Remembering Santa

This Christmas morning I take the unusual opportunity to associate the spirits of Halloween and Trick or Treat with a certain jovial character represented in costume as well. I agree with you, this is an odd association and no one was more amazed than I. It was the perfect night for Trick or Treat, the sky was clear and the air held just the right amount of chill. My sister's home was in the perfect neighborhood for this event. The blocks of single and double townhomes were layed out in a meandering flow that suggested an architect designed it exclusively to entertain this tradition. The residents of this community were aware of this 'perfectness' too for many of them took pleasure in decorating and staging spooky events for the evening. I knew I would be working late and was not at all sure that I would be able to attend the event. Earlier that morning I through some 'things' in a bag to take along 'just in case'. Included in this hodge podge was a mask that I purchased two weeks earlier to have on hand if an occasion arose. It was inexpensive but I like it because it had lots of long grey hair, bushy and unkempt on top, and a very long beard of the same color. I guess you could say the expression the mask wore had a certain appeal. The eyes were wide and round with a hint of twinkle. The nose was full and bulbous, and crowning the expression beneath it all was a 'big toothy grin' that held the stub of a smoldering cigar. When I tried it on in the drugstore where I found it, an elderly woman passing by stopped to tell me how much she liked it. She urged me to buy it as she went on to tell me the story of the mask her husband wore for years at Halloween. Her face lit up and she laughed as she recounted the humorous reactions he use to get with it when he travelled all around on Halloween. "Sold" I replied to her which pleased her immensely (and me too). The rest of this last minute attempt at a diguise consisted of a long olive drab trench coat that I picked up months ago for three or four dollars at a second hand shop (I simply could not leave it there at that price!). It was a very good label, in like new condition and trimmed in brown leather (well dressed would this character be). Footwear consisted of a pair of brown leather boots from my vast hiking boot collection, and I carried a brown paper bag that held a bottle - suggesting I was partaking in the act of imbibing (all be it a plastic milk bottle which I pointed out often to the onlookers - "they don't allow me to have alcohol" was one of my lines, as I discovered I drew quite a bit of attention). Topping it off was a black baseball cap that said 'Little Sandy's - Bruceton Mills, West Virginia'. Harmless enough, don't you think? I got out of work with just enough time to get to my friend's house and toss on my costume (to his surprise, as this was an unannounced and spontaneous endeavor). We hopped in the car and made the ten minute dash to my sister's place. I parked the car in an unintended nonchalant manor, got out, donned the mask and began making the rounds starting with my sister, broher-in-law, niece and nephew. Part of the purpose of my costume was to conceal my age with a kid sized appetite for this celebration. Truly, I thought my effort was indeed half hearted and hasty, and I considered my costume average at best. The evening would soon prove otherwise. Silently, my companion and I strolled the sidewalks of the block party taking in the festive atmosphere. And then, the most amazing thing happened. People began speaking to my 'character' and complementing his good looks. "I like your mask" they said. "Great mask", "I like your mask", one after another and by many of all ages. So many in fact that I was obligated to respond. I had to think fast to come up with a voice and character befitting my image. Little dinosaurs in purple polka dots, bedazzling witches in pitch black, little princesses in velvet gowns, tiny winged ferries in petals of pink, teenage monster men in ghostly rags....all went out of their way to see me and say "hi! I like your mask!". It was the same, no mater which house we passed or which corner we turned - "Great mask" - "I like your mask". Those who did not say so out loud did so with their smiles and nods. I drew the same attention from the adults as they carried their little ones over for a closer look. One father brought his little ferry princess over to see me. She was wearing the cutest ruby red wig. I was obliged to speak to her and in my gruff pirate voice I said "I like your hair, its so much prettier than mine". This prompted a huge grin from the father that I imagined equalled the grin on my mask. His little princesses eyes were opened wide in awe and amazement of me. It was the same that night, where ever I walked. The little ones could not take their eyes off of me as I apparantly captivated their imagination. After a while, I remarked to my companion "They must think I am Santa Claus!". Truly, I felt like Santa that Trick or Treat night, only it was I who was receiving the most wonderful and precious of gifts.