Chapter 2
865 Words
I wake up at home feeling dizzy hearing voices in my head. How did I get home? I have no idea. I try to stand up, my body seems heavy. I notice my tummy is quite bulgy, legs are swollen and red. I have a shoe stuck to my legs. Try pulling it, doesn’t come off. Something doesn’t seem right. I stagger to the mirror. What do I see? Me…certainly not me. What I see is a creature. A familiar creature. I had a large body, bulgy tummy, thick long white beards, unremovable red colored coat with white fur collars and cuffs, white-fur-cuffed red trousers, red hat with white fur and a black leather belt and boots. The clothing somehow seemed to be a part of my body. Couldn’t come off. Was permanently there but quite fitting. I looked good though. I certainly looked like Santa Claus. I sit on the bed confused and afraid. I used to be a movie freak back in the days. Seen lots of crazy movies. Seen crazy superhero movies. But it's all fiction. This looks real and scary. Am I now a super-hero? …. Superhero Santa Claus. Super Santa? …. Sounds kind of nice though. Is this a kind of trance or dream? Must be a sick dream if it is. I open my wardrobe and lots of toys and kidlike gift items fall off.
Now this might be the big break I have been waiting for. Lots of toys for sale. I smell money.
But the voices in my head won't just stop. There seems to be a dominant one. I keep hearing " With more power comes more responsibility". Like an echo inside my head and it kept getting louder. Suddenly a whole lot of smoke oozes out of my head with light speed, revolves round my head and round the room. The echo moves with the smoke and stops mid air at the center of the room. It then takes a ghost like human form with large eerie bulgy eyes. I stood there startled for about 30 minutes. The ghost like creature (with a grin, I remember I am a kind of creature too), also stays stationary watching my every move, my eye movement, heart movement, kidney, lung movement, intestine movement, my entire being. It seems to be reading my mind. It finally speaks. " You have been chosen to be the “Father of Christmas” for this season. Your task is to make children happy and the society a better place. You have been given adequate powers and tools for the task. Fly, walk with light speed, run like a flash...you can do all. The power comes with a lot of responsibility. Use it well. Use it wisely. You have from now till a day after Christmas. I will be watching you." Then came the loud eerie laughter. "Hahahahahahaha. Hohohohohohoho". Repeatedly till it disappears.
Make children happy? Not a problem but how will my big break come from that? What do I have to gain? How much will I be paid for it? Well, I guess I'd have to figure that out myself. This seems interesting. "Time to fly in and out of a bank vault with loads of cash", I thought with a wide mischievous smile. The voice in my head boomed a deep "No. With more power comes more responsibility. We are watching you". Then the loud eerie laughter again. "Hahahahahahaha. Hohohohohohoho". Now I think I have a problem. I will have to do what they say till I can get rid of them. The voices in my head. Just hope they didn't hear that too. It actually seems they hear my thoughts.
I put on the TV and switch to a news channel to know what's happening in town. I might just be on the news. You never know. There is a story about a missing girl. Another story about a masquerade dance at an event center. Forgot to mention, Lagsgidi is an anglophone African city. We have lots of African masquerade dance events during festivities for the locals. Some of the locals see Santa Claus as just another big African masquerade. The name "Father Christmas" being more common here. Well, I am not on the news. No news about a hit and run driver or a guy hit by a car who transformed into a "handsome beast”. I actually looked good. Think about a handsome beast... that's what I was. I suddenly remembered Lucy. What would she think? Or better still, how can I explain this? Lucy and I could be a case of "Beauty and the Beast ", the Disney cartoon and movie. Funny thought. Well, in this case Beauty is the beast cos I sure look good. Lucy is pretty too so could simply be "Lucy and the beast" or "Lucy and the handsome beast" or just "Lucy and Santa". Doesn't matter now. "Is this my big break? That's what matters".
Time to hit the streets. Streets I know so well.
But this time around, I hit the streets as a man with superpowers. Now for the 30 dollar a day job. Off to see Lucy.
- Writer
