Santa played a trick on the girls that Christmas. As in many tales, the seeds were rooted in an earlier time, the summer before. One second hand bicycle carried the sisters back and forth to the city pool approximately one mile away. The journey started with a coin flip to see who would ride first. With towels folded like sausages and stuffed into the wire basket, one rode while the other ran along side. A trade occured when the running twin was breathless but of course that was frequently up for debate. The first rider got to glide down the hill on Clinton Ave. gleeful with wind swept hair and unwilling to apply the brakes she rode all the way to the rail road tracks. Easy peddling on level ground greeted the second breathless pedaler. Turning down shaded 10th Street the girls rode and jogged beside each other. A season pass was included in the family budget. The pass number was committed to memory. The girls waited in long snaking lines by 1:30 anticipating the 2:00 rumble of the front roll up pool entrance revealing the sign in and numbered baskets and summer pool guards. Racing into the changing area, showered and and a paused at the foot checker made the girls some of the first to take that blissful plunge into the water.
Santa Claus was coming under increasing suspicion that summer. Smart-alacky, loud-mouths were overheard outlining the implausibility of flying reindeer, the North Pole elves, a fat jolly man in a red suit who could go to every child in the World's house in one evening. How ridiculous! The boys laughed scornfully at the believers. The girls listened and with heavy hearts they weighed the facts. Well it just did not add up however, unfailingly every Christmas, presents appeared. Mother and Father came under serious conciduration for duplicity. Of course the girls did not wish to upset whatever parental magic that resulted in presents on Christmas morning. No questions were asked. The ruse was kept up for little sister but the girls set their hearts and energies into convincing mother and father of the wonderful advantages of new bikes. The topic of Christmas never came up until after Thanksgiving and the first candle of the Advent season was lit at school. The hymn "Oh come, oh come, Emanuel and ransom captive Israel" was sung with fervor and longing for the baby Jesus but tucked in the swaddling clothes were visions of a new bike. When asked by anyone about the Christmas list the girls would pronounce with pride. "The only thing on my list is a new bike. " The girls dutifully wrote their letters to Santa with that one request.
As each candle was lit anticipation grew. Mother noted an improvement in girl's attitudes and behavior. It was no mystery to her that the Santa Claus effect was in full force. Harmony and cooperation reigned in that tiny household of three girls and now one small brother. Jumping up from the dinner table, "You wash and I will dry," the girls chimed and little sister played with baby brother. If only the Advent season could last, was Mother and Father's ardent wish.
A few days before Christmas, the girls took their savings and went shopping for gifts for each other. For the first time the two older sisters realized that pooling their money could buy little sister a real china child sized tea set. Keeping the secret was almost impossible and little sister grew suspicious of the conspiracy that resulted in wide grins and giggles as the twins shared a look between them with talk of Christmas.
The enchantment began on Christmas Eve. The Aunt and Uncle with a huge farm house invited the girl's family and cousins to their house. The families, all in good cheer would eat and play games until it was time to watch Dickens's Christmas Carole on the TV. Stupefied by the effects of watching TV the girls quietly piled into the back seat of the car for the ride home, nodding off.
Getting ready for bed, the full import of the evening struck them like ten cups of strong coffee. Sleep became impossible as the girls talked in hushed voices and the minutes ticked by like hours.
Mother finally came up to the tiny bedroom and climbed into the bed the older two shared and reminded, "Santa only comes after you are asleep. Be quiet and listen." They were so still, only the breath could be heard. The minutes that were hours passed until one, then the other could hear bell's. All their doubts vanished and an academy award could be given for "Acting like a child asleep." Minds raced inside the skulls as if a few more cups of coffee had been poured in. Mother left convinced she had won. Soon the girls were back to more hushed whispering and debates about the time and when to go down the stairs. Still pitch black the older twin could contain her curiosity no longer. With the stealth of a cat burglar, she slipped out of bed and tip toed to the stairs. The stairs were trickier, some squeaked. Slowly, one step, gently easing the weight of each foot until one loud creek immediatly followed by Fathers stern command to return to bed. Father's tone left no room for quandry. On the third attempt around 4:30 am Mother and Father's defences had been worn down to nonexistant and children were joyously allowed into the living room. In the dim light, the outline of the Christmas tree with tinsel glinting and the promise of bulky boxy shapes surrounded the tree. Hearts raced, breath quickened as Father reached for the light switch. From darkness into light, the girls eyes panned the room and conspicuouly absent were the bikes so longed for endlessly in day dreams. In that moment the girls came to know the meaning of disappointment. It hit in the chest and coursed through veins until it brimmed up along their eyelashes and spilled down cheeks. Mother bubbled cheerily that she had heard some racket in their bedroom and perhaps the girls should take a look. With sniffles and a turn around the corner, under a large sheet, behind the door despair turned to joy. The girls found two new shiney bicycles all chrome and robin's egg blue beautiful. Squeals followed by hugs, each took the handlebars of her very own bicycle and wheeled it out to the living room. The girls opened a few more gifts going back to touch the bikes making sure they were real. By now it was 5 o'clock and time to get ready for Chrismas Mass. Five people plus little brother need to use the tiny cape cod's only bathroom.
It is said that children who believe in Santa Claus as children are more likely to be spiritual as adults. The Christmas season held for the girls the roots of doubt, anticipation, longing, disapointment, joy, giving and receiving. That morning the church filled, the choir sang as the organ played, the candles lit, incence burned and now the baby Jesus was present in the manger. "Dominos Vobiscum," the priest sang. Et cum spiritu tuo." was the reply. The Lord be with you and with you also. Finally, after an eternity of standing, sitting, kneeling the priest turns to the congregation and intones in the ancient language of the Church, what every child has been waiting to hear, "Et missa est." (Go, you are dismissed). The full choir sings jubilantly, "Deo gracias." (Thanks be to God) The family stands, exhausted Mother and Father, the girls in new Christmas dresses and the perpetual motion machine, little brother, and join voices to sing, "Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant."
