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It all started Christmas Eve two years ago. My wife and I had just gotten to sleep after hours of drinking egg-nog and snuggling warmly by the fire. I remember it as if it had just happened moments ago. It was our eighth Christmas together and we couldn’t be happier. She bought me a wonderful new robe. It was long, thick, and would keep us very warm as we both will snuggle inside it. I bought her a jewelry box that played her favorite classical song “Fur Elise “, by Beethoven. It also has a picture on the inside cover of our first Christmas together. Oh, how she loves that picture. All of these thoughts push aside the sugarplums that dance in my head. And as my eyes close for the night, I heard an unmistakable noise.

My eyes pop open and I listen closely to see if I was hearing things. Then I hear the noise again. I softly tell my sleeping beauty to listen carefully and she nods sleepily and falls back to sleep. I could only hope I’m a part of her dreams. I step out of bed and head downstairs with my new robe swinging behind me. And as I step off the final stair I hear a rustling noise and then nothing. I slowly poked my head around the corner and searched the living room where I believed the noise was coming from. Everything seemed untouched with the exception of a few unopened gifts, probably from sleeping beauty, and the smoke from the still smoldering fireplace. Then after a double take I saw it! It was a red bag sitting in the fire place! Then before my very eyes a white gloved hand with a red coated sleeve reaches down from inside the chimney and grabs the bag lifting it up out of sight. I rub my eyes in disbelief. How can that be possible? The fire was still technically burning! And how could a man be inside a Chimney? Before I knew it I heard a clamor up above and I opened the front door to get a peek at the roof. If it was some sort of burglar I wanted a good description to give the police. But for some strange reason I don’t think it was. I stepped into the yard and looked up just in time to see a bunch of snow falling off it and a second later I was buried in snow! I struggled to get to my feet and I instantly knew the person got away. The last thing I heard was the noise that originally woke me up. Jingling bells! Moments later I was crawling back into bed still in disbelief in what I just experienced.

I was woken up by the bright smiling face of my wife wishing me a “Merry Christmas”. I answered back and was quickly reminded of the previous nights’ incident by the fact that my robe was still wet from the snow. I told my wife everything. Afterword she looked at me in puzzlement and slowly cracked a smile. She insisted that it was just a silly dream and that I might have been sleepwalking.

We walked downstairs and began opening up our gifts. She reached for a gift I had not wrapped. “From Santa,” she said with a sly smile. I realized with shock that there were a few more gifts under the tree than the night before. I explained to my wife that I had not bought here that scarf and mittens or that amazingly beautiful 4 piece dining set. She just laughed and continued to open her gifts. I reached for a gift that had my name on it. It too said from Santa. I opened it and saw a snow globe with a Santa standing on a roof. The Santa was smiling and holding a familiar looking bag. I knew for certain that I was not imagining things. The visitor last night was the same one who gave us these extra gifts. I simply smiled and began to enjoy Christmas morning with my wife and throughout the following year had slowly forgotten about the visitor and the events that came along with him.

It was Christmas Eve one year later when I was reminded of the previous years’ charade and began to wonder all over again. I was looking at the wonderful job my wife had done decorating the mantle of our fireplace when I noticed the snow globe. It was the one that came from “Santa” and it all of a sudden started to play a familiar Christmas tune, “Santa Clause is Coming to Town”. I got up and took the globe in my hand and was stunned to see Santa in a sleigh in the sky over a group of houses. If I remembered correctly, the previous memory wielded a snow globe with a Santa on a roof with a red bag. I was all of a sudden taken with determination. I would find the answers to my many questions. I would stay up late. I would find out if Santa truly existed!

My wife had just gone to bed and she asked me, for the third time that night, if I still wanted to stay up and wait for Santa. She didn’t mind my behavior but that was primarily because she thought I was just getting in the Christmas spirit. I was going to put out some milk and cookies as a distraction and when I heard the signal, which was a tiny bell attached to the glass of milk, I would pop off the sofa and have my look at Santa Clause.

Everything was set as I read a book and I was slowly becoming sleepy. I began to hear a jingling that I have heard before. I resisted the urge to jump off the sofa and run outside and just closed my eyes to pretend to go asleep. I listened closely as I heard movement on the roof. I waited and waited but did not hear a thing. Then suddenly I heard something on the back porch. It was a scraping noise and left me wondering what it could be. I cracked an eye and surveyed the area. I slowly got up off the couch and headed to the kitchen. I looked through the back door and could not believe what I was seeing. A giant reindeer! I could not resist opening the door to take a closer look. But as soon as I stepped outside I heard it! The bell attached to the milk! I ran back inside but was too late. I had been fooled. I could only be in awe at the cleverness of Santa Clause. But at that moment I vowed to see him next year no matter what!

I spent all next year saving up money for security cameras. I built a small closet in the living room with state of the art peepholes. I also have made modifications to the fireplace. There is a trapdoor that is activated if more than one hundred pounds is applied to the area. Santa is not getting away this year. And my wife is still sure there is some ulterior motive for my fascination with Santa and just gives in to my indulgence and persistence. Once again my wife goes to sleep on Christmas Eve. I step into my closet and start turning on the monitoring system for the cameras. And now I wait.

There are a total of six cameras. Ones for the front, back and roof of the house and one focusing on the tree and chimney each. The sixth camera is inside the chimney looking upward and has a special sensor that activates a flashlight when the sensor is tripped. This is so when Santa comes down the chimney the light will turn on temporarily blinding him and causing him to possibly drop out of the chimney and into the fireplace where he will trigger the trapdoor and consequently fall into the basement. Then I will run down there and ask him my questions.

Three hours have passed and everything is still functioning as planned. That’s when I notice that the light has been triggered in the chimney. I look at the monitor closely and do not see a thing. I check the other cameras and everything is clear. I decide to go and check the camera quickly to make sure it’s functioning. This will be tricky because I can’t trigger the trap door to the basement. I head over and reach into the fireplace and feel around for the camera and realize that it’s loose. The sensor is picking up the wall of the chimney. I reach for my screw driver and it falls into the chimney pit. I’m not sure if it was the lack of sleep or the absentmindedness that made me do what I did next. Maybe it was neither and was just fate. But I kneeled into the fireplace to retrieve the screwdriver. Immediately I fell through the trap door and landed on the mattress that was meant to receive Santa Clause. I just lay there as I feel embarrassed at what just happened. Then I hear them! Sleigh bells! I quickly reset the trapdoor and head up the stairs into the living room. I notice the closet door of the monitoring room wide open and think that I hadn’t left it that way. And I see the empty plate of cookies and feel the wave of disappointment wash over my body. I had missed Santa once again. But wait! My security camera on the roof! I rushed into the room and notice that the monitor for the camera is black. I switch it off and then on again but still nothing. The green light indicates it is still functioning. Then I see a little bit of light and realize what has happened. Santa parked his sleigh right over the camera! The sleigh begins to take off and the placement of the camera is too perfect and will catch the entire takeoff process of Santa Clause and his nine reindeer. I sit there in wonder and awe as my eyes hug the monitor. I watch the magic that is Christmas through the eyes of a seemingly born again child. After the takeoff Santa vanishes and I head for the tape compartment to replay the amazing footage that I just witnessed. I click the play button and nothing happens. Panic struck my body as the realization hits me. The door to the closet was open when I came up from the basement! I open the tape compartment and see not a tape in there but a note. And it reads:


Dear Mr. Frank Briggs,
Ho! Ho! Ho! And Merry Christmas!
Nice to see you in holiday spirit! Thanks for the cookies!
Your wife Lindsay makes the very best!
Love, Santa.
P.S. Don’t wait up next year!



I look at the note and begin to smile. That moment I give up on trying to see Santa and realize he’s always a step ahead of me. It was he who left the door open not me. And he took the security tapes that would surely contain all evidence of his existence. But that would be wrong. Christmas is about believing, not seeing! And I believe that Santa is real!