Finding Santa

Peter woke with the feeling he was being watched. Probably Mom or Dad checking in on him, he thought.

He slowly opened his eyes, peeking out from beneath his blankets.

What he saw made the breath catch tight in his throat. His blood turned to ice.
There was someone there, but it wasn’t his mom or dad. In an instant, quicker than Peter could even blink an eye, his whole room filled with the brightest light he’d ever seen.

He froze as his mind tried to make sense of what he was seeing. It couldn’t be real. He must still be dreaming. But, he knew he was awake, and there, just a few feet from the edge of his bed, it was like looking into lightning. But, the lightning didn’t flash. It was constant and silent. He could feel it, too. It radiated energy that somehow made his skin feel warm, like he was being hugged, and he could smell something, like a slightly sweet perfume.

He heard a deep voice with a heavy accent say, “Don’t be afraid.”

As quickly as the light had appeared, it suddenly dimmed, and he could see a man standing in front of him. He was slender and tall and looked very strong. He wore the whitest robes Peter had ever seen. They hung down all the way to the ground with big, loose sleeves that covered the man’s hands. The robes looked so soft, Peter was sure if he touched them, they would feel cool and silky, like the softest fleece blanket he’d ever touched.

The man was carrying a long, smooth, ivory walking stick with a gentle curve at the top. He had a short, snowy beard that looked wispy like cotton candy, and he was wearing a strange white cap, like the bishop from a chess set.

What really got Peter’s attention, though, were his eyes. They were big, like the eyes of a doe, and dark brown. He felt like he could just fall into them as he stared. They were full of tenderness and playful expectation, almost like a puppy waiting to be played with. Something about them made Peter smile.

The man’s wide, round nose crinkled a bit, and Peter noticed it was crooked, like it had been broken and healed wrong. His full cheeks blushed, and his lips broke into a bright smile.

The man chuckled a deep, hearty laugh that was contagious. Peter felt so safe and loved by this man all of the sudden that all he could do was giggle in relief.

“PE-ter, PE-ter …” the man boomed.

“How does he know my name? How did he get in here?” Peter thought in stunned amazement.

“Ha-ha-hahhh, Don’t you see, Peter? I am Saint Nicholas. I am Santa!”