61. December Letters

Most fairy people like to grant wishes, but they love to have their own wishes satisfied too. So come December they write letters to one or more of the magical yuletide gift-bringers they have heard of, religious, national, or political affinities aside. St. Nicholas heads the list, but other givers are popular too.

Since we came into contact with Don Alonso and Sancho Panza, Alpin and I, as well as Heather and Thistle, write letters to the Magi. Doña Estrella taught us to leave straw for the three kings’ camels and dustcakes and cava for their majesties. And we all leave a shoe by an open window so they will know where to leave the gifts and we  will know who they are for.

Alpin is always last to send his letters. He leaves them for the very last minute because he is always thinking of new things to ask for. Need I say they are lenghtier by far than ours are and addressed to far more donors?  

One December morning my Mum and I passed by Alpin’s house on our way to do some festive shopping. It was a very cold though sunny day, but Mrs. Dullahan and Alpin were out in their garden sitting at a wrought iron table loaded with paper, pens and ink. Mum and I stopped to say hi.

                                  

        

Aislene was writing on paper scented with cinnamon, chocolate and orange and a mysterious something else that was as captivating as she was. She told us she was writing to her nephew Finbar, the master toymaker, telling him how badly she needed a bodyguard for Alpin now that Curmudgeon was too expensive for her to afford and had resigned to accept a better job.

               

“He’s with that revolting Banyan tree kaphre,” nodded Mum.

“No,” said Mrs. Dullahan. “He received an even more lucrative offer. Lira stole him from under my dainty nose and Boogerbeard’s runny one. Finn is earning a fortune making sure no female gets anywhere near Lira’s supposedly irresistible toymaker.”

“The only truly irresistible man is your son Darcy,” said Mum. “I suppose he takes after you, and I’m not saying all this to flatter either of you. It´s nothing but the honest truth.”

                            

“Toymakers must earn a lot to be able to better Salty’s offer,” interrupted Alpin.

He had several rolls of paper before him and was writing his letter to the Magi on one. I noticed the other rolls were meant for the Italian fairy La Befana, the Japanese monk Hoteiosho, Greek St. Basil, the Yule Goat, etc.

Alpin had, of course, already written to St. Nicholas, under all the names he is known to use, such as Kris Kringle, Chimney John, Father Winter, Grandfather Frost and so on. The only gift-bringers known to me he was not writing to were the Yule Lads, goblins Alpin held a grudge against for reasons I will write about some other winter.    

“Toymakers do pretty well,” Mrs. Dullahan explained to her son, “and Finbar does better than any other, but it’s not your cousin Finbar who is paying Curmudgeon to spy on him. Finbar’s not stir crazy, that’s his wife. Lira’s daddy is the monarch of the seas and Salty is just one more pirate, no matter how enterprising. She can pay for anything she wants. Hence, Curmudgeon now works for her.”

                           

“Well, then aside from a pirate daddy who will give me monkeys and horses and coffers full of gold coins, which is one of the things I am asking for because Arley read to me about Pippi Longstocking, I want a mermaid girlfriend like Lira, ready to bigspend on me. By the way, who brings gifts to the sea spirits?”

We said we had no idea, and Alpin said I was to ask Lira and find out so he could contact whoever that was. He didn’t want to ask her himself because it could frighten her and she wouldn't tell. I didn't need to ask. I knew there was a small fish named Platinum who spent the whole year searching for treasures and hoarding them in secret caves so he could give them away come Christmas.  

Alpin then turned to me. He wanted to know what I was asking the Magi for in case he might want it too. 

                           

“I...I don’t think you will,” I stammered. It was not that I didn’t want Alpin to have the same gift as I would get. I didn’t want anyone, especially my mum, to hear what I was asking for. It was a very delicate matter.  

Mrs. Dullahan noticed I was uncomfortable and changed the subject inviting us to hot chocolate. Mum declined saying we really had to go and I got temporary respite from Alpin’s curiosity.