Dear Santa.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I love you all a lot. You guys are all amazing and your comments make me feel mushy and warm like the inside of a freshly baked chocolate brownie. 🙂

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Dear Santa,

Hi! I’m Richard. I’m ten and I live at a children’s home (I don’t know, Santa, it sounds better than orphanage. Orphanage sounds like a disease). I introduced myself because Mrs. Amanda says it’s a good habit to introduce yourself to anyone.

 Anyway, Santa, I know it’s not Christmas, yet. But most of the other children find it silly that I still believe in you and write a letter every X-mas, because the rest of them have moved onto superhero figurines and Barbies ‘going out’ with Kens. So, I chose to write it now when the rest of them are busy.

However, Santa, don’t you worry and don’t mind what the others think. I like believing in you because you represent everything nice that I remember from the old house before my daddy’s new female friend (I don’t want to call her mommy) came in our lives. She’s the reason I’m in a children’s home, Santa. Before she came, my old mommy made my dad promise that he will lay off the “stuff” and take care of me for her sake. He was doing great before she came. I was mad at both of them for a while because they kicked me out and dropped me off here, but it’s okay now. 

I took quite some time to think of what I should ask for this year; since Mrs. Amanda says we should not ask for more than two things from you. I definitely need a new t-shirt; Tommy poked a hole in the older one. I also need some new jeans. Santa, can you do me a favour? You can give me a gift less next year, but Mary Robinson really wants a new bunny. She won’t ask you herself because she’s one of the Non-Believers . However, she really wants one and if you give it to me and then I give it to her, she’ll think I’m really nice. I would be quite happy if she thinks that because I think she’s nice and cool and funny and pretty, too.

 Santa, I wonder if you can do more than giving gifts. I need some questions answered. I’ll write them down one after the other and I will know you’ve read them when I get a reply from you!

1. Did daddy ever love me? He once used to say he did, but now, he only says it to his new female friend.
2. Will they ever take me back? Because I do get kind of lonely here. I promise I’ll be nice and if needed, I’ll call daddy’s new female friend ‘mommy’, too.
3. Could you make me “good enough”, whatever that is? I asked Mrs. Amanda once why all the other kids in the children’s home hate me and she told me they all thought I wasn’t good enough. That even though I had parents and both of us knew about each other, I couldn’t be good enough for them to keep me. She told me that I shouldn’t pay attention to what they say, though, because most of them have cases unlike mine and they are desperate for a home. So naturally, they are jealous of me.
   Still, I don’t get it. Good enough in what way? I mean, I am- wait, actually was not too bad at school. My math is good and I did not get into any trouble.
   But, whatever it is, please make me “good enough”.  
4. Will you give me a friend? I know, it sounds silly. But it’s being a year since I’ve got here and no one talks to me nicely except Mrs. Amanda.
5. Wait, will you be my friend? Because that would be SO COOL. 

 I hope I didn’t ask for too much. Mrs. Amanda says that if we ask for too much or expect too much, we always get disappointment. However, I know you won’t upset me Santa. I believe in you.

Yours sincerely,

Richard.

-Kimaya Ingale.