Christmas time was fast approaching in the small West Texas town of Astatula. Cody did not care. Why should he? To him there was no special significance to the day. It was just one more in a long line of 365 days that constituted a year. Besides, Cody had lived through nine such days already.

"What was so almighty special about another Yuletide?" he asked himself wishing the day could just be wiped off the calendar altogether.

Cody's father, Earl Anthony Schroder, had repeatedly drilled one thought into his young mind, "Christmas means nothing so get over it!"

And, Cody did. Or at least he tried to. That pretend, wannabe elf known as Santa Claus had never once come down Cody's chimney, let alone set foot in his house, the entire time he lived in Palo Pinto.

Earl Anthony Schroder absolutely forbade such nonsense. This left a certain disdain for the occasion in Cody's mind. No toys magically appeared under a Christmas tree in Cody's home. Nor was there even a tree to begin with.

"You want something get off your duff and work for it!" Earl Anthony Schroder pounded into Cody his whole life.

So, Christmas meant absolutely nothing to Cody. There was never any reason for it to. And, now, in Astatula, Cody was contented with what he had always been told by his father about the day.

"Just let it pass and forget it ever existed!" was the motto Earl Anthony Schroder raised Cody by.

As he rode his bicycle on the crowded sidewalk full of last minute shoppers, Cody noticed the wide array of Christmas decorations the town displayed in its Downtown area. He headed towards the Astatula Mall to meet Matt Cochran. They would drink hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. Cody's blue Mongoose was his most treasured possession of all. He loved the freedom the bike allowed him to have when he wanted to go somewhere.

He observed the glittering strings of colorful lights that outlined windows, buildings, and doorframes. Sure they flickered on and off. Weren't they supposed to? To Cody they were no big deal. Neither were the ornate decorations, myriad of snowmen, reindeer, elves, angels, and Santa Clauses he saw no matter which direction he looked in.

The more he witnessed the decorations cluttering up the scenery the more he wondered, "What is the big deal about all this Christmas stuff?"

Cody also knew he would be much happier when the season everyone else seemed to be caught up in was over. He always was.

Now it was Christmas Eve and Sheriff Daniels and Beth Sorenson had placed enough lights around their house to land an airplane. Still there were no presents under the elaborately adorned tree standing in the middle of their living room among their favorite Christmas knickknacks.

Once again this proved to Cody that Santa Claus was nothing more than a big, fat, phony. He could not possibly be real. So, who needed him? Cody did not believe Earl Anthony Schroder was correct about too many things but his views of Christmas appeared to be right on the money.

Noticing the Sidewalk Santa ringing his little bell on the corner, and collecting donations for the less fortunate, Cody slowly shook his head in disbelief of the overwhelming sensationalism of Christmas he saw as he walked into the mall. He almost bumped into the Angel Tree that stood right smack dab in the middle of the way inside the door.

"Couldn't they put that stupid tree some place else?" the little Grinch mused to himself.

Cody noticed only one name still hung on the tree. He could not resist the temptation. Making his way to the tree, Cody read the name that was written on the white tag. It belonged to Jerry Denton who only wanted a bicycle for Christmas.

"Looks like you're out of luck there, Jerry," Cody half-smiled to himself saying, "Christmas is tomorrow and you're still here. Oh well. That's the way it goes. Welcome to the real world, Dude!"

Cody found Matt. They bellied up to the bar at Klingman's Tastee Treats and ordered their piping hot chocolates. Then they found a comfortable table nearby and plopped down at it. The boys liked palling around together the way best friends do. They laughed, cracked corny jokes, and talked about whatever thoughts entered their minds. Somehow, Jerry Denton's name joined their conversation.

Jerry Denton had battled a rare form of childhood leukemia all year long. He was losing the fight and the doctors did not expect him to live to see another Christmas after this one. Financially strapped to pay his medical bills, his parents could not afford any Christmas cheer for him so they placed his name on the Angel Tree. Cody remembered it was the only one still hanging on the tree he had passed by coming into the mall.

Two hours rapidly flew by as Cody and Matt chatted away, in between playing their favorite video arcade games. That was the other reason they had come to Klingman's Tastee Treats that evening.

Over the public address system they heard the alert, "Attention shoppers! The Astatula Mall will be closing in five minutes. Please head to the nearest checkout counter at this time. And, all your friends here at the Astatula Mall wish you, and yours, a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!"

"Baugh hum bug! I hear and I obey!" Cody cynically thought to himself. He was having a good time and was not ready to leave just yet.

However, the announcement was the boys cue it was time for them to go. Cody knew he should ride his bike home with Matt but decided he had another stop he needed to make. He watched Matt ride west on Cassandra Boulevard and he turned east. He was only going four blocks.

Cautiously, so as not to get caught, Cody rode his bike up the uneven driveway of the residence he pedaled to. There, he dismounted his bike and quietly walked it up the three cracked cement steps leading to the house's weathered, wooden porch. Placing its kickstand down on the ground, he rang the doorbell of the house then speedily darted beside the far front panel of the SUV parked in the driveway.

Jerry Denton opened the door of the house.

Approaching behind him his mother asked, "Who is it, son?"

"Santa Claus!" Jerry excitedly exclaimed, the happiest he had been in a very long time, "And, he brought me a bike! I just knew he would!"

Mrs. Denton placed the palm of her hand over her face. She desperately tried to keep Jerry from seeing her tears fall down.

Mr. Denton spotted Cody hiding behind his car. He could not speak. "Thank you, Cody!" he mouthed to the boy.

Positioned on his hands and knees, Cody nodded his blond head to respond, "You're welcome."

Mr. Denton placed his right arm around Jerry's shoulders. Somehow his fondest wish had come true and Jerry would enjoy one last Christmas. With his left hand he closed the door to keep Cody's little secret between them.

Rising to his feet, Cody knew he needed to get home in a hurry. As he rounded the far corner of his house he did not have a clue what he was going to tell Sheriff Daniels about why he had broken his curfew, especially on Christmas Eve, or what happened to his bike.

Flinging open the front door of his house, Cody loudly announced his arrival home. Entering the house he noticed the pile of presents scattered under their Christmas tree and that most of them had his name emblazoned on them.

It was then Cody noticed a letter laying on the dining room table. Little Mister Personality could not resist reading through what it contained. He stopped when he read the words:

"adoption approved!"

Now Cody had a home he could call his very own. Suddenly, Cody had an epiphany: so this is what Christmas is all about. It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

(To all my many devoted FanStory friends and fans: May you have the merriest Christmas, and the happiest New Year, ever! I had to have Brett write this one especially for you. You're welcome! :)

Thanks for the incredible year you have given me! -- Cody Schroder)

@Copyrighted December 1, 2016 by Brett Matthew West
All Rights Reserved