Katy's Carol

6. Letter To Santa

Katy slowly closed the door of her bedroom behind her. As the sunset gleamed through the window, so did the hope she felt. She just stood, her bare feet warm against the carpeted floor. With her eyes closed, she breathed deeply in and out, letting Santa Claus know that in her mind; she kept going with all the hope and trust she learned from her parents. She had said to her father what she had wanted for Christmas. No. It wasn't a doll, a new pet, or a stuffed animal. She sat at her desk, with a pencil and piece of paper in front of her. Before she knew it herself, she started writing.

"Dear Santa Claus, 
It's me again; Katy. This year isn't so easy for me. As much as I love Christmas like any kid, my spirit is fading. I've been picked on for it. My enemies think that I'm too old for Christmas, which they really meant it by not believing in you or Christmas itself. No matter how old we all are, we still believe. All I want for Christmas this year is to prove to those kids, who've betrayed me, that Christmas isn't just about presents and the food we cook. It's about spending time with your friends and family, and about the time to be thankful and faithful. I just want the evil to go away and let Christmas be the way everyone like me wants it to be. Help me while you still can.
Sincerely your Christmas gal;
Katy Worthington."

The pencil was still in Katy's right hand, when it tapped the desk. Then, she replaced the pencil with an empty envelope, which she put her letter in after folding it up. She used her tongue to stick it closed like glue, before writing in all capital letters on the front of it; SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POLE. She then added the final piece; a sticker that showed an image of the North Pole. Making her plan to mail it the next day, she put the letter in the front drawer, keeping it safe. She walked to the window, seeing heavy snow falling as well as it was in the mountains, that was as far as the naked eye could see. Katy could feel as if she were seeing the North Pole for a thousand miles ahead of her, knowing hopefully that Santa was watching her, willing to come to her aid in the time of help. It had been a few minutes, when she heard knocking on the door, which opened, footsteps following. Surprisingly, she didn't turn around, much to the concern of the other person in the room. "Katy," her grandfather said. Now, the sixth grader whirled. Gary was sitting in his granddaughter's desk chair, when he continued, "You said you wanted to talk just before I left this morning. What was it that you wanted to say?" Katy stood, approaching her grandpa as slowly as possible, letting him know that there was advice needed by her. "Last night, you said you suffered the same Christmas fate as me when you were a boy, right?" She managed, sadness cloaking her voice. Her grandfather nodded. "It's true," he mused. "It was a long time ago, that I don't remember much, but what I do remember is of how I got myself out of a situation so bizarre." Katy could hear laughing and squealing outside, followed by neighbors' children playing in the snow. Ignoring it, she continued listening to her grandfather's story that she felt like it came out of a Christmas storybook. "I was twelve," he said. "And spirited; just like you. It was around Christmas time, when this child once told me, 'If you like Christmas so much, why don't you marry it?' I was picked on for it, for days on end. Do you wanna know how I dealt with it?" There was a long pause. Then, "I showed those children by sending Santa a letter, wanting only one thing; to teach those kids a lesson. They all got coal that Christmas morning and learned their lesson. Now, as your grandfather and guardian angel, I ask of you, Katy, to fight the fate, not suffer it. Don't fight those who bully you for whatever reason, fight through the pain of your problems." Now, Katy understood. Not just anything, but everything she ever needed to know. All she had to do was what her grandfather had done in his younger years; make those bullies learn their lesson by letting Santa show it. She'd show it, too. She'd mail her letter to the North Pole and wait for her prayers to be answered. Her grandfather could see the determination behind her eyes. "I see you want to follow your grandad in his footsteps," he continued, followed by a warm chuckle, which melted Katy's heart. As his granddaughter returned his smile, Gary finally stood. "Come. Dinner's getting cold."