219Oh! Thank-you! Thank-you! The pressure keeps building with each review! shudders, becomes afraid to write! Some of the info in this chapter I got from a cool website called (I imagine you have to add the www). I suppose, to prevent the P.C. police from pulling me over and ticketing me, I must state that the information included in Splinter's little talk does not advocate any personal agenda etc. etc. etc., although I do admit freely to shouting MERRY CHRISTMAS in crowded buildings like department stores and classrooms...
TMNT are not mine, they belong to Mirage. I wish Chibi turtles were real. I'm asking Santa for one for Christmas!
Chapter Five: Santa Claus is...
Once home, Donatello slipped into their room and quickly undressed. He wanted to be there when Splinter let Mikey out of the dojo- he wanted to find a chance to let his little brother know that things went well, and it would be all right.
And he had something that hopefully would make his little brother happy!
Raph was sitting up in bed, looking sadder than Don had ever remembered seeing him.
"What's wrong, Raph?" Don couldn't help asking. "You didn't get blamed a lot, and you didn't get the spanking this time. Mikey got it- and double grounded as well."
Raph shifted uneasily in the bed. He was waiting for Splinter to tell him he could leave the room. He, too, wanted a chance to talk to Mikey- but for different reasons.
"Don," he finally said. "Me and Leo... well, we aren't really afraid of a lot of stuff..."
"Except live bugs and the toaster," Don, despite the circumstances, managed to laugh.
"We... dang it, Mikey told Leo that Santa ain't comin' now, 'cause he was bad, and now I feel bad, especially 'cause I feel so glad that he isn't comin', even though that makes me feel bad 'cause Mike is feelin' sad, yet I still feel glad, and yet I feel bad about feelin' glad!"
Said in a confused, emotional rush; Don had to think for a minute to figure out what the heck Raph was talking about.
"Don't worry, Raph," he finally said. "It will all work out somehow. Splinter told me to tell you you can come out of the room now."
Before his brother could respond, Don was out of the room and off to the dojo.
Splinter was still in the kitchen with Leonardo, helping put away the supplies, yet he knew exactly the moment Donatello had put his hand on the door knob.
"Come in here, Donatello," he said sharply, and Donnie gulped in surprise. How does Sensei DO that? He was sure he couldn't see him, and he was sure that he'd not made a sound!
Obediently he entered the kitchen and silently went to work putting the supplies away.
Raph joined them, but there was little more to do. Splinter put a saucepan on the stove, carefully measured out the right amount of milk, and began the preparations to make some cocoa. He had been able to spare some of his precious money on marshmallows- normally the cocoa was the treat, but the guys were excited by the appearance of the little fluffy white candies that floated so cheerily in the hot mixture, slowly melting its delicious flavor into the already tasty rich creaminess of the chocolate.
When it was prepared, the three turtles seated at the table with their steaming hot mugs of heaven and a generous plate of cookies in front of them, Splinter went to the dojo, where he found Michelangelo pretty much sitting the way Leonardo had seen him earlier.
He didn't look up when the door opened, though he was sure that Splinter was home.
"Come to the kitchen for a snack," he said.
Mikey slowly uncurled his legs and got off the chair. He didn't walk quickly, but he didn't drag his feet either. He knew he had deserved his punishment- he knew that he deserved no Santa visit. He had been comforting himself with the knowledge that at least Splinter would have a present- but what about his brothers? It had finally dawned on him that his behavior had ruined the presents for the others.
So it was no surprise to him that he not only couldn't meet his father's gaze, but he also avoided the looks of his brothers as he took his place at the table.
There was silence for a few minutes, as the five of them drank their cocoa and ate cookies. Donnie, usually the most quiet, felt the lack of conversation the most.
"Guess what I saw?" he said, startling the silence with the sound of his voice.
The others (except Mikey) looked at him.
"Come on, guess," Don said, smiling at them all. "I'll give you a hint: it's bigger than the toaster." He gave Raph and Leo pleading looks.
"Um," Leo said, thinking hard. "A car?"
Raph snorted into his cocoa.
"That would be hard NOT to see," he laughed. Then he thought for a minute. "Was it in the sewer, outside the sewer, or in the store?"
"Outside the sewer on the way to the store," Don said.
"Hmmm... Christmas lights?"
"Well, yeah, but that is not what I'm thinking of," Don replied, grabbing another cookie and trying to ignore the look on Mikey's face. He had thought this would help- for a smart turtle he had not remembered that going to the store might be a sore subject. "Maybe I should say, guess WHO I saw?"
Now Leo and Raph really did look interested. There were really no "Who"s in their lives- unless he meant-
"You saw Mr. and Mrs. Sakai?" Leo asked, excited. Ever since he'd been allowed to go to this store, after Splinter's illness, he'd had a desire to know what these two humans looked like. There were no pictures in the store. All he knew was that they were Japanese. That was hardly a good description.
"Nope!" Donnie grinned. "But it's someone we've seen on the TV."
"Spiderman?" Raph asked.
"Bugs Bunny?" Leo responded.
"The channel seven weather girl?" Raph eagerly grinned.
"No, no and no," Don said, taking a breath- and a risk! "I saw SANTA CLAUS!"
Now Mikey's head snapped up, now his eyes glued themselves on Don. His look was hard to describe; hard to interpret. Don couldn't tell if the look his brother was giving him was one of simple surprise or secret resentment. He glanced at Splinter, who nodded in encouragement at his telling the story.
"It wasn't the real Santa Claus, though. It was a fireman dressed up like Santa. He was sitting on this fire truck that was parked outside an apartment building, and the firemen was carrying presents and bags of groceries into the building, then they'd come out without them. Father said that they was delivering special gifts to people who needed extra help this time of year..."
"Wow! So they know who needs help? How can they know that?" Donatello, well bundled up, had asked.
"They just know," Splinter had replied. "They are out late tonight. There must be a lot of people in need this year. Usually they are done by this time. I have seen them do this over the years."
Donatello had been very impressed. Despite the lateness of the hour, many children, equally as bundled up as Don, though not for the exact same reasons, were standing around "Santa", who was giving out treats to them.
"Would you like to go forward and get some of the treats?" Splinter had asked, and Don had nearly said no- but his curiosity got the better of him- after all, he was well-covered. It was kind of like at Halloween. No one should notice. So, he had mingled in with the other kids, slowly moving forward, fear growing- yet knowing that his father was watching and would not let anything happen to him- until he was right up close to this "Santa".
Of course, he could see that the beard was fake, and he could see, even in the dim lights of the street lamp and the flashing lights of the fire truck, that some black hair was sticking out a bit from under a white wig. But at the same time, it had been so- magical.
Numbly he held out his mittened hand, like the other kids, and was surprised when this "Santa" , with a "Merry Christmas!", handed him several candy canes!
Mumbling "Thank you!", he quickly made his way back to Splinter, clutching this unexpected treat.
"I will give them to Mikey," he had told Splinter as they made their stealthy way to the darker part of the neighborhood, and to the back entrance of the closed for the evening grocery run by the Sakais. "It will cheer him up!"
"I believe you had better share them out equally," Splinter had suggested. "I see he gave you four."
And Donnie, still excited by the experience, suddenly paused.
"That's strange, Sensei! He only gave the other kids one, maybe two- I remember seeing that- but he gave ME four- like he knew I had brothers or something! How is that possible?"
"I am sure I do not know, but it was very lucky, was it not? Now, let us get to work. We are here earlier than I like, and we must take extra care!"
"Anyway, he gave me four candy canes! The other kids only got one or two maybe, but for some reason I got four! Isn't that lucky?"
Raph's look was a mixture of awe and fear. Leo also was not sure what to think.
Hesitantly, Don looked towards Mikey. He had hoped that perhaps this bit of "news" would cheer up his brother.
He hoped in vain. Though Mikey did his best to smile at this good news, Don could tell that this was almost like salt in a wound. If Mikey had not been in trouble, HE would have been the one to see "Santa"- even if it wasn't the real one. He would have had a chance to bring home the candy canes for his brothers, who were now rather excited as Don, with Splinter's permission, retrieved the candies from where Splinter had allowed him to hide them, placing on the table four nicely shaped and unbroken candy canes.
Mikey took his with a polite "thank-you", but he did not eat it. Instead, he asked to be excused, then went into the living room and hung his candy cane on the tree, as he had seen in countless shows and books.
Then he went to bed and cried himself to sleep.
In the kitchen, Donatello sat dejectedly, as Splinter cleared away the cups and plate from their snack. Leo and Raph were in the other room, watching a bit of TV and tasting their candy canes though it was so close to bedtime. Splinter quietly continued cleaning up, waiting for Donatello to speak. He knew that Donatello had taken a chance in his attempt to cheer up his brother. He knew that Donatello had been aware of the possible outcome. They had discussed it on the way home, and Splinter had left it up to his son to decide.
"I guess I did a bad thing," he finally sighed.
"No, my son. You told the truth. You could not have said that they were bought, nor could you say that you stole them or found them. They were given to you by the fireman dressed as Santa."
Splinter finished putting the cups away, and he sat down next to Donatello.
"It is not easy to tell the truth," he said. "And it is not easy to listen to the truth. Michelangelo is upset, but he also understands the circumstances."
"I- I don't want him to hate me," Don said simply. He, too, had a vivid picture in his mind of Mikey's shouted words at his less-than-enthusiastic brothers. They had all known what this meant to Mikey, and yet they had treated it with either fear or (in Don's case) indifference. None of them seemed to share his excitement, and he probably felt it.
"He may be upset, but he will never hate you," Splinter leaned over and gave Donatello a hug.
"He thinks that Santa can't come now 'cause of what he did," Don told him. "I guess he told Leo and Leo told Raph. What are you gonna do about the presents- that is, if Mr. Sakai can get any for you?"
Splinter smiled.
"Do not worry, Donatello," he said, unknowingly repeating to him what Don had said to Raphael earlier. "It will all work out."
Wrapped in a blanket, wearing socks and warm pajamas, Mikey sat on the couch around two in the morning, staring at some all-night movie channel that was showing some Christmas movie. He wasn't really watching it, it was just background noise to his misery.
Donnie had managed to deliver the letter to Mrs. Sakai. But he had also seen Santa.
It didn't matter to Mikey that it had not been the real Santa. His getting angry at Raph had cost him big time! The spanking, the double grounding, even the trip to the store he could accept. But for Donnie to actually get to see someone dressed up like that, to see firemen delivering Christmas gifts and food to people, to actually stand in a crowd of HUMAN KIDS and hold out his hand and be GIVEN not one but FOUR beautiful candy canes! Well, it was just more than the little turtle could bear!
"Stupid Raph," he muttered, sulking; then he shook his head, and sighed. "No. Stupid ME! Stupid stupid Michelangelo! I am the stupidest turtle in the entire whole world!"
"No, you are not," a fatherly voice interrupted firmly. "None of my sons are stupid. You know how I feel about that word. Why are you out of bed, my son?"
Mikey sighed. He should have known that Splinter would know someone was up. Even though the sound was down, his father could hear anything going on in the lair, it seemed. He was almost like Santa in that respect: sees you when you're sleeping, knows when you're awake.
"I couldn't sleep. I was cold. Raph snores. Leo shakes the bed. I had to go to the bathroom. I needed a drink of water. I had a nightmare. I thought I heard a maintenance worker."
He tried all the lame excuses he could muster, but he refused to name the one excuse that was the true one- he was sad because Santa would not be coming.
Splinter leaned over the couch, found the remote, and shut off the TV.
"Come with me, Michelangelo," he said, and Mikey trailed after his father in the dark- but instead of going to his room, they went to Splinter's. Obediently he followed Splinter over to the old rocking chair, and Splinter was hardly seated before Michelangelo, without thinking, without invitation, launched himself into that familiar lap and cuddled up as tightly as he could, pouring out his sorrow over the events of the day and his apologies and his heartbreak.
Splinter was taken aback by the depth of his son's grief. That he had been excited beyond Splinter's imagination over this mythical visitor was surprising enough- that he so believed in the "rules" as he kept calling them left Splinter momentarily speechless.
Finally, Michelangelo's laments died down to quiet crying, and Splinter, smothered in blanket-covered turtle, simply kept rocking, gathering his thoughts even as he made comforting father sounds.
"Michelangelo," he finally said. "Do you know that in Japanese, Santa Claus's name is 'Hoteiosha'?"
Mikey, sniffling, moved his head from its place on Splinter's chest and gazed upwards at his father, curious at this revelation.
" 'Hoteiosha'?" he repeated. "Really? I thought he was just Santa Claus. How do you know? Did he visit you when you lived in Japan?"
"No. I read about it in one of Donatello's books," he smiled. "For many people, Christmas is a religious holiday- a Christian religious holiday. Very few people in Japan are Christian, but they like the holiday symbols and they like giving gifts to each other. In Japan, according to the book, Hoteiosha is a priest- not Santa as in the books and movies and shows you have seen. But in a way he acts like Santa. He comes to the childrens' houses, bringing presents. They say he has eyes in the back of his head, so all the children try to behave themselves, in case he is nearby."
Michelangelo was puzzled- and intrigued. Santa wasn't the same all over? But what does this have to do with what he did today?
"And," Splinter continued, hugging his son, "for those Christians in Japan, it is not even a day for family like here. On Christmas Day, they spend the entire day doing nice things for others, especially people who are sick or in the hospital- that is the place that truly ill humans go when their families cannot care for them."
Mikey thought about this. Why was Splinter telling him this? Was he trying to say-
"Do you mean there is no Santa Claus?"
Splinter started. That was NOT what he had meant at all.
"No, my son! No, not at all! I- I just found it interesting how different cultures believe in the same thing- only in different ways. You believe that Santa will not come visit you because you attacked your brother today, yes?"
"Well, yes," Mikey nodded. "He doesn't come to the bad kids."
"Are you bad all the time?"
"No, but-" Mikey was a bit confused. He had been so very bad to his brother- how did it matter if it wasn't all year long. Did that mean you could be bad sometimes? Was there such things as "freebee bad times"?
"My son, you are not bad. None of you are 'bad'," Splinter said, snuggling this poor confused turtle. "Sometimes people use the word 'bad' in the wrong way, or as a general description. You can have a bad day, or a bad piece of fruit, or bad luck. You can act 'bad', but not be 'bad'. I think that what those stories and songs and legends are trying to do is encourage children to do their best, and not do mean things, or be disrespectful to their parents, or to act dishonorably. I think that only truly 'bad' people do not regret or feel sorry for their actions. Do you regret what you did to Raphael earlier?"
"Yes! Yes I do," Michelangelo replied sincerely.
"But do you regret it because you missed out on what Donatello experienced, or because you truly are sorry that you hurt your brother- not matter how much he had 'hurt' you by teasing you about your letter to Santa?"
Mike thought about this... and for a minute missed the meaning of the last few of Splinter's words. Then they hit him like a ton of bricks: He doesn't know that the letter was to Mrs. Sakai!
"I was mad at Raph, but yes- I truly am sorry I hurt him! I didn't mean to split his lip and make him bleed! Really, Father! I really am sorry," and he almost started crying at the memory of the blood pouring from his brother's lip. "But will they still get presents, or will they lose out 'cause of me? What if Santa thinks what I did is too bad, even though I'm sorry, and he don't bring presents for them? That would be horrible! It would be all my fault!"
"Oh, my son, you must not worry about whether Santa will come this year or not!" Splinter said, stroking his face and wiping his tears away. "I know that you are sincere. And I am positive that Santa knows this as well! I am sure that your brothers will not suffer because of your actions."
Mikey, snug in the indescribable comfort of his father's strong and caring arms, thought about what Splinter had said. Perhaps Santa might still come- if only to bring his brothers their presents. Perhaps he hadn't ruined Christmas for them, after all.
Once again, from a distance in his imagination, he could see Santa, winking at him again... was this his second "gift" from Santa? First, the chance that Splinter would really have a present, and now that his brothers would receive gifts as well?
He thought once again about what Donnie had done- as well as seen.
"Well, I sure hope that if he does come, he brings Donnie the bestest of the presents," he said sincerely, finally coming to grips with the entire situation. "I don't know about some of what you said, but it sounds like Donnie is like those people you talked about, those ones that spend Christmas day doing nice things for other people."
He didn't go into detail, but to his mind, Donnie had done a lot of nice things for Mikey these past few days in general and today- or rather, yesterday- in particular.
He sleepily hoped that Don got the biggest and bestest present ever given- Don deserved it!