A Visit to Fake Santa

Our compound was kind enough to throw a big holiday party. They do this for every occasion they can. Saudis like to party and when they party, they party big. Parties are usually all day or all night. This holiday party would, of course, include a visit from Santa. Dano spent the week out of town in Turkey. For some reason I thought if he wasn’t going to be here we should all forgo the visit to Santa. It wasn’t until Wednesday that it occurred to me that Dano does really want us to go to events even when he’s not here.

Abby was excited to see Santa and was practicing her “Ho! Ho! Ho!” I’m not sure if Ethan is just at the age of questioning the magic and realism is setting in or if he still believes and is trying to figure out how Santa is able to make it all work. Ethan had been a little skeptical as to how the Basateen compound could get Santa to come to see just us. Kennedy told him he’s just magical.

“Santa lives forever.” Kennedy told Ethan and Erin.
“No, he’s just like Papa’s age.” replied Erin.
“No. He’s more like a hundred, “ informed Ethan.

Ethan kept insisting Santa wasn’t coming; it was just going to be one of Santa’s helpers. Regardless, we put Emily in the stroller and went over to the pool/commons area. Abby kept calling to the sky, “Santaaa. Saaaaaantaaaaa.”

With the live band and all the people it was quite loud. It bothered Abby a little bit. She held Erin’s hand and the two of them stood in line with Ethan. Kennedy went up to ensure we were on the list to go in to see Santa. It was soon after that I noticed Erin’s two free hands – in other words – no Abigail. I looked around me, the stroller, and each child. No Abby. In all my years as a mother I cannot recall losing a child. I guess it was bound to happen at some point. I tried not to panic as the thought of the man in front of us with the gun in his back pocket, the kids zooming around on fast bikes, the swimming pools, and parking lots filled with visitors flashed through my mind. We rallied and I split the kids up. Ethan and Erin took the courtyard toward the playground. Kennedy went the opposite direction. Eventually they each came back with no success. I sent them off again. After six or seven minutes (which seems like forever when you don’t know where your child is), Erin came around the corner of the building with Abby and a banana. She’d gone home. She had a sudden hankering for a banana and had just left to go home to get one! At the moment, we’d been gone all of five minutes and she needed a banana? It’s not like she had one and put it down while she put on her shoes or had forgotten it on the table. No, she just wanted a banana. We had a little chat about bananas and scared mommies and wandering off and then got back in line to see Santa.

When it was our turn we entered the tent and sure enough, it was most definitely one of Santa’s helpers – a Filipino helper! (with black Converse hi-tops and a square pillow tummy.) Ethan and Erin were very kind and didn’t say anything while they had their picture taken. Perhaps they didn’t know what to say. They did get out a thank you and Merry Christmas. Abby lost her “Ho! Ho! Ho!” and stuck to me like a sticky candy cane (hence her absence in the picture).

When we got back home Erin told Ethan he was right about it being one of Santa’s helpers because it was a fake Santa. I’m glad my kids could talk through this one together and come up with their own explanation because I did not want to be left trying to explain how Santa can change ethnicities.