Christmas is just round the corner. Go to any major shopping place, office, mall and there are huge Christmas trees, all decorated with little boxes of gifts under the tree. Not quite officially date for Santa to deliver the goods, but it just shows the enthusiasm that the festive spirit kindles.
Seeing the gift boxes under the Christmas tree reminds me of Christmas when I was young. We are not Christians, but that did not deter my dad from telling me I could talk to Santa Claus and ask him for whatever I wanted. The modus operandi was really cute. I would have to park myself in front of an old Marconi radio that had pride of place in the living room. Then I could talk into the radio (yes, Santa had equipment that could catch the reverse waves and hear me) and inform him of my wish list. Not to forget the promise that I would be a very good girl the rest of the year! :-D
A sock would be duly stuck under my pillow and I would be woken up in the morning to get my gifts from Santa Claus. There would also be a note left there by him in extremely shaky hand writing (Santa had come in out of the snow, remember?) encouraging me to be good, praising me for having been good and the like. :-D What delightful days those were! That would be followed by eating plum cakes bought from Kayani Bakery on East Street, Pune. Oh, were those simply delectable! Of course carols would also be sung.
It was somewhere around the age of 13 or 14 that the secret of Santa was let out and I don't wish to delve into it too much - it is not a happy memory!
My Santa is now in Heaven with his Maker. I have been as good a girl as I can given my circumstances and my human foibles Santa. So can I send you my wish list? I have only three things I want in the coming year:
Peace of Mind, Good Health and a reasonable degree of Happiness. Nothing more. Is it too much to ask for? Santa, I am not going to hang out a sock, but the doors of my home will be kept open for you to come and deliver the goods. The doors of my heart are always open. Please force the doors of my mind also open if you find them a bit jammed to deliver the gifts. Waiting eagerly for you Santa.
