12/25/2025
(Loosely based on an event that took place today)
12:00 Noon on Christmas Eve. You’re on your way to the mall to do some last minute Christmas shopping and to spend time with your best friend you haven’t seen for eight months.
As you turned off of Romig Road into the main parking lot entrance a man in a wheel chair, all bundled up, and cold sits with a sign asking for help. The parking lot is extremely packed with cars but you manage to find a spot near Sears. The store is extremely busy, nobody quite knows why this particular Sears location does so well while so many others have shut down, but the employees are grateful.
You and your best friend meet in the Court of 12 Trees by the orange fountain. Surprisingly it’s running this year and Santa isn’t on it. You both decide to head down toward Friendly’s in the Macy’s wing of the mall. As you pass through the Court of Aquarius you see Santa has been moved down to the lower level this year in front of JCPenney. It was different but still kind of neat. After eating at Friendly’s you both go downstairs to the Cinema to catch a special screening of “Home Alone”.
It’s now 4:30 PM and the mall will be closing in thirty minutes. As you go to leave you notice the gentleman in the wheel chair is still on the corner. You happen to have a takeout container of French fries left over from the restaurant. You abruptly park the car and get out. Making your way to the man you hear Santa say “No one should go hungry on Christmas Eve” you look around and don’t see anybody. Ordinarily something like that would be horrifying but you feel warm instead. There have been several stories involving Santa at the mall over the years.
You approach the man and hand him the container. He opens it cautiously and then smiles when he sees the fries. “Merry Christmas” you tell him as you walk back to your car. A family Christmas Eve dinner awaits you.
Merry Christmas to you and yours from the Rolling Acres Mall Unofficial Management