[ WP ] You walk up to a beggar to give him a dollar bill when he looks directly into your eyes . You realize the old man is Santa Claus .

Drops of snow were dripping down my face as I stared up aimlessly at the snowy night sky. I was still deciding on a Christmas gift to get for my 6-year old sister on the park bench located in the middle of town. There were only 2 days left until Christmas and the new Mega iPads she wanted since September were sold out at every electronic convenience store and online. After an hour of failed contemplation, I decided to call it a night and figure out the rest tomorrow. As I was brushing off all the snowflakes that had collected on my jacket, I noticed an old homeless man sitting underneath the biggest tree in the park. 
 
 He was wrapped in a rugged grey blanket that was punctured with multiple holes. The black boots he was wearing looked like it was meant more for comfort than aesthetic purposes considering how worn out and big it was for him. Both of his hands were grasping onto an empty mug that had the words “ I love Christmas ” on it. Feeling a hint of sympathy for him, I decided to approach him. Upon a closer inspection of his face, dirt stains can be seen on his fully-grown beard that once seemed pearly-white. As I began to pull out my wallet, the old man showed signs of life as he raised his head from the ground and fixed his gaze on me. I could n't believe what I saw. It was Saint Nicholas himself! He stared at me with his pale-blue eyes as I stared back at him in astonishment. 
 
 “ Santa?! What are you doing here? ” I asked shockingly. 
 
 His beard began to move as he muttered in a raspy tone, ” Santa…? Nobody has called me that in years. Humph, what else does it look like kid? I ’ ve retired. ” 
 
 My eyes grew even wider in disbelief. “ Retired? Why would you retire? You ’ re Santa Clause! ” 
 
 His face suddenly turned serious. “ Why you ask? Just look at every child ’ s wish list. They all want the same thing, popular electronic devices like the Mega iPads. There ’ s no need for me to build old-fashioned toys anymore. Those are a thing of the past! ” 
 
 “ That ’ s not true! I ’ m sure there are many kids out there who would love a toy for Christmas! ” I assumed. 
 
 My statement caused him to emit a laugh that echoed throughout the entire park. “ HA HA! You ’ re better off telling people I exist than spewing nonsense like that! ” 
 I couldn ’ t believe what I was hearing. The image I had of Santa Clause ever since I was young was quickly shattered to pieces. It was a terrible reality to face and not one I wanted any child to witness, so I decided to win my case by any means necessary. 
 
 “ Oh yeah? Then why did my sister ask me for a Teddy Bear this year? That ’ s not an electronic right? ” 
 
 The laughter stopped as he gazed up into the night sky. “ Hmm…a Teddy Bear huh? These old hands haven ’ t made those in years… ” He paused for a moment. “ Forget it kid, you can ’ t fool me. I ’ m Saint Nicholas himself! I have a copy of every child ’ s wish list. Your sister wanted a Mega iPad just like all the other kids! ” 
 
 I stood there speechless. I had forgotten I was talking to the one being who knew everything about me and my family. There was a brief moment of silence between the two of us. His face turned serious again. 
 
 “ Tell me, why go through the trouble of lying to me like that? Why does my retirement concern you so? ” he asked out of curiosity. 
 
 Knowing he was capable of detecting any of my lies, I decided to answer truthfully. “ It bothers me to know you turned out like this. I know children nowadays are unaware of who is responsible for Christmas, but that does n't mean older generations have forgotten about you. We still like to tell kids you ’ re out there and watching them, you know. ” 
 
 He chuckled and stood up from the ground where he was sitting as all the snow that had piled up on him sprinkled to the ground. “ I was right to put you on my “ good ” list all those years ”, he said as he slowly walked away. 
 
 I watched him disappear into the darkness as I decided to head home. As I approached my house, I noticed a small brown figure on one of the chairs on my porch. It was a Teddy Bear wrapped with the same grey blanket Santa was wearing earlier. There was a card rested on his stomach that read “ Had one more left at the shop –Santa Clause ” I looked up into the dark snowy skies and smiled. Just then, I received a text from my little sister. The text read, “ Hey Big Brother, remember to stop by for the family Christmas dinner! P.S. I hope I get a fluffy stuffed animal this year! –Melissa ” 
 

