly and it's full of pieces of coal.”

“Johnny? What mean things did you say to Santa to make him treat you like this?.”

“I’d like to be Santa, Mom. I told him I wanted his job.”

"Go to bed, Johnny. I don't know what game you are playing. I hope you get a tummy ache for eating all of my cookies for Santa."

"I can't wait to grow up, Mom. Then I'll be Santa and leave you a dirty sock full of coal."

WC 424