Will He Or Won't He?

Will He Or Won't He?

“There’s a rumor going around,” Candy hissed in Cane’s ear. It twitched.

“What are you talking about?” he mouthed back as he tried to refill his paint container.

“Santa Claus is going to retire this year!” Candy told him softly.

Cane dropped his paintbrush in shock, scattering droplets of green all down his red shirt and the floor beneath him.

“Where did you hear that?” he said a little louder.

“Everyone’s saying it. He’s ready. His memory is going, he’s full of arthritis and Mrs. Claus wants him to.”

“I can’t picture it. He is immortal you know,” Cane reminded her.

“Just because you’re immortal does mean you don’t want to do something else with your time.”

“I’ll believe it when he says it himself to all of us!” Cane said stoutly.

“I wonder which one of the kids will take over?” Candy said.

“The oldest of course, Fred.”

“What’s wrong with Snowflake? She’s smart, organized and looks great in red.”

“She’s a girl!” Cane protested.

“Your problem with that is?” Candy asked with hands on hips.

“Mrs. Claus never goes out all night on the sled, her work is here at the North Pole.”

“You guys sure forget quickly. She’s done a couple of Christmas Eve runs in her time.”

“A couple, sure. But the job is a man’s!”

“Then what about the youngest, Ian?”

“He’s a baby! Mrs. Claus would never agree to him taking over.”

“He’s old enough to! All the kids inherited immortality from Santa and his missus anyway.”

“Maybe they’ll divide the work and take turns making the run; that would be the best idea,” Candy mused.

The loudspeaker crackled to life.

“Attention all elves, Santa is not, I repeat not, retiring this Christmas or any other,” announced Mrs. Santa.