Shea's excited to go to the "North Pole" and a visit with Santa and she's singing from her car seat. When we arrive in Hood River, there is some daylight left but the wind is chilling. We wrap Shea in her thickest winter coat and make our way to the train station. We are right on time and so we get to board the train immediately. As we step outside to the platform, we're met by the "conductor" of the train and a couple of the "chefs" who will bring the fantasy to life. The conductor greets us warmly in a thick New England accent and tells us to make our way onto the train.
As we enter the passenger car, there are garlands strung above the windows with Christmas ornaments dangling from them. All of the children are dressed in their pajamas and they are all anxiously looking out the windows or gabbing with their parents. Tracy and I lead Shea to our seats, two bench seats that face each other. The windows of the train are wood framed and old. They clasp with simple latches that you would find on an outhouse door. I wonder how fast we're going to be traveling. Everything in the train is old, worn, run-down, but charming in its antiquity.
As we pull away from the station, Shea is on her feet and looking out the windows. The loudspeakers crackle with a couple of announcements but the noise in the car makes it almost intelligible. The train pulls out of Hood River and shortly afterward, the "conductor" comes through asking for tickets. We give Shea the tickets and she hands them over. The conductor uses his hole punch to punch holes in them. He holds them above Shea's head as he does so and the punched holes rain down over her head like confetti. She smiles and takes the tickets back. She mutters a soft, "Thank you." He moves down the aisle and performs the same trick for the next family.
The world outside the train windows is slowly darkening and one of the train employees dims the lights of the cabin. The chefs come around with hot chocolate and a ginger cookie for everyone. Shea is over the moon. She sits on the edge of the bench seat and nibbles on the cookie. The loudspeaker crackles with life again and we're told we're pulling into the North Pole. The announcer tells us that we'll be passing through the warehouse district where the elves make the toys.
He tells them which toys are made where and then we come across what must be a Harry David warehouse where we can see in the windows. They're making fruit boxes, but you can hear the children squeeling, "Elves! Look at the elves!" Their little faces are plastered to the windows. They keep wiping the frost off the windows in order to see better.
Santa's house is adorned with Christmas lights and he stands outside waving to the children as we pull in and stop. The announcer tells us that Santa will be joining us on the train. Again, there's muttering throughout the train car, "Santa, daddy," and "Santa's coming!"
It's a big train and so it takes Santa a while to move up from the back of the train to our car. When he finally arrives, Shea's a little unsteady. She loves the idea of Santa, but is always a little wary in his presence. We'd left him a seat next to Shea, but he, probably wisely, chose to kneel in the aisle and talk to her.
He asks her if she has her list all prepared and she says, "Yes." Her voice is tiny and almost indiscernible, but Santa's doing great, pulling her out of her shell. When their done talking, his elven assistant hands him a single bell. He passes this to her. She takes it gingerly into her hands and says, "Thank you."
After Santa moves down the aisle to talk to the other children, Shea holds up her bell and presents it to us. Her eyes twinkle with the magic of the encounter. The train is not magic, the day is not magic, the conductor is not magic, and the man is not magic, but the look on Shea's face as she holds up that bell is. Her perception of the world is still infused with the possibilities of magic, of surprise and miracles. I watch her face light up and I can't help but believe too.
No comments:
Post a Comment