–

At the North Pole in November, a new postal carrier put eight large sacks of letters in Santa’s mailbox. She had no idea how they all fit, or how they were easy for her to lift. Magical things just seemed to happen in early winter near Santa’s Workshop. She bumped the top of the mailbox with the last bag. The impact dislodged an old letter that had been stuck a long, long time.

–

At 78-year-old Chester’s house on Christmas Eve, everything was quiet. That was good, because Chester was irritable and cranky, and liked it quiet. He lived alone and had no family. He had gotten himself a puppy when he retired, but his dog Buddy had passed away from old age the previous month. Before bed, Chester had a few shots of schnapps remembering his furry companion. He dearly missed the lazy, but devoted old mutt. Chester was cranky and irritable because he had no one.

When he walked to the bathroom on Christmas morning, he nearly tripped over the large red and green gift on the floor. He saw a nicely decorated Christmas tree to his right, with tinsel, blinking lights, and dozens of colorful ornaments on it. He hadn’t had a Christmas tree since the one he helped his father cut when he was in high school. On the coffee table to his left, in front of his favorite chair, he saw a candy cane on top of a handwritten note. After finishing up in the bathroom, he had a seat and read it.

“Dear Chester, I’m glad you believed enough to write, even at the age of 18. I’m sorry that it took your letter 60 years to reach me. You’ve been a good boy, and very patient, so you get a gift that will make you very happy.

Merry Christmas!

Santa Claus”

Chester wondered who cared enough to break into his house, to play this prank on him. He wondered where the TV cameras were. He looked around but discovered no cameras. The doors were shut and locked. The snow and ice on the windowsills showed nobody had used them as entry points.

He touched the large, nearly cube-shaped gift and could feel it was a cardboard box wrapped in colored paper. A thin silver ribbon was wrapped around it, and there was an ornate bow on top. He pushed a corner a little, and could tell its weight was substantial.