Every year my publicist asks me, Jerome Ebenezer Scrooge,
to write a new Christmas story, so we can tour the country
and sign the book when it hits the bookstores during
the holiday season.
When I started as a novelist, I debuted with a book called
The Angel's Thief that was targeted at young adults.
The book wasn't a big success, so I was afraid I'd be dropped
as an author for that publisher real fast.
Instead they asked me if I had something else that they could
release during the holidays.
I sent them my Christmas story The Elf that Saved Christmas.
They loved the story and asked me if I was open to have it
released as an illustrated children's book.
I was fine with that if I could choose my own illustrator.
They agreed to it and when I gave them the illustrations of
my good old friend Charlie Bob Cratchit they were impressed.
The book got released and was an instant success.
Every book tour my publicist and I did during the holidays,
always finishes in Garden Grove so after the tour is done
I can visit my sister for Christmas.
The first copy of every Christmas book Charlie and I have
made the last five years can be found in her bookcase.
Her two kids love the stories I have written and every year
I read the latest book to them before they go to sleep.
This year is no different. I walked into my sister's house
and I was greeted by her husband, their two kids and her
when I knocked on their door on Christmas Eve.
'Uncle Scrooge!' the little rascals shouted.
I smiled and hugged both of them, shook the hand of
my brother-in-law and gave my sister a kiss on her cheek.
'I got you a present again this year,' I said to her.
She smiled when I gave her my new Christmas book.
After a few hours of fun, the kids had to go to bed.
'Will you read your new story to us, Uncle Scrooge?'
'You know I will.' I said and followed them upstairs.
When they were laying in their beds I opened the book and
started reading it to them.
Once upon a Christmas Eve, many years ago Santa and
Ms. Clause had an argument about Santa's idea of having
a rock concert after Santa's job of bringing presents to all
the kids living all around the world.
'Why do you want to play a rock concert after flying around
the world and bringing presents for 24 hours?' Ms. Clause said.
'Because I need something to do to relax after that.' was
Santa's reply.
Ms. Clause didn't answer to that reply, only shook her head,
and left the workshop.
After a minute or so, an elf ran hastily into the workshop.
'Boss,' the elf said, 'I don't think we will be ready in time.'
Santa started smiling and answered 'Every year you say that,
Beaker Tum-Tums, and every year at the last second I can
leave in time and deliver every present.'
The elf looked up at Santa and replied 'Even if that is true,
I still think that we won't be ready in time this year.'
Santa was still smiling when the elf left the workshop.
In the workshop were hundreds of elves making toys,
elves wrapping up toys in festive wrapping paper and
elves putting those wrapped up toy presents into big, brown
bags in Santa's sleigh.
Santa walked out of the toy workshop, it was snowing, and
walked towards the candy cane workshop.
When Santa entered the candy cane workshop he was
greeted by another elf.
'Production of the candy canes is almost done. We only
have to make about a hundred more.'
'I knew I could count on you, Zippy Angel-Pants, to produce
thousands of candy canes in only twelve hours.' Santa said
smiling to the elf.
The elf had a proud look on her face when Santa turned
around to leave the workshop.
Once Santa was outside the candy cane workshop, he was
approached by another elf.
'Peppermiz Spirit-Fingers, you look exhausted. What's wrong?'
The elf looked at Santa and replied 'The sleigh has been fixed.'
Santa smiled at the elf, patted him on his shoulder and then
said 'Go to your house and rest. You've had a busy week.'
The elf nodded and left Santa. Santa walked back to
the toy workshop and saw that Beaker Tum-Tums and
all his worker elves were almost done with their work.
Beaker saw that Santa was standing in the doorway and
nodded to Santa in acknowledgment of what Santa had said
earlier in the evening.
Santa turned around and walked towards his house to change
his clothes and wear the famous red suit.
Ms. Clause looked at Santa and asked 'Are you really serious
about playing a rock concert when you're done?'
Santa nodded and said 'I need to do something after I am done.'
'But you used to read a book,' Ms. Clause said.
'I've read all my books, so I have to buy some new ones once
I'm done with work tonight. But until then I want to play
some music on my guitar.'
Ms. Clause nodded and walked away.
It was almost time for Santa to leave the North Pole and
bring presents to the children of the world.
Santa, dressed in his red suit, walked towards his sleigh that
was completely packed with brown bags filled with toys and
white bags filled with candy canes.
The elves were all cheering and jumping when Santa walked
towards the sleigh.
Santa sat in his sleigh, Rudolph turned around to take a look
if Santa was ready to leave, and he nodded to the reindeer.
'Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!' Santa said
while his sleigh took flight.
The first countries Santa flies to are Fiji and New Zealand.
After he delivers all his presents there, he flies to Australia.
He reached Adelaide, Australia and at the last house he visits,
he sees a young girl sitting in the corner of the room, watching
a movie on the television.
'Why aren't you asleep, little girl?' Santa asked.
The girl turned her attention away from the television and
looked at Santa.
'Because I was just kicked out of my band,' the girl replied.
Santa looked at the girl and noticed she had a Mickey Mouse
tattoo above her right elbow and several other smaller tattoos.
'You were in a band?' Santa asked the girl.
The girl answered, 'Yes. I was the guitarist for the punk band
Adelaide Confederacy.'
'The guitarist for Adelaide Confederacy. You must be Isabella Taplin.' Santa said.
'If you know who I am and judging by the way you look,
you must be the real Santa Clause.'
Santa took a bow and asked Isabella 'Since I hate to see anyone
sad, why don't you take your coat and come with me to
the North Pole?'
'Why?' Isabella asked.
'I am looking for musicians to help me to play a rock concert.'
'That's a great idea.' Isabella got up from the chair she was
sitting in, turned the television off and grabbed her coat.
Santa smiled and said 'But first I have to finish delivering
these gifts, otherwise every kid in the world will be sad.'
'That's cool.' Isabella said while grabbing her silver guitar
that is shaped like a star.
Santa placed the presents under the tree at Isabella's house,
got back into his sleigh and left Australia.
The children in Thailand, Russia and even in Saudi Arabia
weren't forgotten and Isabella was playing Christmas songs
on her guitar while Santa was delivering the presents.
After that it was time to go to Africa, so Santa and Isabella
flew towards Somalia, Egypt, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Once Santa and Isabella arrived in Cape Town, the first house
they entered was hiding a surprise for both of them.
A girl was sitting in front of the fireplace with a tray of
chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk.
'Why are you not sleeping, Lieselotte?' Santa asked the girl.
'I wanted to give you this personally,' Lieselotte answered.
Isabella noticed that Lieselotte had a bass guitar resting on
a guitar stand in the corner of the room and softly tapped
Santa on his left arm.
Lieselotte was smiling the whole time Santa and Isabella were
standing in front of her.
Santa turned his attention to Isabella and whispered 'What's
wrong, Isabella?'
'She's got a bass guitar standing in the corner of this room.
And it's a jazz hollow body.' Isabella whispered back to Santa.
Santa looked in the corner of the room and standing next to
the Christmas tree was a pink colored jazz hollow body bass.
'Are you a musician, Lieselotte?' Santa asked.
'I'm still learning to play the bass,' Lieselotte answered.
'How would you like to join Isabella and me and play a concert
on the North pole, once I am done delivering these presents?'
Lieselotte smiled, placed the tray with cookies and milk on
a table, picked up her bass and answered 'Lets go!'
Santa and Isabella smiled.
'Follow me,' Isabella said to Lieselotte and both of them left
the house and sat in the sleigh.
Santa had found a second musician, placed the presents under
the tree and left the house. Once Santa got back in his sleigh
he noticed that Lieselotte had several stars tattooed on
her right shoulder and had a large blue colored lock of hair.
'Where are we going now?' Lieselotte asked Santa.
'I still have to deliver the presents to the rest of the African
children and we'll be going over Europe real fast.'
Isabella was smiling when the sleigh took off again and said
'Merry Christmas to everybody in Africa!'
From South Africa the three of them went to the North of Africa to Morocco
and flew to Spain and the rest of Europe in only half an hour.
When the three of them left Ireland, Isabella and Lieselotte
were playing Christmas songs on their guitars.
After ten minutes they were delivering presents to the children
in Brazil, Argentina and the rest of South America.
When the left South America they flew towards Bermuda and
in a minute or five they already left Bermuda and arrived in
New York City. Santa entered a house above a bar in New York
and saw a young man sitting behind a drum kit.
The man had a purple fedora hat on, a pair of black glasses
and a purple colored scarf with white polka dots.
The young man looked a bit older than Isabella and Lieselotte,
but he still was younger than Santa.
´Is that really you, David J. Ramos?' Santa asked the man.
'Your eyes are not deceiving you, Santa.' David replied.
Santa laughed and hugged David.
'It is good to see you again, old friend.'
'Likewise.'
'You know this man, Santa?' both Isabella and Lieselotte asked.
'This man is David J. Ramos. The best drummer in the world.
He used to be in the band Kings of Belief, but he didn't like
all the media attention so he bought a bar in New York.'
'Santa gave me my first drum kit when I was only six.' David
added to Santa's reply.
Santa smiled and asked David 'Why don't you come with me
to the North Pole? I want to play on my guitar and I already
found another guitarist and a bass player.'
When Santa said that, he pointed at Isabella and Lieselotte.
'Sure,' David said, 'I don't have anything else to do anyways.'
Isabella, Lieselotte and Santa all smiled.
'Lets leave this place and deliver the last presents to the kids
in America.' Santa said.
David picked up his drum kit and followed Santa to his sleigh.
'Feliz Navidad, New York!' David said when the sleigh took
flight and the four of them left New York.
The four flew to the west coast of North America, delivering
all the presents and playing Christmas songs.
When Santa delivered the last presents in the most western
part of the world, Isabella, Lieselotte and David were a real
band and were only missing their singer and lead guitarist.
It was almost six o'clock in the morning in Samoa when
Santa, Isabella, Lieselotte and David arrived at the North Pole.
They were greeted by all the elves that were waiting and
cheering for Santa to come back from a long day of work.
Ms. Clause walked to Santa and gave him a hug before asking
him who the people, who took home, were.
'This girl,' Santa said while pointing at Isabella, 'is former
Adelaide Confederacy guitarist Isabella Taplin.'
Isabella smiled and shook Ms. Clause's hand.
'This girl,' Santa said while pointing at Lieselotte, 'is the young
and talented Lieselotte de Munk from Cape Town.'
Lieselotte blushed when she shook Ms. Clause's hand.
'This man,' Santa said while pointing at David, 'doesn't need
an introduction because you already met him when he was
only six years old and I gave him his first drum kit.'
'Is that really you David?' Ms. Clause asked.
'It really is, Ms. Clause.' David answered.
'You've aged.' she said.
'Sadly that happens to everybody else that's not from here.'
Everybody laughed when David said that.
'Lets set up the stage for the concert.' Santa said after a minute
of laughter.
Ms. Clause gave David a hug before he followed Santa,
Isabella and Lieselotte to Santa's personal stage.
The elves had already build a perfect rock concert stage when
Santa was doing his deliveries.
Once all four of them were ready to perform some songs,
Santa turned around, smiled and whispered to the three
musicians 'Merry Christmas!'
David counted to three and they started the concert with
the song Santa Clause is coming to town and played many
songs after that.
An hour or two later, I had finished reading the book to them,
when I looked up from the book and saw that both of them
were already asleep.
I smiled, gave both of them a kiss on their forehead and left
the bedroom and joined my sister and brother-in-law in
the living room again.
'Are they sleeping already?' my sister asked me.
'They sure are.' I said and sat down on the couch.
'How long will you be staying?' my brother-in-law asked me.
'I don't have to work until January next year. So if you don't
mind, I'd love to stay with you until then if that's okay.'
Both my sister and brother-in-law smiled.
'Of course that's okay,' my brother-in-law said.
I smiled, then got of the couch and grabbed four presents from
my bag and placed them under the tree.
'What is that?' my sister asked me.
'If I tell, I will spoil the surprise. Merry Christmas!'