This is fiction, but it is based on the truth.
Sidda sat with her hands folded at her kitchen table. She was about as desperate as she had ever been. It was one week until Christmas and she had no idea how she was going to break it to her three little children that Santa would not be bringing them anything. After paying the rent and utilities there was nothing left for things like bread and milk, much less toys and candy.
James had been out of work most of December. He had fallen from scaffolding. There wasn’t much he could do on a construction site with a broken ankle. Sidda babysat and cleaned houses to bring in extra money, but this year her extra was all there was.
She shivered and pulled her sweater close. The pecan trees outside her window were full. The pecans held tightly to the limbs as if taunting her. There would not even be pies this year. Mr Jenkins at the feed store always paid top dollar for Sidda’s pecans. This year she hadn’t any to sell. James had pawned his hunting gun to cover groceries, she sold her only pair of gold earrings to put with the few dollars she had to pay the landlord. There was nothing else. Now, here they were on Dec.19, with little hope.
Sidda prayed for a miracle. As she closed her eyes and bowed her head a little hand touched her arm. “Mommy, are you asking God to help us?”
Sidda had not realized her concern spilled over on her children.
“I know God won’t leave us, maybe he’ll send Santa!” Sidda wanted to believe he was right.
She pulled her young son into her lap. It was time he knew the truth about what was in store for them. She dreaded telling her boys that Santa was not coming but maybe it would be easier for them to know it had nothing to do with their behavior.