OXFORD — Santa Claus was caught in Quintard Mall’s break room, reading a motorcycle manual, “Clutches, Transmissions and Drives.”“I’m studying to become a motorcycle mechanic,” he said, grinning impishly.
Before starting a day that would be filled with letting energetic children sit on his lap to reveal their Christmas wishes and posing for holiday pictures, Santa was taking a few minutes to relax.
He wore a red T-shirt that snuggled to his plump belly, red corduroy pants, and black knee-high boots. Red suspenders were clamped to his pants.
He studied the manual, hoping that the elves one day will fulfill his own Christmas list so he can indulge in a guilty pleasure — cruising around the North Pole on a Harley Davidson.
“I’ve got the leathers, I’ve got the boots, I just need the Harley,” he quipped with a jolly Ho, Ho, Ho. “My elves just haven’t come to making me a Harley yet. They’ve been busy making everybody else’s (gifts).”
After hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita, the demand for Santa Claus is high everywhere this year, as people reach for the good memories of the holiday season.
“It’s a big demand every year,” said Mark Allen, president of Instant Professional Corporation of America (IPAC), a company that employs Santa Clauses throughout America. “No matter what our economy is doing people still want to see Santa. “The demand is probably higher this year because of Katrina, because they lost their memories and want to replace them.”
IPAC has 12 Santa Clauses stationed in malls and department stores throughout Alabama, and 40 across the nation.
At 10 a.m., Santa Claus — who gave no other name because he said he’s authentic — prepared to start his day at Quintard Mall.
He carefully put on his big red coat trimmed in white fur. Then he placed his hat on his head and arranging his hair around the edges. He slid on white gloves and placed his square-framed granny glasses on his nose.
Finally, he arranged a black belt with a large gilt buckle around his girth.
He had to make sure everything was positioned just right in case spies tried to investigate whether he’s just another of Santa’s elves or the real thing.
The spies are his worst critics, yet his biggest fans — children.
“I have some kids say that it’s because of my boots that I am the real Santa Claus, ‘because your helpers wear those Sunday shoes or plastic things,’” he said quoting the children. “I’ve listened to the children; they’ll tell you if you are real or not.”
His genuine white beard and receding hairline help convince children he’s the genuine Santa Claus.
“They want me to take my hat off so they can see if I’m really Santa Claus,” he said.
After he leaves the break room, Santa takes his place in a sleigh filled with oversized teddy bears, crayons and brightly wrapped presents. There he waits for children to sit in his lap and reveal their Christmas wishes while he checks if they’ve been naughty or nice.
He said this year his elves have been toiling in the toy workshop turning out plenty of makeup and Amazing Amanda dolls for the good little girls and building 4-wheelers nicknamed “Gators” for good little boys.
“The little bitty kids will tell me, ‘I want the real one with gas power,’ because they know I’m thinking battery-operated,” Santa Claus said.
Sometimes children can say things that Santa might not like about his precious reindeer.
Some boys will ask for a rifle to go deer hunting.
He’d say, “You’re sitting in Santa’s lap and you’re asking me for a rifle to hunt deer?” Santa recounted. “They’d say ‘oh, oh, I’m going to hunt turkey.’”
“You better realize whose lap you’re sitting in.”
When he’s not busy posing for pictures, he will sit on the floor and read “T’was the Night Before Christmas” to the kids.
Parents stand together a short distance away, enjoying the small break and watching their children’s eyes light up with holiday excitement.
“I love it,” said Kelly Blevins of Heflin, whose son was among the kids listening to the Christmas story.
