Santa's Secret

Santa's Secret

The airport was bustling and Santa looked around in awe. He had never traveled in an airplane, and was amazed to see so many people with so many places to go. For the first time, he had decided to experience life as a human. It was now July, and the elves were ahead of schedule for their quota. He decided to leave the workshop in the capable hands of his head foreman, Peanut, and go out into the world.

It was time for him to go incognito. Or, at least as much as he could. He would never shave his prized beard, and got lots of comments on his similarity to himself. Kids from all over ran up to him for hugs, and it was all he could do not to use their names when hugging them right back. What would it be like to experience life from their side.

Mrs. Clause, always supervising from the North Pole Tower on Christmas Eve, had rarely been out in the world, let alone been able to experience the joy of the Christmas season. It was time for a break for both of them. Santa had thought long and hard about where to take her. A tropical vacation would be a fun experience. It was yet another thing she had missed out on, and she was curious about it. Some time in the sun might be a pleasant change.

His reverie was interrupted when he heard their boarding call. As they reached the gate and scanned their tickets, they heard the familiar refrain.

"Hey, you look just like Santa Clause! Did anyone ever tell you that?" Santa just smiled and put his finger next to his nose, concentrating on staying grounded. If he didn't, he may just rise to the ceiling. "Wow, I hope you have fun" he said as he checked through Santa's fake ID, "It seems like this place is right up your alley."

"C'mon dear" he said, grasping Mrs. Clause's arm and ushering her in front of him. "We have a long trip ahead of us." As they boarded the plane, the stewardess showed them to their seats.

"It's first class for you Santa." Again Santa smiled and settled into the wide, soft seat. It was quite a change from the stiff seat of his sleigh. He'd left the window for his wife so she could experience the sensation of flight, and look down on the world. As they took off, it was fun to watch her face as she watched the earth fade away beneath her.

He sat back and closed his eyes. He hadn't told Mrs. Clause where they were going and had specifically withheld her ticket. She wanted to be surprised so he had even packed for her. Looking to the seat ahead, he saw a dark screen and recognized it as a TV. He paged through the movies and none of them seemed to interest him, until he came across the title "Elf".

After what seemed like an eternity, the plane began it's descent. Mrs. Clause was shocked to see snow falling outside the window. Had they turned around while they slept? She gave Santa a questioning look as they waited to de-plane.

"I've never been here in the winter." he said with a crooked grin. Mrs. Clause laughed and gave him a huge hug. Of course! Australia. Santa had always preferred the snow over tropical temperatures. She eagerly looked forward to the adventure ahead. Where would they possibly be staying?

Their rental car was a 4X4. This should be interesting. She couldn't remember the last time Santa had driven a car. With what could only be termed as a rocky start, they were on their way. Mrs. Clause watched as Santa typed in coordinates for the Blue Mountains on the GPS. Of course, he was all too familiar with that. It was quite a useful tool when flying in a snowstorm!

The drive was beautiful and Mrs. Clause enjoyed all the scenery. Although snow covered, the landscape differed vastly from the white plains of the North Pole. The higher they climbed the more beautiful it got, and Santa was so glad he had chosen to avoid the crowds of the tropics. Living in the cold all year had sensitized them to the sun, and the hot weather became unbearable after a time.

At long last, Santa turned off the highway to climb to the beautiful resort he had made reservations at. There it was. The colored lights beckoned them forward. And suddenly, they were once again ensconced in Christmas. A huge sign overhead read "Welcome to Yulefest". Mrs. Clause was shocked!

"But I thought you'd want to get away from Christmas." She said, turning in her seat.

"I thought about that, my dear, and then it occurred to me. I have never been able to enjoy the season as the humans do. I don't have time for sing-alongs, or fancy family feasts. I can't go inner tubing, or watch a Christmas play. I can't even watch the excitement of the children as they sit on Santa's lap. I have helpers who do that for me, and I find I'm missing out on the joy of the season. I want to see Christmas through human eyes. I want to reinvigorate my passion for this job, and this is just the way to do it. I hope you're not disappointed."

"Oh, Santa. I love you. Only you would pick Christmas over any other place in the world. And you know, I wouldn't have it any other way."

They pulled up to the hotel, and were met by the valet. As they got out of the car they were once again met by the familiar refrain:

"Hey, you look just like Santa Clause."



Yulefest is an actual annual event held in the Blue Mountains of Australia. For more information see: Yulefest