by Johnny Miles
“Looks like we’re going to be getting a crash course in geography too, aren’t we?” Kris chuckled. “The Balleny Islands are in New Zealand. They’re absolutely stunning. Beautiful and dramatic. It’s the first place on Earth to greet each new day. And…” Kris turned to look at the clock over Track 1. “In less than five hours, it will be 12:01 a.m., Christmas Eve.”
“Well, then, I guess that means we’d better get started.” Griffin slapped and rubbed his hands together excitedly.
“Uhhh, Griffin?” Woden drew near. “Before you leave, if I might I have a word?”
“Ummm. Okay, but…sounds like we don’t have much time, so…”
Griffin allowed himself to be pulled away from the others. Woden gazed at him sternly.
“I only wanted to make sure you were okay with…all that’s happened.”
Griffin’s mood darkened instantly. “What do you mean?”
“I know you weren’t comfortable leaving anyone behind.”
Griffin glanced at Kris, who spoke animatedly with Jackson. Griffin watched Jackson beam, his eyes lit up with goodness only knew what Kris was saying.
And he was grateful.
“I’d like to think I’d have figured out a way to beat the odds, but truth is, I don’t know what I would have done given the same circumstances. Don’t worry. I’ll get over it.”
“Griffin, I’ve been around almost since the beginning of time. I’ve lived. I’ve died. I’ve been reborn. If I’ve learned anything, it is that time marches on whether we like it or not. People die. People live. We grieve. We love. At times stupidity reigns supreme. And then there’s that rare golden era when the world is gifted with a people enlightened beyond imagination. For better or worse, this is it, Griffin. This is all we have. Yes, even me. Life, as important as it is, means nothing to a world that will continue to spin long after we’re all gone.”
“Still…I’d like to think I would have made a different decision. Found a way. Somehow.”
“Even at the risk of your own life?” Woden asked curiously.
“Well, you know what they say, Woden. Sometimes the needs of the many…”
“But sometimes the needs of the one—and speaking of one…” Woden glanced over his shoulder at Jackson. Griffin couldn’t help but feel Woden was trying to tell him something. “Jackson means more to me than he will ever know. If I ever find you’ve broken his heart…”
Griffin gulped. Woden’s message was loud and clear.
“I’ll confess you surprised me,” Woden added, his voice surprisingly light after such a threat. “Just when I thought there was nothing new under the sun.”
Woden embraced Griffin, who could have sworn the hug was tighter and lasted longer than he had any right to expect.
“You’re going to make a fine Santa, Griffin Kloss.”
“Thank you, sir. I hope I’ll do you proud.”
“Don’t do me proud. Just carry out the mission the way it’s been done since it started. Spread hope, love, and good cheer. It’s all that’s expected. It’s all that’s ever been expected. From any Santa Claus. And now, Winter awaits. I’ll make sure to make it a white Christmas for you. I always thought Santa’s first run should be white.”
And with that, Woden disappeared in a whirlwind that left them bracing themselves and squinting their eyes.
“Your father,” Griffin said to Jackson, “is a very frightening and intense man.”
Kris and Jackson burst out laughing.
* * * *
The swearing-in ceremony, like Kris promised, was quick. All Griffin had to do was swear to abide by the mission that had been set forth centuries prior by Woden. And although there was a part of him that wished he could have had the full treatment, Griffin was glad it had been shortened. Already his stomach was doing somersaults.
Immediately after the shortened swearing in, on a small stepstool in his bedroom, Griffin was surrounded by a handful of Elven tailors. They fussed and fidgeted over his custom Santa suit, measuring and pinning and stitching.
Griffin grinned at Jackson, who sat with a bemused look on his face, watching the activity from a squishy chair.
“You know what I want when you return, right? I’ll be right here, waiting in your bed. Naked. My ass up in the air. And you better not take that damn suit off.”
Their eyes met, and Jackson licked his lips lewdly.
“Stop teasing me, you cock whore. Or do you want me to get a hard-on? I don’t think the Elves would like it too much.”
They shared a laugh, despite the lead tailor’s annoyance at Griffin’s tittering.
There was a knock at the door. Griffin moved, but the Elves tutted. They clicked their tongues and continued to snip, cut, and sew. Griffin remained where he was.
“Come in,” he called.
The door opened, and Bucket slowly made his way inside with the use of a cane. He reminded Griffin of Yoda.
Despite some shaking, Bucket managed to make his way across the room. He placed a wooden box on the edge of Griffin’s bed.
Sadly, not even the Elders, educated as they were in all manner of medical procedures, including effective but unorthodox ways, were able to do anything for the Elf who had grown to look his age.
“How’s it going, Bucket?” Griffin asked.
“A moment at a time.” The Elf shrugged and sighed. “I’ve come to give you a gift.”
Despite the clucking of tongues and the huffy sighs of exasperation, Griffin stepped down from the stool. He didn’t care. There was always Magic to finish the job. He approached and opened the box as Jackson sat at the edge of the bed.
“Bucket…this is…I can’t accept—”
“Yes, you can. And you will. Besides, I want you to have it. My way of saying thanks for allowing Kris to step down from his post and stay here, at home, with me.”
Jackson and Griffin gawked at an antique compass watch—ornate with ancient curves and lines—nestled in the velvety interior of the box.
“It belonged to my father,” Bucket explained. “Before that it belonged to his father before him. It’s been in the family for generations. Anyway.” He sighed. “He gave it to me when I first became and replaced Kris’s prior navigator. You might not need it, what with all the bells and whistles in the new sleigh but…in case any of that technology ever goes awry…this compass will guide you back safely to your loved one.”
“Bucket, I…” Griffin’s vision blurred. “I don’t know what to say.”
“A simple thank-you will suffice.” Bucket shrugged.
“It hardly seems like enough, but…” Griffin’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Thank you.”
Bucket took Griffin’s hand, so large and meaty in his old tiny and wrinkled one. Then he smiled and turned, ready to walk out of the room.
“Bucket?” Griffin and Jackson called out in unison. They looked at each other, then walked toward Bucket. They dropped to their knees and hugged him.
The Elf sniffled. “I’d better go now. You need to finish getting ready.”
Griffin and Jackson stood and watched Bucket exit. After a moment, the lead tailor snipped his scissors as a reminder they were still there, with much work to be done before departure in less than an hour.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The doors to the roundhouse were open. Griffin walked in, coated with the first snow of the evening. He brushed himself off, stomped his boots, then jumped, startled, when two female Elves appeared before him.
“Hello, Santa. I’m Natale. I’ll be your navigator. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” The Elf looked up at him, beaming.
Griffin shook her extended hand.
“And I’m Portia, sir. I’ll open portals between dimensions as we travel through time and space.” She also beamed and all but glowed with excitement.
Griffin shook her hand as well.
“I’m pleased to meet you both,” Griffin offered jovially, despite the fact that a part of him wanted to look around for the
hidden cameras that might be punking him. There was a part of him that still couldn’t believe this was really happening.
“Ah! I see you’ve all met. Perfect.” Kris approached. “As you know, Portia will focus on opening and closing all portals while Natale will focus on communication with our ground team. She’ll also monitor the GPS and look for errant weather patterns that might make things difficult for us to do our job.
“Now you, Griffin…because this is your first trip and we haven’t had time for proper training, I want you to watch and assist where needed. That might mean taking orders from me, Natale, or Portia. Every once in a while, the reindeer might have something to say. And then there’s Melchior.”
“Melchior?” Griffin glanced about but saw no one else near them. On cue, however, another Elf popped up to join the group.
“Pleased to meet you, new Santa. Welcome aboard.”
Griffin could tell this was one fiercely loyal Elf, one whose trust he would have to earn.
“Melchior is Head of Transport and Communication. He and his team will monitor our every step and help guide us from the ground. He’s the one Natale will speak with from the moment we take off, to the moment we return in a few hours.”
“A few hours? It would take a commercial jet two full days to fly around the world. We have to stop and pass out gifts to what…millions of people?”
“Billions,” Kris replied.
“Okay, billions. So how can you say a few hours?”
Natale, Portia, and Melchior all burst out with peals of laughter. Griffin furrowed his brow, feeling dumb and naive. Kris, who stifled a giggle himself, cleared his throat and shot the Elves a look. They immediately stopped.
“I’m sorry, Griffin. We shouldn’t have laughed. I’ll do what I can to explain things as we go. In fact, here, take this little pad and pencil for notes.” Kris pulled a small leather-bound pad with a flip cover and a pencil tucked into a round piece of leather from a pouch built into his thick black belt. He handed the pad to Griffin.
“You have two minutes,” Melchior announced after looking at his watch. He then glared at Griffin and walked away.
“Everybody ready?” Kris asked.
Natale and Portia nodded.
“Griffin? Come meet the reindeer.”
As Kris and Griffin walked toward the sleigh, the last of the reindeer were fastened into place.
“Dunder! Blixem!” Griffin placed a hand on each of their muzzles. They returned his greeting courteously if not warmly. He looked up at Kris, uncertain of what he might have done to be so poorly received. Did they equate him with their horrifying, near-death experience when they barely escaped Krampus?
“They want oats.”
“Oats?” Griffin could have sworn they clicked their tongues and rolled their eyes.
“Imagine a bag of rolled oats. Barley. Or carrots. Anything a horse might like to eat. Horses and reindeer have a similar diet except for glüg. Reindeer love glüg. Especially these two.”
Dunder and Blixem snorted as if they’d been offended, then let loose with a sound that was like a whinny but not quite, their lips peeled back with amusement.
Griffin imagined the biggest, juiciest, shiniest apples he could think of. They appeared Magically, one in either hand, and he whooped with excitement. He was tempted to eat one, but they were meant for Dunder and Blixem. He handed them each the apple. Their lips pulled back to reveal huge yellowed teeth before daintily taking the offered fruit. They rubbed at Griffin with their heads, clearly pleased with their treat, and he marveled that they, like dogs, would be so loyal just because of a piece of food.
One by one, Griffin met the rest of the reindeer—Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, and Cupid—producing an apple for each of them.
“Time’s a-wasting,” Melchior warned over the loudspeaker.
Seconds later, Griffin sat in the sleigh, in the middle bench, where he’d been told to sit this first trip. He looked down at the activity below. Elves rushed here and there with cans of oil for various points in the sleigh, even as some rubbed liniment into the reindeers’ muscles.
Kris popped into the first bench and picked up the reins, followed by Natale, who sat by Kris’s side. Portia sat beside Griffin. She indicated for him to pick up his headset. Griffin slipped it on, barely hearing what Melchior said for the butterflies in his stomach.
And yet he was thrilled beyond belief!
He felt connected once again with his inner child, and little Griffin, like big Griffin, beamed.
The countdown began. “Ten…nine…eight…”
Kris quickly scanned the list of deliveries on a tablet built into the dashboard. Natale looked over last-minute changes in flight pattern and communicated with Portia, who sat erect. Griffin noted the way her hands shook slightly and wondered if this might be her first time. She smiled meekly at him and shrugged. Griffin grinned. At least he wasn’t alone.
The wheel beneath the sleigh began to turn. The reindeer stamped their hooves. In awe, Griffin gawked and marveled at the large disc spinning them toward the first opening.
The countdown continued. “Seven…six…five…”
And to think, Griffin thought. My father once sat here. I’m following in his footsteps. He was real. It was all real. My mom was telling the truth. I am the son of a Santa Claus! A warm and fuzzy feeling spread through him even as his vision blurred. He wiped away the tears.
“Four…three…”
And there suddenly at the edge of the opening, outside the roundhouse, stood Jackson and Bucket to see them off.
“Two…one… Engage.”
Griffin watched, amazed at the buttons and levers Natale had to press and pull. The reindeer tugged. Slowly, the sleigh moved. It built momentum, and the anticipation of taking off made Griffin nervous. He wondered if it would always be the same as the first time.
Faster and faster the sleigh went, off the spinning wheel, rushing toward the first zone. Griffin waved as they passed. Kris tossed Bucket a kiss. Should Griffin have done the same? Did Jackson want him to be publicly demonstrative?
“I love you.” Jackson’s words were loud and clear, in Griffin’s head and in his heart.
“And I love you.” Griffin felt his heart swell as if it had grown several sizes too large.
The trees were a blur, and snow fell hard as the deer galloped, the sound of their hooves muffled in the snow. The sleigh bucked, in part from the hauling reindeer, in part from the shifting of gears that allowed for less traction.
The cold wind stung Griffin’s face and made his eyes tear. Suddenly, the reindeer took to the skies. A rush of excitement coursed through Griffin’s veins. Below and to his left, Santa’s Village glittered like a tiny jewel.
“It looks so much like Disney World!”
“Where do you think Walt got the idea from?” Kris replied.
“Are you kidding me? Walt Disney?”
“Nope. I’m not kidding. Walt was honorary Santa one year and traveled with me from the North Pole. I picked him up at his room atop Cinderella’s castle.”
“No fucking way! I can’t believe you met Walt Disney!”
“Ho, ho, ho!” Kris laughed aloud. “There isn’t anyone I haven’t met, Griffin. And there isn’t anyone you won’t meet either. Just wait.”
Natale’s voice interrupted them. “Ready for warp speed.”
“Hang on, Griffin! Here we gooooooo!”
Griffin held on tight, as did Portia. A split second later, they experienced free-fall as they jettisoned from the North Pole and into the dimension that allowed them to travel as though time stood still. Griffin’s vision doubled once again, then tripled with tears of joy.
JACKSON LOOKED UP into the sky as the sleigh grew smaller and smaller. Finally, it disappeared.
“So that’s what it looks like,” Bucket muttered with awe.
“What? You’ve never seen it take off?” asked Jackson.
“Well, I’ve always been in it, haven’t I?” Buc
ket watched long after the sleigh had disappeared. “Funny to see life pass you by when you’re no longer in the driver’s seat, barreling through gravity and punching holes through dimensions.”
A long moment of silence filled the space between them.
“Think you’ll miss it?” Jackson asked, somewhat saddened by Bucket’s lament.
More silence.
Bucket shook his head and cleared his throat. “It was time to pass the reins on to someone else.”
Together, they turned to walk back into the roundhouse. Bucket stopped, looked up at the snowing sky, and opened his mouth. Snowflakes caught on his tongue, and he giggled. Amused, Jackson joined him. It was a joy to watch someone finally laugh at one of the purest, most beautiful, yet complicated things about winter Jackson loved most. Fun!
“Let’s go sit in the control room!” Bucket suggested with excitement. “We can have a hot cider while we wait for them to return. I’m told it’s an amazing sight.”
“Really? Won’t it…be a while?”
“We’re at the North Pole, Jackson! There’s no such thing as time here. At least, not the way there is on Earth Realm.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Okay. Imagine the Earth as an orange, only without the rind. You know the vertical strips that keep the wedges apart?”
Jackson nodded.
Bucket continued. “Right. So, each of those vertical strips is a timeline. They travel along that meridian, and when they get to the South Pole, bam! They’re right back here again.”
“How’s that?”
“We have a roundhouse at the South Pole that mirrors this one. When Kris and Griffin are done with the first leg of their journey, they hit the roundhouse there and they’re immediately transported here. Now, c’mon! They’ll be here before you can sing ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas.’”
Jackson, though doubtful, nonetheless followed because, for the first time since they’d met, Bucket seemed genuinely excited and looked forward to something. And that was something worth watching and sticking around for.
* * * *
“Whoa!” Jackson and Bucket exclaimed nearly ten minutes later as the sleigh appeared suddenly. They’d taken their cider out of the control room since Melchior tutted and huffed as if they were in the way.
