Wish list for dear Santa

I’ve been bothered by a terrible thought this week: 2021 might be the last year that the five-year-old Egg believes in Santa.

Next Christmas she will be six and most children lose their belief in the omnipresent old man in the red suit somewhere between four and seven.

Some people feel bad about telling their trusting offspring a lie. Not me and I certainly don’t plan to stop now. For the rest of December, I will lie, lie, lie, because if we lose Santa next year, he’s gone forever.

Discussions between Egg and I are littered with mythical references to Santa, the Easter Bunny, clean government, a competent police force and eternal love.

And of course Harry Potter, because knowledge of the magician plays a central role in an extremely elaborate prank I’m planning for her.

I’m systematically convincing her to buy into the legend of Harry. In a year’s time, an owl will deliver a letter to our home in which we will be notified that she has been accepted by Hogwarts.

After a lot of excitement, I will take Egg to the Rosebank Gautrain station, where she will have to board the “Hogwarts Express”.

ALSO READ: Here’s our long wish list for SA, dear Santa

We will go to Pretoria, drink a milkshake and come back to Johannesburg, because in our Muggle world Hogwarts doesn’t really exist and I will never own a flying Ford Anglia, no matter how desperately I desire one every morning when I sit in traffic.

Damn you, reality! But Hogwarts or no Hogwarts, there will always be magic in our lives. This month, Santa will
leave a little present in our lounge every night or two. We will track his movements on my computer, we will go and see him in the mall and he will leave powdery white footprints on our stairs on Christmas Eve.

Because it’s my job as a father to teach her how to dream. Dreams are the most important things on earth.

That is, after all, what keeps us going. Dreams about the eradication of corruption. Dreams of a strong economy, quality education, a crime-free South Africa and roads without potholes.

Dreams of affordable, quality healthcare, enough food for everyone and dreams of Bafana winning the World Cup.

And, if you are the five-year-old Egg, dreams of Santa. Oh, how I will miss this old man next year…