Santa gnomes

1st June 7:03am.

Nora exited her house in a flurry of chaos. Keys and tea and tote bag jumbled in her arms. She was late for work and almost missed it.

Stopping short, Nora stared at the odd addition to her front garden. A gnome, not just any gnome, a Santa gnome. He had a Santa hat and coat, a red nose and a jolly expression. Weird. Where did that come from? It certainly wasn’t Nora’s. She looked up and down the street, looking for someone. It had to be a prank, it was the middle of June! No where near Christmas season. Seeing no one and running even later-her boss would kill her- Nora rushed down the street, to the bus stop, the Santa gnome already forgotten.

2nd June 10:34am.

Mr Hadley stepped out of his front door, holding the frame for balance. He thought he had heard a noise, and all noises worried him. Since his wife’s passing he felt lost and alone, and worst of all, fragile. Mr Hadley looked down the garden path, and he immediately felt nervous. There was something on the path. Cautiously he took two steps forward, not too far from the door just in case, it was a ceramic gnome. A gnome? Mr Hadley walked closer to it, it was facing away from him, painted bright red, with a pointed hat on its head. Shifting around until he was in front of the gnome, Mr Hadley realised that the gnome was dressed as Santa. A Santa gnome! He thought, and a jolly one too. He found himself smiling almost as much as the Santa gnome. He chuckled as he bent down, picked up the mysterious little gnome and placed it on the left side of the path. “You can’t stay on the gravel, my boy, or you’ll trip someone up!” Mr Hadley patted the gnome’s head and headed back inside, wondering who had left the gift.

3rd June 1:46am.

Jack stumbled out of the taxi, laughingly breathless at a dirty joke the taxi driver had uttered. “Thanks mate.” Jack managed to croak out, slamming the car door. He unevenly made his way to his house, pausing to make sure it was the right number on the door. Nodding dramatically he went up the one step to enter his front garden. A shape out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. At first he thought it was a cat, but squinting he realised it was a gnome dressed up as an elf. No wait, not an elf, no this gnome was Santa himself! “Santa, what you doing here? It ain’t Christmas yet!” Jack walked over to the gnome bent down and whispered in its ear, “I’ve been a very good boy this year Santa, promise.” And with that Jack straightened up and went into his home.

4th June 9:00am.

Martha drew back the curtain and looked out on to the street. She did this every morning at nine sharp. Especially this month. She had seen what no one else had. The stranger. The old man had a shockingly bushy white beard and dressed in a striking red coat. He was always holding something in his hands, and everyday for the last three days he had placed a gnome in different front gardens, unseen by the homeowners. But she had seen. Just as she was wondering what house would be visited today, she saw him, the stranger step off the street in to her garden. A surprised ‘oh’ escaped her mouth, but the stranger just smiled. He had a kind face, so much so that it made her feel at ease. She looked down and in the stranger’s arms was another gnome. He stepped forward and placed the gnome in her front garden, gave her a quick nod and was gone.

Martha took a deep breath, she knew why the stranger had visited her today, just as she knew why he had visited her neighbours. His gift made people stop, just for a few seconds.

Nora was always rushing, never stopping for breath, to think about herself. The gnome made her stop, to see outside of herself and to see there was more to life than work. She had called in sick the next day and spent the day with mum.

Mr Hadley had been scared of the outside world since Elizabeth had died. The gnome had made him curious enough to leave his house. He had left the house the two days since.

Jack really had been good, but that didn’t stop heartache. Last night his longtime girlfriend had broken up with him.

As for her, well she had stopped interacting with the world years ago. For her, it was time to stop watching the world go by behind a curtain and start connecting again.

Martha picked up her phone. “Hello darling, just ringing to talk, if you have a minute?”