Going Places

Flash Fiction

Going Places

“Get your coat, your boots, and a hat! Hurry up!” Mom yelled from the kitchen doorway.

“Are we going someplace?” five-year-old Jared asked, scratching his ears.

“You forgot?” Mom said, sounding surprised.

“Forgot?” Jared thought for a minute, “I don’t remember us talking about anything…”

“That’s true, we didn’t talk about it, …”

“Why not?”

“Because you and I, and Dad, do this together. I’ll give you a hint.”

“Like a game?”

“Kind of. I thought you would know where we were going, maybe hear about it at school? Here’s a clue. It’s Saturday.”

“We go a lot of places on Saturdays…”

“Yes, we do! Grammie’s house, out to eat, the zoo, the park. This one includes a tree…”

“Someplace with a tree??”

“This Saturday we are going someplace that we only go once a year, and yes, a tree. I usually tell you, but I thought maybe you could guess, now that you’re five…”

“Someplace…”

“Here’s a hint. We go there to talk to somebody.”

Jared scrunched his face… “Talk to who?”

Somebody you want to talk to all by yourself, but Dad and I have to bring you…”

“Bring me where?”

“To Hendersons.”

“Somebody I want to talk to is at Hendersons?”

“Absolutely! And other kids want to talk to him too…”

“So, it’s a boy…”

“Yes… and it’s December. You’ll be having a school vacation in a few weeks…”

“And I have to talk to someone to go on vacation?”

“Not exactly. You will talk to this person because he is a special person, with a big fluffy beard, and a red suit. And he knows lots of things about kids and December…”

“Santa!!! I forgot!!!”

“Well, for a five-year-old, you did pretty good remembering! Get your coat! Let’s go!”

And life was good again.