Sara
and Matei went to find Santa. But they put on nice warm clothes as
Matei suggested they should use his hang-glider and the wind blows
hard up there. Sara covered her head with grandma Lucia’s twister,
but not before painting it a little as it was too sad. She coloured
it in red, her favourite. Matei put on dad’s helmet; he would be
safe from cold and his ears wouldn’t fall off, he thought. They put
on their warm woollen socks and loaded the hang-glider with a lot of
butcher’s broom, as Sara wanted to decorate it first. She wouldn’t
want to begin their quest for Santa unprepared. Matei was not very
happy as the leaves stung his tush, but then he noticed how beautiful
their vehicle was decorated like that. Sara was right! She knew it
from her mother that butcher’s broom was beautiful for Christmas,
as mother used to lay chocolate and butcher’s broom leaves
underneath the Christmas tree and when Sara wanted to taste the sweet
temptation, she used to get scratched until she finally had some.
With the same brush that she used to paint grandma’s twister, Sara
wrote Merry Christmas up on the vehicle, so that anyone could see. In
red, of course...
-
Let’s go, Matei, we are ready now! Will you wear grandpa Claude’s
goggles?
-
Sure I’ll wear those, they fit me perfectly! Matei laughed.
Sara
grabbed grandpa Claude’s binoculars, she knew it would help her see
far away and she thought she would have to use them very much not to
miss Santa. And because this was a secret quest, no one knew they had
organized something like that. Nobody would have allowed them if they
had known. This was a venture of their own and they knew that when
Santa came into discussion, everything was covered in mystery, no one
would tell them something clear about him, so they should go and find
out for themselves. They were curious to see the place where he lives
and from where he has brought so much chocolate.
So,
let’s go! They climbed the hang-glider, Matei at first and then he
helped Sara. Sara was well muffled, she could hardly move. But she
held firmly grandpa’s pair of binoculars as she wouldn’t want to
loose it. She was curious to check how far she could see with it.
They buckled up and Matei started to operate the grips of the
hang-glider, it drew a few circles and then started to move forward,
speeding up. It finally took off. For an instant their little hearts
stopped beating, they remained breathless. How beautiful everything
was and the clouds were so close!
-
Wow Matei, it is so beautiful up here! Sara said.
-
Yes, beautiful indeed, but I can feel my nose freezing, Matei
answered.
-
Hold on and keep the altitude so that we can see everything around,
not to miss Santa by any chance, Sara added.
-
Right, yes, I am paying attention to the controls and the sun starts
to warm up the tip of my nose, Matei said.
Their
houses were left behind and they couldn’t see them anymore; they
were surrounded by clouds. Sara was amazed, she saw rabbits, giraffes
and lions but she also seemed to see Minnie in the clouds. And she
held the binoculars close to her eyes to make sure whether that was
Minnie or not. Matei also wanted the pair of binoculars, but he
couldn’t have it as he was busy with the controls of the
hang-glider. It was good that he couldn’t feel the stings of the
butcher’s broom, or maybe his tush was a little frozen, he couldn’t
figure that out either.
The
vehicle flew smoothly, brrrr brrr brrrrr, and the farther they flew,
Matei started to feel more confident. Sara started to sing a song:
don't ever be lonely, remember, I will be there, she heard it on the
internet one night when her father played it for her and she simply
loved it! Matei was listening, wandering and thinking: what is Sara
singing? He couldn’t understand and he wondered if Sara could, but
it sounded nice and he ended up saying nothing. He would have
preferred to hear a Christmas carol as they were looking for Santa,
but that would do, too. Sara stopped singing and watched again
through the binoculars. She seemed to have noticed something red very
far away. She could not be wrong; she knew very well how red looked
like. Ah, she almost slipped out because of the surprise as far away
she could see a red sleigh with a lot of reindeers that was simply
flying. She could not see very well who was in that sleigh but the
sleigh was loaded with lots of packages.
-
Matei, watch out, I can see a sleigh far away, pay attention as we
are speeding and we wouldn’t want to have an accident. Take care,
slow down and then we can ask the good man who he is. If he is Santa,
we shall ask him to join us down to the children, Sara said.
-
But mother and we have already decorated the tree; he should drop by
as we all wrote a letter to him. I cannot write but I drew a puppy,
as I want to play with it. Sasha wrote, too, but I couldn’t
understand what that was. Irena only left her handprint on the letter
and I don’t know the meaning of that. Then mother told us we should
behave for Santa to visit us, but I also did some naughty things but
I am going to tell Santa I was a good boy, Matei said.
-
Now, Matei, I also drew on the walls and I also broke mother’s
favourite flowerpot, but I am also going to tell Santa that I was a
good girl. Now that we found him, I wouldn’t want to lose him. But
I am sorry for the pot, father even got upset with me and now I
wouldn’t want to lose grandpa Claude’s binoculars as he needs
them at work. It is fine, Matei, I won’t tell mother. I’ll only
tell aunt Luli, she knows how to keep our secrets. She told me
yesterday that Sa…Santa was hiding somewhere and no one knows where
he comes from. This is why I wanted you to join me in this venture,
as I don’t have cars or planes, but you do, you have always got
this kind of presents. If Santa asks our names, I’ll tell him I am
Snow White. What name will you give him?, Sara asked.
-
Tish-ho, I think I caught a cold; I don’t want my mother to be
upset because she will send me to the dark room again if I don’t
listen. I shall tell him my name is Tchoupi, I heard Sasha mentioning
it and I liked it, but I don’t know who he is. But, Sara, how shall
we greet Santa? Matei wondered.
-
Ooooo, look, he is coming near, I am very curious. Matei, look at his
white beard and the reindeers, how beautiful they are!
-
O ho hoooo, my beloved, but where to by the hang-glider? Aren’t you
cold? Your noses are red! Santa noticed.
-
Dear Santa, I am Snow-White and my friend is Tchoupi. We went to find
you and take you with us, but we are frozen as we stood up here
looking for you. Matei, look, there is a cute little puppy by the
Santa; ask him to give it to you! I wrote a letter to you, Santa,
asking...
-
Let’s go down, children, or you will catch a cold and you won’t
be able to sing Christmas carols anymore. We’ll drop by your houses
and then we’ll see about that, ok? Santa asked.
-
Hurraaayyyy, Sara said, very well Santa, in this way aunt Luli can
also see you! Such a pity that aunt Tuni cannot see you; she is
looking for you, too, but she went in Africa to find you there, Sara
answered with sadness.
-
But, Santa, there is something else I want to ask you, Matei said.
Tell mother I was a good boy or else, she will punish me and send me
in the room in the attic, Matei added in a feeble voice.
-
Fine, my darlings, but you must promise me you will be good and
obedient! Santa said.
Slowly,
slowly, both Santa’s sleigh and Matei’s hang-glider started their
landing. Matei was puzzled as it seemed that his vehicle landed by
its own, but he imagined it was more due to his frozen hands. Anyway,
he was getting tired and he wanted to sleep. But he was making
efforts to stay awake and see what Santa has for him.
Once
landed, Santa got off his sleigh and unbuckled them. Then he grabbed
his sac and they all entered the house. Sara’s mother had tears in
her eyes as she was looking for Sara and she couldn’t find her.
Matei’s mother was angrier, but she tried to remain calm. But they
were both astonished when they saw Santa with their kids.
-
Ho ho hoooo, I’ve brought back your children that I found in the
clouds in a hang-glider and I have also brought some presents for the
good kids and for the needy ones. There is a colour book for Sara
together with a warm winter jacket and there is also a puppy for
Matei.
-
Hurrraaaayyy, Matei shouted, thanks, Santa. May I kiss you? And he
kissed Santa on his cheek.
-
I want to kiss you, too, Santa, Sara said running to him. Will you,
please, bring some presents to our cousins in Italy, too? A doll for
Irena and a lot of presents for the children at the kindergarten, a
book for Luli and a lot of health for my grandma...
-
Sure, Sara, right now I am going to give presents to all the
children, even to the children in the Philippines, Santa said. It’s
time we said good-bye and we’ll keep it our secret, as we agreed.
Can you promise me that? Santa added.
-
Yesssssssssss, the children answered, we promise; come next year too!
Pleeeeeeease!...
...................................
Hearing
Sara talk in her sleep, mother went by her bed to see what was going
on. Sara had a dream and she was a little nervous. Besides, it was
morning already. She opened her eyes, looked at her mother and jumped
out the bed:
-
Mother, Santa came! I mean, Matei and I went to look for him. Come in
the saloon; he is here, he is here!
Mother
couldn’t understand a word but she followed Sara in the saloon.
There were some gifts under the Christmas tree but no Santa. Sara
looked around, looked behind the armchair, around the tree; she even
checked the balcony, but no sign of Santa.
-
Saaanta, don’t hide, come out so that we can see you, Sara smiled,
but no one answered. Mother told her that she had had a dream of
Santa, but Sara wouldn’t believe that. She kept saying:
-
But I saw him, I was with Matei in his hang-glider and our noses were
frozen. And Santa’s sleigh was loaded with packages.
Mother
smiled and encouraged Sara:
-
Sing a song for Santa if you saw him, and Sara started to sing:
Oh,
Grey-haired, Santa dear
Through
the snows he came to us
And
he brings a lot of presents
To
all boys and girls around, Saaaaaaaaaanta Claus, Saaaaaaaanta
Claus...
Ulica.
All rights reserved. It is strictly forbidden to use or copy all or
part of the text without prior written consent from Ulica.
Thank
you Sinza Simona Gabriela for the translation!
Multumesc! Craciun fericit si tie!
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