Zoya was a girl living a normal Christian life with her family in a small apartment overlooking the sea. Zoya was a happy child and was thoroughly spoilt by her parents, uncles and aunts because she was the only child in the family. Every day was made special for little Zoya including Christmas.
There would be the beautiful decorations, the elaborate dinner party, the get together and a basketful of Christmas goodies. But little Zoya loved the Christmas season, not for the Christmas Stockings nor for the gifts neatly packed by friends and loved ones but for that Christmas Eve when she would tuck herself up warmly under a little bed cover early, so that Santa would come on his Reindeer driven sleigh and deposit her Christmas gift under her little Christmas Tree. Come Christmas morning she would awaken to clasp her precious gift from her Santa and then go off for the morning mass……. her Christmas was made. This occurred every Christmas and Zoya’s friends used to tease her saying, “Oh! Grow up for once you little Alice in Wonderland there is no such thing as a Santa Claus. The gifts you receive are from your uncle who pampers you so much”. But Zoya in reply would only say one thing, “I know that there is a Santa and he will never forget me”.
Cheerfully the years went by and every year there would be a parcel under the Christmas tree every Christmas eve. One day Zoya decided to join the Convent. As she left her home to follow her vocation Zoya’s uncle whispered sadly into her mother’s ear, “This will be the first of many Christmas’ when Zoya won’t receive her Santa’s gift for where will I be there to place it under her tree?”.
Zoya was nineteen and at her first year in the convent was well respected and loved. On that Christmas Eve however, Zoya as per her custom retired to bed early. When asked for the early retiring by Mother Superior she said, “Santa won’t come when I am awake.” Her weird reply was shrugged off by Mother Superior and she retired to bed….but Mother was curious. In the middle of the night Mother Superior crept into the little postulant’s cell to satisfy her curiosity and what she saw …….filled her heart with profound tranquility for next to the sleeping Zoya was a little gift neatly packed and sitting beside her was an elderly man dressed in a shining white robe.
The next morning it was found that little Zoya was no more. The sisters as they were preparing for Zoya’s final resting place fetched the gift and placed it in the hands of their Mother Superior. As Mother carefully opened the gift she couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks, for there in the box lay a little note which read.
“I kept my promise,
No matter how far
The distance was —————
For it only takes a little faith…
To achieve what you desire.”
copyright Fiza Pathan
Story from my book S.O.S. Animals And Other Stories
For readers in Mumbai both my books are available at Kitab Khana, Fort
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