One-shot Stories

Christmas Special

His smiles, it's creeping me out.

Sir Nicholas, our adviser is now in front and is ready to discuss his lesson. Wearing his weird red long sleeves, red slacks, and his black shoes together with his green attaché case, he stood in front.

Unang araw pa lang ng klase noon, nawi-wirduhan na ako sakanya. He's all smiles, always, that even though it's not necessary to smile, he's smiling. And that's creeping the hell out of me. Alam kong baka ganoon lang talaga siya pero... ang weird.

He's an old fat man. Malaki ang bilog na tiyan, at ang buhok na kulot ay hanggang balikat. Kulang na lang ng mahabang balbas, mukha na siyang si Santa Claus. He's also wearing his spectacles, making him look more like Santa.

"Good morning students," even his voice, it's weird for me.

Bumati pabalik ang mga kaklase ko, I didn't though. Tahimik lang akong nanonood sa bawat galaw niya. Inilabas niya ang mga gamit niya at nagsimulang magsulat sa white board. And he wrote there, Christmas.

December na kasi ngayon, malapit na ang bakasyon, halos wala na ring dapat klase dahil sa mga school activities pero pinili niya pa rin kaming turuan. I wonder how his lesson for today is related to what he wrote at the board.

"Is there anyone here who doesn't know Christmas?"

Walang nagtaas ng kamay ni isa. Tumango-tango siya at ngumiti na naman. He encircled the word he wrote and draw a three consecutive vertical lines. He then picked up his class record on his table.

"Anyone who's have a questions regarding Christmas will have a tally, and each tally is equivalent to fifty points added in your upcoming quiz."

Tumaas ang kilay ng mga classmates ko, nagtaka sa sinabi ni sir. But, after a few seconds, they all raised their hands. Halos lahat nagtaas ng kamay. Ako? Tahimik lang sa upuan ko, sa likod, ayaw makipag-participate.

Christmas, for me, is all about giving love, kindness, and forgiveness to each other. At siyempre, ang pag-alala sa araw kung kailan ipinanganak si Kristo. Christmas, for me, isn't all about accepting. And honestly, Santa is not included in my Christmas vocabulary.

Itinuro niya ang nasa unahan. "Yes, Diego?"

"Sir, totoo po ba si Santa? Kung oo, ano pong mga kaganapan sa bawat flight niya tuwing Christmas Eve?"

Mas lalong lumapad ang ngiti ni sir. Ako man ay nakuha din ang atensyon dahil sa tanong na iyon. I do not believe in Santa, I just thought that's Christmas is all about Jesus. But I'm curious, ano nga ba ang ginagawa ni Santa?

"Good question kiddo," tinignan niya si Diego at pinasadahan kaming lahat ng tingin, "for me, Santa is real. And during Christmas eve, he will need to make around 700 million stops to deliver gifts to nearly two billion children. If all two billion children Santa visits left a glass of milk approximately 8oz, for him, Santa would need to drink 4 million."

Umingay ang buong klase dahil sa sagot ni sir. Lahat sila ay bumilib, ang iba ay hindi naniwala, ang iba naman ay natuwa. Diego sat in his chair, satisfied. Nagsulat si sir sa class record niya, probably the tally of him.

Dahil doon, nag-unahan ulit sa pag-taas ng kamay ang mga kaklase ko. Kahit interesado, hindi pa rin ako nag-taas ng kamay. A minute after choosing, sir Nicholas chose Alyana.

"Sir, noon pa man, kulay red na ang suot ni Santa? Hindi po ba siya nagpapalit o naliligo?"

Nagtawanan sila, nanatili pa rin akong tahimik. I noticed the slight pissed on sir Nicholas' face but it faded eventually. He smiled again, a creepy one.

"Nope, Santa Claus has worn blue, white, and green in the past, his traditional red suit came from a 1930's advertisement by Coca Cola."

So Santa's really true?