Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2015 15:45:40 -0700 From: Michael king Subject: Tommy Braden Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction any and all characters are solely from my mind any resemblance to the living is purely coincidental. This work is copy written by me and may not be downloaded, or electronically moved without my permission I know that we all enjoy these pages and wish for them to be here for a long time. We, the writers, take pride in being able to give you all a few minutes of pleasure. So please think of the time spent putting these pages up and donate just a bit to Nifty so we can keep going. SANTA'S SPECIALTRIP: Christmas Eve and we all know what happens on this night don't we? This is the night that Santa comes and brings all the good little boys and girls there toys. Tonight was no different and as soon as the sun had set, Santa was flying off around the world, and little boys and girls were tucked snuggly into their beds dreaming of Santa. Around and around Santa land, with Blitzen and Donner, Comet and Cupid and all the other reindeer. If one listen closely, they could hear the jolly old man laughing out his ho-ho-ho as he flew over rooftops. Early the next morning as the sun was starting to rise and Santa had returned to the North Pole, he had the elves put the reindeer and slide away. Walking through his toy shop Santa stopped and gave his wife, Mrs. Claus a kiss on her rosy cheeks, before heading off to his little office to put away his list of good and bad the children. As Santa was about to leave, he heard a fluttering sound coming from the chimney, looking back, Santa saw a letter laying on the hearth. Walking back Santa to the dirty envelope, wondering who had written to him so late. Sitting at his desk and was tired, cold fingers Santa carefully opened the letter, and as he read it here starting to slip down his rosy cheeks. Carefully laying the letter on his desk, He pulled out his bright red Santa handkerchief and wiped his eyes. He was just putting his glasses back on when Mrs. Claus came in with a hot cup of fresh apple cider. Looking up Santa smiled at his wife as she carefully place the hot cider on his desk. She was just straightening up when she saw the letter and with a slight frown looked at Santa before asking where it came from. Santa just looked at her and with a tired smile told her that it was a late arrival having just come as he was about to leave the office. They also told her that she should read it. As she read it Santa leaned back in his chair pondering what he should do he knew that if he left now all the people would see him and Santa did not want that, but he could not leave that little boy out there alone. Mrs. Claus could almost see the wheels turning in Santa's head, and with a woeful smile gave Santa I had told him to be careful. TOMMY'S LETTER: New York streets are always busy, always crowded, more so in the weeks following Christmas. Then the streets of New York are just hustle and bustle, people pushing and shoving all in a rush to get the special sales at places like Macy's or Bloomingdale's. The Avenue of America was no different. Thirteen year-old Tommy was standing outside one of the big malls occasionally asking a passerby for spare change. Tommy was a Street kid and had been for the last two years having run away from a home that never wanted him. You see Tommy was a foster kid and had been move from one home to another, never feeling like he belonged anywhere. So when the last home he was in barely fed him, made him sleep on a mat with a ragged old blanket Tommy was determined to try and make it on his own. Now here was Tommy standing in torn and ragged clothing, begging for spare change. When Tommy first hit the streets he had with him a backpack and a few extra clothes, but one night while he was scrounging in a dumpster for day-old buns another boy had come along and stolen it. Tommy was upset at the theft because now he had no change of clothes. As Tommy watched the other boy run away with his backpack he remembered the letter he had written to Santa when he first hit the street was still tucked inside one of the many pockets. So with the bag of buns in his hand, he walked back to the place where he had been sleeping. Now Tommy's place was nothing really special, but Tommy had found it shortly after he had run away. It was while Tommy had been walking through one of the subway systems in Manhattan that he stumbled across a small little doorway low in the wall that was slightly ajar. Looking around so no one could see him Tommy peeked inside. Smiling to himself, he knew he had found his place, he just hope no one ever caught him crawling in. That night, he slept dry and warm but on the hard cement floor. After finding his hiding place, in his first warm night, Tommy went looking for either a sleeping bag or a couple of blankets. He knew he could use cardboard on the floor, but maybe he would be lucky and find an old piece of foam. Left seem to be with Tommy as he found both a sleeping bag and some old blankets, but his luck really held when he saw an old furniture company throw out a roll of foam. First taking the blankets and sleeping bag back to his place, Tommy then ran back and grab the rolled up foam. That night and Tommy climbed back into his hideaway he unrolled the foam and found out he had enough to make himself a small pillow. As Tommy lay on his new bed the sounds of the subway trains passing by didn't bother at all, so with a smile on his face Tommy drifted off to sleep. When December rolled around Tommy had just turned twelve and so still believing in Santa, Tommy sat in with a broken old pencil and a torn piece of paper Tommy wrote his letter. Dear Santa: Santa I know you are busy this time of year delivering toys to all the good boys and girls. I know they asking for a lot of things, but Santa I'm not a good little boy, I beg for money, I steal food so that I can eat. Santa I am a Street kid, my clothes are ragged and dirty and at this time of year I am seldom clean. Santa I'm not asking for much I don't want toys like all the other girls and boys. Santa all I want for Christmas is a hug and a home. Merry Christmas Santa. Your street urchin Tommy. Carefully folding the letter Tommy tucked it into a dirty envelope he had scrounge, and in careful writing he wrote to Santa at the North Pole. Making sure that the envelope was sealed Tommy placed it into one of the many pockets of his backpack. Now Tommy could've left his backpack in his hideaway, but he figured he might just find something, like clothes and he would need someplace to carry them. Over the next week Tommy had forgotten all about the letter he wrote, that is until the day the boy stole it. Tommy had never meant to send the letter, because he knew that Santa was always too busy, and he wouldn't make a special stop for dirty street boy. Soon, he forgot all about both his backpack and the letter, but what Tommy didn't know was that the boy it had gone through his backpack, and had thrown everything to the side of the road and a gentle wind as if magic had come along and taken Tommy's letter away. Now we all know that to go from New York to the North Pole takes a long long time. So while the letter was flying north Tommy was back begging for spare change, and stealing food, but every night he had a warm place to stay. Three days before Christmas Tommy was digging through a trash bin when he heard the door opened behind him. Looking up Tommy stood there frozen, scared that whoever was would call the police, but instead, a woman's warm voice called out to him, telling him to come inside and have a hot meal. At first Tommy was worried that this woman was going to hurt him, but when she called out to him again, and again said come inside Tommy quickly climbed out of the bin and standing as tall as he could be with his head held up walked over to the lady at the door. Tommy explained that he could not pay for any food that he was a street boy. The woman just smiled at him and said it was Christmas time, the time for all to share. Having eaten his fill Tommy stood and thanked the lady and as he was about to leave she stopped him and gave him a bright shopping bag. Tommy could smell the rich food she had placed inside and all he could do was smile and thank her again. Back in his hideaway Tommy carefully placed the bag beside his bed before looking inside. He could see the plate of food the lady had made up for him, but underneath was a surprise that made Tommy want to cry. Underneath the plate was a small Christmas card and with trembling hands he calmly pulled it from the bag, opening it Tommy read. "Little man, I often see you in my bin, and it makes my heart sore to see such a little one as you out there, so this little gift I give to you and I wish you a very Merry Christmas." Tommy could not see the card had been signed or not for he was crying, at the little gift the lady had given him. Christmas had come and gone and Tommy didn't think about the day, he just tried his best to beg for change from those walking the streets. When night had fallen, Tommy didn't have enough change to eat, so once more he scrounged through a trash bin and found more stale buns, but he also found some semi fresh donuts, these he tucked into a spare bag and then headed back to his hide-away for the night, but tonight, Tommy was in for a surprise.