St. Nicholas
As Corey led Serendipity throw the town square, everyone they met greeted him by name, with a cheerful smile, and a welcoming nod to his newest recruit, though most of them had no idea who she was at this juncture. Serendipity would have liked to stop and speak to each of them--every elf, toymaker, child, and some she wasn’t even sure of (perhaps a fairy or gnome?)--as they crossed her path, but Corey insisted they would have time later to chat with the current residence, and he continued to draw her along the snow covered path, her arm still locked securely through his.
Approaching the large structure Serendipity had marveled at from the air, she took a deep breath and stopped in her tracks, attempting to take it all in. Corey let go of her arm and stood a few steps in front, waiting for her to recover. “Is this Santa’s workshop?” she asked, her hands clasped together in front of her face.
“Yes, of course,” Corey nodded, gesturing towards the large carved wooden sign that hung across most of the length of the building atop the span of two sets of double doors. It read, in big block print, “Santa’s Workshop.”
“Right,” Serendipity nodded, realizing that if she could read, she would have known that. Her face lost a bit of the glimmer from before, but she still stared in awe. “How amazing!” she whispered, looking up at several stories of glass windows and the brightly dressed elves scurrying about with various toys, different patterns of wrapping paper, and other items essential to making and finishing off Christmas presents.
Corey hadn’t considered the fact that Serendipity was not capable of reading the sign until after he had pointed it out to her, a deed that left him shaking his head at his own insensitivity once again. Rather than attempting an apology, and the possibility of embarrassing her further still, he decided to act as if he had forgotten her illiteracy, with a note to himself to be more aware in the future. After several moments of watching her stare up at the building with a childish gleam in her eye and a wide smile on her face, he finally asked, “Are you ready to go inside then?”
“Oh, yes,” Serendipity nodded, tearing her eyes away from the structure at last and smiling into those familiar green ones.
As Corey led her inside, they were instantly greeted by dozens of working elves, each of whom called out, “Merry Christmas!” which Serendipity would have found rather odd considering Christmas was over months ago were she nod standing in Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole. Instead, she answered with a jolly, “Merry Christmas!” in return. She noticed, and found it rather odd, that though Corey always acknowledged the speaker, he only chose to say, “Hello,” or “Good evening,” in response, never “Merry Christmas.”
Once they had crossed through what Serendipity could only describe as several work rooms, all with obvious purposes, such as stuffed bear assembly, wooden block carving, or her favorite, doll dressing, they came to a tall red door encased in a gold frame with two circular windows so low to the ground Serendipity would have had to stoop to look through. “Are these peepholes for the elves?” she asked as Corey opened the door without checking to see if anyone else was coming out.
“Yes,” he replied. “Safety first.”
Serendipity raised both eyebrows and followed him through, wondering how he knew no one was coming, and found herself standing in a long, dark hallway. Though the gray stone that made up the floor and the walls, even the ceiling, gleamed in the dim light that reached through the windows in the door, the ambiance seemed to have changed. “Where are we?” she asked quietly.
“This is a shortcut to our destination, though this hall is used primarily for the elves to transport finished product to the storage rooms, which are off of this hallway,” he explained, gesturing towards a hall that circled off to their left. “There are other ways to reach the main offices, but this is the most direct path.”
“I see. And are we in a hurry?” Serendipity asked, stepping more quickly to keep up with him.
Corey slowed his pace a bit. “Forgive me. I am almost always in a hurry.”
Serendipity bowed her head in acceptance and said quietly, “I should think if anyone were to be in a hurry, it should be me. I am, after all, the one who came here solely to collect my friend and then head home.”
“Indeed,” Corey agreed, saying nothing more. They walked on in silence for a few more moments before the hallway curved and finished at another set of doors, this one exactly the same as the last save there were no peepholes this time. Corey pushed the door on the right open and held it for Serendipity to pass through, which led her to the bottom of a very tall, very red staircase with a sparkling golden banister rail.
“Oh, my,” Serendipity muttered under her breath. Corey offered her his arm again, which she accepted, and placing her right hand on the railing, she began her ascent, wondering if her idle lungs would be up to such a challenge.
About halfway up, Corey paused and asked, “Do you need to stop for a rest?”
“No, I’m fine,” Serendipity insisted, though she noticed she was beginning to puff a bit. “How in the world does St. Nicholas climb this staircase so many times a day?” she asked, wondering if he was not as jolly as Mr. Clement C. Moore had made him out to be.
Corey laughed. “If you have magic, as St. Nicholas does, there’s no need to climb the stairs.”
“Oh, right,” Serendipity nodded. “So do you generally just magic your way to the top?”
“Yes,” Corey replied. “Or use the elevator, which is on the other side of the building.”
“What’s that?” Serendipity asked, having never heard that term before. But before he could answer, she realized they had reached the top. The view of the room they were entering into caused her to jog the last few steps, pulling up her long blue dress and red coat tails as she did so, so as not to trip. “Oh, my!” she gasped again.
Though they were not quite inside of the room yet, rather some sort of narrow foyer that led to the expansive room, she could clearly see where they were headed, and she had never in her wildest dreams imagined a place so beautiful. The floor seemed to be made of twinkling snowflakes, all knit together to make one glorious carpet. The ceiling was dark blue with what appeared to be millions of twinkling stars of all colors, though mostly in yellows, silvers, and golds, lighting up the room a full two-stories below where they danced in suspense. There were several glistening white pillars around the outer edges of the room, all of them decorated with the same twinkling lights she had seen outside in the Village. In the center of the room was a large globe shaped object. As they approached, Serendipity realized it was, indeed, a globe, and if one were to peer inside, different continents, countries, even homes could be called to the surface so that Santa Claus could clearly see what was transpiring with each child and assign him or her to the correct list. It sat atop a gold base, decorated with spiraling filigree, and while Serendipity longed to touch it, she dare not do so for fear of breaking it. On the other end of the room sat two large thrones, the arms, legs, and backs of which were decorated in spiraling red and white, like candy canes, with gold trim. They sat atop a small dais carpeted in red velvet.
As Serendipity stared in awe, Corey beside her with his hands folded in front, a golden door to the left opened, and a rather large, jolly looking man with a long white beard and bald head, save the long white tuffs at the side, dressed in red pants, a flannel green and red shirt with red suspenders, and large black boots, spectacles balanced on the tip of his red nose stepped out, a joyous smile on his face.
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| Jolly Old St. Nicholas! |
Serendipity’s mouth fell open, and she threw her hands over her face, speechless.
“Serendipity, my dear,” he greeted her as he approached, “it is so lovely to have you here at last.”
Feeling the tears stinging the backs of her eyes, Serendipity stepped forward, her hands still covering her mouth. “Is it… you?” she asked. “Is it really you?”
He laughed then, and it was everything she had ever expected it to be--jolly and joyous, full of good. He patted his stomach with both hands for a moment before reaching for her and pulling her in for a tight hug. “Of course it’s me, sweet child. Merry Christmas!”
Despite her previous opinion, Serendipity could not help but feel intoxicated with joy at the touch of this saintly legend. She wrapped her arms around him the best she could, the same way she had squeezed her father oh so many years ago, and felt waves of happiness overcome her enveloped in his sturdy arms.
After some time, St. Nicholas lightened his grip, and as she stood, he held her at arm’s length saying, “Let’s have a look at you. What a fine young lady you’ve become!”
Serendipity’s hand nervously flew to her hair, and she was quite thankful that Maevis had insisted she tidy herself up before traveling as she couldn’t imagine standing in front of Santa Claus himself looking the part of a paint covered vagabond. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “It’s so lovely to be here.”
St. Nicholas said nothing, only chuckled in delight. Then, turning to Corey he said, “Mr. Cane, if you would give us a few moments, I shall summon you when Serendipity and I are done chatting.”
“Yes, of course,” Corey said, bowing his head in agreement.
Though Santa Claus still held her hand in his, Serendipity let go for just a second, turning back to Corey, throwing her arms around him, and saying, “Thank you.”
He said nothing, only winked at her, and then, in an instant, he was gone, leaving Serendipity standing back in astonishment. Before she could put words to her surprise, Santa was saying, “Shall we?” and offering her his hand, which she gladly took, and he led her through the golden door from which he had appeared moments ago.
Inside was what could only be described as a cozy little cottage. There was a roaring fireplace, the mantel topped with large green garland adorned with pine cones and shiny Christmas bulbs in red and gold. The sides of the fireplace were flanked with penguin sentinels carved into the rich oak. Two over-stuffed chairs sat nearby, and a full Christmas tree, decorated with various ornaments of all shapes and sizes, mostly in red and gold, filled the back corner near a window covered with thick red drapes. “Please have a seat, “Santa Claus said, offering her the seat across from him as he sat down in the larger of the chair.
Removing her coat and laying it on the back of the chair, she sat down in what she could only assume must be Mrs. Claus’s chair, as there were several scraps of fabric and a pin cushion on the end table nearby. The blazing fire was near enough that Serendipity could feel the heat, though despite the proximity, she didn’t feel overly warm.
Before either of them could speak, a sharply dressed elf woman, with long black braids and a red and green dress came out of a door in the back of the room. She carried a silver tray with two steaming red mugs. “May I offer you some hot cocoa?” she asked, stopping next to Serendipity.
“Oh, thank you,” Serendipity replied, taking the nearest mug off of the tray and raising it to her mouth carefully. She had not had hot cocoa since before her father had died, as her mother didn’t allow her any sweets of any kind, and she was delighted to see there were several marshmallows floating atop the thick liquid. Taking a small sip, she closed her eyes in delight; never had she tasted such a rich, thick, chocolatey beverage. “Oh, my,” she whispered before taking another sip and setting the cup down on a knitted square she could only assume was designed for such purposes.
Santa was drinking his cocoa as well, but he chuckled in delight at her expression. “Serendipity, my dear,” he said as he sat his mug on a table near his chair. “I am so very pleased, and honored, that you have decided to come to the North Pole.”
“Oh, why thank you,” Serendipity replied, blushing. She couldn’t imagine why St. Nicholas would be honored to have her here. Before she could ask, or even begin to explain that she wasn’t really planning on staying, he continued, and she listened intently.
“I know how… disappointed you were several years ago, the last time you asked me for a gift. Had your caretaker, Maevis, write me a letter. And well, as much as I wanted to give you what you had asked for, I simply could not.” Leaning forward in his chair, the first expression of sadness on his face Serendipity had ever noticed, he rubbed his forehead. “Many centuries ago, I was blessed with magical powers unlike any a human has ever been given before. I became a legendary figure. And with that great power came a great responsibility. As you can imagine, there is a great deal of work that goes into making sure every well-behaved child in the world gets the present he or she asks for.”
“I can imagine,” Serendipity replied, staring intently at the being before her.
“I need help to do my job, to do it well, and that is where folks like you come in. It’s simple really. A team of elves scours the globe for talented individuals such as yourself, and they spend years determining if those toy makers are worthy of our calling, if he or she will be willing to come here and take on such enormous responsibility, if they believe enough in magic, in me, in Christmas. Of the thousands of artists we consider, only a few will ever be invited. You are very special, Serendipity. And we are so blessed to have you with us.”
As she considered his every word, tears began to roll down her cheeks. “I’m afraid you must have me confused with… someone else.”
“Someone else?” St. Nicholas asked. “Serendipity Fizzlestitch, I know everything. I am, more so than any other being on the face of the Earth, the judge of good and evil. Until you stand before God Himself, no one will ever have as clear an indication as to whether or not your heart is clean and pure than I have right now, Serendipity. And when I tell you, you are worthy of being here, worthy of magic, worthy of happiness, worthy of love, you must believe me. Yes, you Serendipity Fizzlestitch, you have been chosen. And I am so thankful to have you here.”
“Don’t you know?” she asked, her icy blue eyes staring into his jolly face intently as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Don’t you know what I’ve done?”
“Do you mean about the accident child?” Serendipity nodded and buried her face in her hands. “Oh, my precious one, I know about the accident. Of course I know. But it was just that--an accident. You were just as much a victim that day as anyone else.”
“A victim?” she asked, staring up at him now. “How can you say that? They died--my mother, my sisters--they died because of me, because I switched the canister of rat poison with the flour. Because I thought an ‘r’ was an ‘f,’ because I was careless, and stupid, and illiterate….”
St. Nicholas was there beside her now, his arm around her shoulders as he crouched next to her chair. “Serendipity, look at me. What happened that day was a tragedy, but you cannot continue to carry the weight of something that transpired when you were a child for the rest of your life. It will crush your soul--and your soul is worth saving. You are a beautiful person, Serendipity. If you could only see yourself as I see you, you would know. And the longer you stay here amongst us, amongst the magic, you shall see for yourself. I’m sure of it.”
Serendipity looked into his shining blue eyes then and her tears began to abate. While there were so many thoughts swirling around in her mind, the only thing she could think to say was, “Thank you.”
St. Nicholas smiled at her before kissing her lightly on the forehead and returning to his seat, a jolly laugh shaking his belly as he did so.
Though she wasn’t quite sure what there was to be so jolly about, she thought, perhaps, he was just happy that she was there, and that she was going to stay; only she wasn’t. And she didn’t know exactly how to break it to him. It seemed that Corey must have taken it upon himself to report otherwise. “St. Nicholas,” she said quietly as he sipped his hot cocoa, “I’m not… that is… I’m not sure… I mean to say, I don’t know yet whether or not I should like to stay.”
He sat his mug down on the end table, a more serious expression on his face now. “Is that so?” he asked, folding his hands atop his midsection.
“It’s only… I haven’t been away from home… ever, and I shouldn’t know whether or not I am suitable for the job,” she continued, studying her own folded hands in her lap.
“Oh, you are,” he said confidently, causing her to look up into his smiling face. “But I understand that making such a decision can be difficult. I invite you to take your time, look around, visit the other toy makers and their shops. Then, you’ll see. You’ll understand that you will fit in quite well here. And if Maevis should like to visit, of course she may do so at anytime. There are a number of helpers who are capable of traveling back and forth to England, but I should think Corey would be happy to help you in that regard. You have changed him, Serendipity, already, in just a short amount of time.”
“I have?” she asked in surprise. “How so?”
“You have improved his disposition incredibly,” St. Nicholas explained. “I rather like the new Corey much better than the old, sour one.”
Serendipity began to laugh. “I have to agree. But I’m not quite sure he’s changed altogether--not yet, anyhow.”
St. Nicholas nodded. “Only time will tell, my dear. Only time will tell.”
“There is just one more thing I did want to ask you about, sir, if you don’t mind,” Serendipity stated timidly, her eyes downcast once again.
“You may ask me anything,” St. Nicholas assured her, leaning forward.
Serendipity paused for a moment, not quite sure how to phrase her question. At last, she said, “You know everything, don’t you?”
“I am capable of seeing everything,” St. Nicholas corrected her.
Serendipity nodded in understanding, remembering the globe she had seen earlier. With a deep breath, she asked, “Did… did he suffer?”
Pulling absently on his whiskers, St. Nicholas replied, “Only briefly, child. He was morose, thinking of you, worrying about what might become of you without him there to protect you. He knew, even then, that things were not equal between your sisters and yourself when it came to your mother’s disposition. But it was over quickly, sweet girl, I assure you. Someday, if you should like to have a look, I would allow you to access my great globe and all of the records stored there so that you may do so. But I think that is better suited to a different time.”
Nodding her head in agreement, Serendipity wiped away the few tears that slid down her cheeks. While she was relieved to know her father had not been in prolonged pain, the answer also snuffed out the one small spark of hope that, perhaps, her father had somehow survived the shipwreck and was toiling away somewhere in the world, trying to get back to her. Though it had been a brief hope, it had still been alive, until just now. At last, after so many long years of wondering, she knew for sure; he was gone--but it had been quick and relatively painless. That, at least, was something.
“I shall call for Mr. Cane now,” Santa Claus said, as he stood, ushering her towards the doorway. Serendipity scooped up her coat and followed, wondering how he would go about retrieving Corey. However, as the golden door came open, Serendipity saw his familiar face standing near the staircase, waiting for her and couldn’t help but smile. He was smiling at her as well, his real smile, not the fake one, and she heard St. Nicholas chuckle over her shoulder certain that he knew the difference as well.
“Thank you ever so much,” Serendipity cried, turning to embrace the kindly spirit once more.
“Thank you,” St. Nicholas replied. “It was delightful to see you again, my child.”
Puzzled, Serendipity asked, “Again?” And with a wink and a nod, St. Nicholas pressed his finger to the side of his nose and disappeared.
Serendipity stood looking at a fine mist, her mouth hanging open as Corey approached her, taking her coat and slipping it onto her thin arms with her hardly noticing as she continued to stare in amazement. “I should never get used to all this coming and going,” she muttered.
“Yes, you shall,” Corey assured her. “Now, if you will take my arm, there is someone who cannot wait to see you.”
Serendipity smiled broadly, thinking of her little friend, and taking Corey’s arm, she let him lead her back down the stairs, through the workshop, on her way to see Pozzletot at last.
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