One Shot Story - Holiday Special

Santa's Hat

Title: Santa's Hat

Genre: Family (Short Story)

Santa's Hat

Nana and Papu are preparing the food for the Christmas Eve celebration, while Mama and I fill up the house with Christmas decorations.

Our theme for this year? Blue and silver.

I picked up the designs - the garlands, candles, ropes, ribbons, and ornaments, then Mama decides where to put them. We even painted a Santa statue to display outside. We do this every year as a family tradition. I love it because we get to bond and enjoy each other's company.

The Christmas lights are on and the lanterns are hung. All the gifts are placed under the tree and our Christmas stockings are emptied for Santa to fill. Our home looks stunning!

I remember, every Christmas my dad used to wear a Santa costume and he surprises me when midnight comes. He's wearing a Santa Hat, red coat, and pants with black belts on and black boots while he's carrying the Christmas Sack filled with gifts. I remember myself jumping up and down in excitement, every year!

I, one day, caught my dad putting the Santa costume on. I was seven years then. It was an accident of course! For several years of my life, I always thought that Santa was real. The Northpole, Santa Postal Office, Santa Factory, Santa Sleigh, Rudolf, Elves! I believed in all that! Until the day Mama absentmindedly asked me to get her pouch in the master's bedroom that Christmas eve. I can still recall Mama running after me to stop me from going into their room, but she failed. I was seven! Since then, Christmas was never been the same for me again. But even if I knew who the man behind the costume is, I still play along.

Being an only child has a lot of perks! My Christmas gifts are overflowing, coming from our relatives everywhere around the world!

The Christmas tree is almost finished. Only one thing missing. The tree star. We can't find it.

"Where are the garlands for the stairs?" Asks Mama.

"Shoot! We're out of new ones. I'll get the ones you kept in the attic." I told her.

I looked at the attic where I last saw the garlands and I was right. I went to get it but I accidentally stumbled upon a filthy old red Santa hat slightly peeping under an old table.

I brought the silver garland to Mama and asked about the dirty and old Santa hat.

"What's this? Should I throw this one away? It's so dirty." I asked Mama, disgust evident in my tone. While holding up the dirty hat with just two fingers, so she could see how filthy the hat is.

"No!" She exclaimed.

"Where did you find that? I've been looking for that since your Papa died. This is your Papa's Santa hat costume." She said.

This icky hat is dads? How did that happen? All our old things are gone because of a massive fire 5 years ago. The fire consumed every valuable thing that we ever own because the fire started in our storage. The things left for us to save was ourselves.

"You're kidding right?" I asked Mama.

"Of course, not! This was the only thing I saved when the fire started. I remember I was cleaning your dad's office that day. I was holding it when the fire started. Can you see the embroidered letters on it? That's his initials. I was taking out his costume to prepare for his yearly Christmas surprise for you. Your dad was the one who alarmed me about the fire." She explained.

"Then? What happened? How did dad end up getting stuck in the house? He alarmed you, but he never got out. What happened?" I asked.

We never really talked about how dad got stuck in there. How he died. I was there too but I kind of forgot the whole thing. My doctor, Dr. Leandrino, told me that I got temporary amnesia, but I'll be able to recall everything one day. He told me that 5 years ago. But Mama is quite resistant to tell me what transpired that day. Until today, I still wonder.