It was a dark, grey day.
Not a day we see in pictures
where white snowy christmasses
are celebrated with green holly.

It was just an ordinary winterday
which began in complete dark
because the power went out
almost all over town.

People hurried home from the shopping centre,
trying to shield themselves
from the cold and fierce rain.

There was no christmasspirit.
The Santas in the shoppingwindows
seemed to be from outer space.
And the shopowners
forgot to use the little smells
and special lights.

In one of the houses
the washingmachine
did another day's duty.
The christmastree
stood dark
in the empty room.
This was supposed to be
the day before christmas.
But it felt
like being no day at all.

When the doorbell rang
there seemed to be an echo
all through the house.
From far footsteps came,
a door screeched
and a woman's voice called the postman:
"I'm coming....I'm coming".

She had to take the key
to open the door.
And when it was finally opened
she smiled to the postman:
"How nice to see you here.
To be honest...
I didn't expect you anymore."

He smiled back,
"No, just about an hour
and then I can go home.
They say it is Christmas-eve."
He walked to the red car
and came back with a huge package.
"From the land of Santa.
Guess the children will know tonight
that Santa comes here too at times."

When the door was closed again,
and the package was standing in the hall
the house seemed to be changed.
The streetlights went on
and the yellow rays
casted a long shadow
of the christmastree
through the room.

An hour later...
children's voices at the door.
Bicycles clashing against each other
in the far too little shed.
Wet footsteps in the kitchen.
"We're home!!!"

From the outside
the house seemed to come
to live.
Lights went on,
voices were heard.
Two boys having a row,
a girl crying,
and the low voice of the father
telling them all to behave.

While outside the last daylight faded
they ate their diner
and told the stories of the day.

None of them
had seen the package
in the hall.

After diner
when there was coffee and hot chocolate
the lights in the christmastree
shone bright in the room.
Mother went to the hall
and brought the huge package in.
The children looked amazed.
Even those who had seen it,
read the label
and were told to keep silent.

All got excited.
From under the green pieces of filling
more and more little presents came.
Wrapped in gold,
or christmasbears.
Even santa was on a few of them.
Carefully they were all laid
under the christmastree.
Just like on paintings
of christmaseve.

They all looked full of expectancy
to the little tree
that stood so very proud
in that little room
in that country
so far away
from santa's home.

Then mother told them
that it was tradition
(one has to start a tradition sometimes....)
to wear a Santa's hat
when unwrapping
christmasgifts.

One by one
the children were allowed
to take a present
and to read the name on it aloud.
Each choose their own!
They had been waiting far too long
to add to the fun
of handing out gifts
to others.

None expected the girls
to take their own too,
but as they had already learned to read
and as their names are the same
in Dutch and in English
they made the right choice,
and sat soon
carefully
unwrapping their gifts
under the happy christmastree.

They considered the paper
as much a gift
as their Barbies
who turned out to be tied
with far too many strings
in their boxes.
So the older brothers helped.

All those little red santa heads
were such a nice sight.

Photos were taken
from a happy boy,
who unwrapped
unexpected gifts of Harry Potter
his look alike.
His smile reached from ear to ear
when he showed them
to the others.

And they all laughed loud
when the father got his gift:
an apron from Texas.
So now they all know
where Santa has one
of his houses.

The fun lasted
a large part of the evening.
A cap was unwraped
and happily worn.
A chime sounded.

Oh how nice the scene was
on that long Christmas-eve.

Even the boy smiled
whose sweater was the right fit
for his younger brother,
for he knew
how precious this evening was
under the bright Christmastree.

Later that night
wrappings away
the gifts carefully
put beside the beds,
to have a happy sight
first thing in the morning,
later that night
when the sounds of Christmascarols
were faded away
mother went through the room.
Turned on the old clock,
chimed the clear fairy chime
and switched out the lights
in the christmastree.

Then she stood in the dark
and looked up at the stars,
smiled
and said softly:
"Thanks Santa,
that you came
to Jim and the children
and me.