Journal of Noel

Date: 9/12/16

It’s another warm day at the North Pole, thanks to global warming. Doesn’t quite feel like Christmas when the igloo isn’t buried in snow.

Yesterday, Tinsel and I were cross checking the gift list. We volunteered to count because the list of nice children is barely half as long as last year’s. It surprisingly looked a little cold outside and we were looking forward to getting some time off. We figured counting wouldn’t take too long.

How wrong we were.

By the time we finished tallying and organizing the heap of iPhones and PlayStations, we could see the Northern Star above us. I swear on Santa’s sleigh I am never doing that again. So much for stealing a carrot from the kitchen to build a snowman. Kids these days, why can’t they just wish for a new sweater? Or cookies, everyone loves cookies!

Today morning Ellie, Jingle and I decided to call Rudolph and Dasher to play Hide and Seek with us. We trudged through the snow, our boots getting stuck occasionally and the cold air stinging our cheeks as it knocked our hats off. Ellie almost didn’t spot me hiding in the sleigh. Poor Rudolph on the other hand, didn’t have it easy. And he couldn’t understand till the very end why everyone found him first.

Santa called us to help decorate the Christmas tree in the afternoon. We hung ornaments and candy canes and finally put up the lights. It was so beautiful. The others don’t agree with me but I feel like the tree is a little empty on top. I don’t know where we went wrong.

Oh wait, that’s Mrs. Claus coming out of the kitchen with chocolate cake. Everyone’s crowding around her, and elves are known to be quick eaters. I should go.

Christmas season is the best isn’t it?

Noel

P.S. After dinner I saw Santa sneak into the room so I followed him. And guess what I saw? Presents! There was even one with my name on it. “To Noel”, it said. I hope it’s an iPhone. And a sweater. And perhaps a few cookies.

-Porvika Bala

Illustrations by Rahul Balaji