What did Santa bring you?

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I dressed as Santa on Christmas day and delivered presents to a number of children having a party organised by some friends of ours. My friend Harry dressed as an elf and was Santa's helper carrying the parcels and delivering presents to the kids.

After the meal, and as the children were enjoying their toys he said, "I've got a special present for you!"

I explained that we don't really need presents and that just our friendship is enough. It was more an excuse than reality since in truth I had not got him anything. I don't like this idea of giving presents as it always puts me under an obligation to give a present of equal or greater value to the giver. But anyway, Harry would not hear of it.

"It's a really special present," he said, "more of an adventure you'll never forget!"

Now I know there are organisations that provide adventure presents; like a day racing a car round the track, or parachute jumps, or water skiing and so on. And to be honest I was not keen on such pursuits. The best adventure I enjoy is sitting in my armchair with a drink in hand. But to be nice and sociable, which is in my nature anyway, I feigned interest and pretended to be excited.

Harry reminded me that he is a fully qualified crane driver and that he'd take me for a ride on the building site in town where he's working at the moment.

"What?" I said in disbelief. But he's not one to be stopped easily in his enthusiasm. He explained that it was safe, and that I'd see the whole town from up there, and I could take photos with my cell phone, and ... and ... and ...

And to cut a long story short we drove there, still in our costumes. I hated the journey up in that little elevator going up slowly. It certainly was not my idea of fun. But he was in his element showing me how the controls work. How he could turn the crane round and do this and that and so on. Eventually, after what seemed hours, it was time to get down again. 

You guessed it. The elevator would not work. He pressed this and that button, opened and shut the door several times, he swore and cursed, (have you ever seen a rude elf?), but the elevator would not work. He rang his boss on the cell-phone and there was no one there. So he left a "Merry Christmas" message.

Then he rang the Fire Brigade. He told them this was an emergency but not the usual kind. There was no fire as such but we were stuck up a crane and the emergency is that I'd had two cups of coffee and needed to go to the toilet and could not do it from up there for fear of being seen. Could they come quickly but without the sirens blaring and flashing lights.

What seemed like ages afterwards, the Fire Brigade did turn up. They fiddled with the mechanism at the bottom of the crane and within seconds we were heading down to safety again.

When they saw us in our costumes, one of them said, "In future stick to reindeer and sleigh, Santa. It's safer!"

So, what presents did Santa bring you?