MERRY CHRISTMAS DAD....

Dear father,
Lot of kisses and Merry Christmas…..!
Yesterday, I’ve waited for you all day long though I knew you wouldn’t be able to come and join me to decorate our Christmas tree. And at last, when the final bus also gradually diminished and vanished on the culvert, my mind painfully realized that this is going to be a Christmas without you and I really felt bad. I just don’t want to celebrate it. But while guiding me back to the house, mother tried to cheer me up by telling why it is so important for us to celebrate Christmas to make you happy. She then helped me to take that beautiful glittering star of silver tinsel from my cupboard and crowned it over the top of my small Christmas tree. That was one beautiful thing I kept it for a surprise. My brother too helped me arranging the lights and winding the tinsel artfully round the trunk from top to bottom. We have then decorated the tree with a few decoration boxes I got from the fancy store nearby. Trying to hang the baubles of many colors on small hooks was really a challenging task for me. Mother helped me in putting some glittering pears and paper angels on every gap we could find in there.
But father, without you we felt we were lacking something. Alex, my friend next door and his father made a wonderful tree wrapped in red crepe paper and a lot of glittering stars. Later on, they had lighted the candles on the floor around its base and put some beautiful carols. They were laughing and dancing around the tree. It was then that the memories of our dazzling Christmas celebration a couple of years back thronged into my mind and I felt terribly sad. Again my mother’s caring hands came to my rescue. She told me that we should think of the job you are doing for the country and then I really wanted to tell you how very proud we felt of you.
Father, when the decorations were finished, I checked the tree from all sides and I found the stars were dull and the whole tree was appallingly blurred. I wonder why it’s so hazy. It was only when my mother came near me, gave a tender peck on my cheek and wipes away the tears in my eyes that I realized how artfully we adorned the tree. It was so beautifully made beyond explanation.
After dinner, I went to bed and no sooner did I fall asleep than I started dreaming about a loving Santa Claus dressed in red fur from head to foot coming down from the sky in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. His head and beard were as white as snow. He had a bundle of toys flung on his back. As dry leaves danced in air and clouds formed obscure images in the heights of the sky, he came down the chimney and sat upon my bed side. I could saw the glee in his eyes. Tapping gently on my cheek, he whispered in a subtle voice, “ Son, your Christmas tree is awesomely beautiful…I liked it…” he then smiled cheerfully at me. But I couldn’t stop crying. When he saw tears flowing down my cheek, he wiped it away and hugged me tight. With trembling voice I said to him, “No feat is too difficult for you papa… you can do anything. I have an appeal to you.”
With that gleeful smile still intact on his lips, he asked, “What do you want my little child?” I said, “I don’t want anything. I know you are virtually omnipresent. You can go anywhere. Could you please take the Christmas tree that I made for my father and show it to him and convey my heartfelt wishes and say how much I love him?
He then hugged me tight and patted on my back. I could hear him telling me in a delicate voice, “Don’t worry my child, I will do it for you. I will fulfill your dearest desire…”
He went out and I pursued him. In a flash he took the Christmas tree in the palm of his hand and jumped into his sleigh, he laughed euphorically and waved his hand towards me. I waved back. He then soon ascended above the heights of the cloud. Yes father, after a while I saw you too. Santa was talking to you. In his hand was my lovely Christmas tree. Today in the morning I jumped out of my bed and ran to see what had happened to my tree. Yes it was there. But I’am not sad. In fact I’am so happy for that I could see you in dreams. I love you dad and I’am proud of you. May the god keep you safe and secure in his arms.
Your loving son……

P.S:- Wrote this story when I found that I could not join my sons during this Christmas as my leave application was not sanctioned due to operational reasons. I thought about those several armed forces men and their loved ones back at home waiting for a few moments of joy.......Here in armed forces it's the priority that matters......Happy Christmas to all those who could not make it this time.....Hallelujah....