Farewell Mr. Kringle Page #2

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That was despite my "free donuts

Wednesday" platform.

But I forgave him.

Well, you were

a worthy opponent, Zelda.

- I know it.

- Special's on the board.

- Enjoy.

- Thanks.

- Trust me?

- Sure.

- Yo, harley!

- Yes, sir, Mr. mayor.

Let me get

two phantom specials.

Yes, sir, Mr. mayor.

- On the taxpayer.

- You're the boss!

No, you don't

have to do that.

I have an expense account.

- No, no, no.

- No problem at all.

We're just happy you're here.

Hey, you were quite a hit

in the Christmas parade.

Yes. Famous

for my entrances.

By the way,

what is this phantom special?

- You tell her.

- I gotta work.

Well, it's not

on the regular menu.

It's on the secret menu.

You're gonna enjoy it.

When my mama was dying,

God rest her soul,

every evening,

he would read to her.

He was there when she passed.

Back in the '80s

when the plants

started downsizing,

I was one of the first

of the lucky ones

to get laid off.

Kris helped me

get back on my feet.

Loaned me the down payment

for this diner.

Mm.

What about you, mayor Phil?

Well, sometime back,

the missus and I

were having problems,

decided to call it quits.

Kris sat us down,

gave us a good talking to,

convinced us to give

our marriage a second chance.

That was nearly 20 years ago,

and we've been happily married

ever since.

You see, miss wahl,

kris kringle has touched

pretty near

every life in this town.

And that's why

you changed the name.

- Yes.

- And we just wanna

give him a great big

thank-you card.

With a big kiss

on the bottom,

and that's from me.

Well, I'll admit...

Your Santa certainly is

versatile.

Oh, yes, he is.

And you'll see,

once you get to know him.

I look forward to it.

I was thinking about

stopping by his house

sometime tomorrow.

Well, um...

You see, kris is kind of,

uh, particular

about who he lets inside.

- Yeah!

- Really?

- Yeah.

- Yeah, yeah.

Personally, I've never

seen the inside of his house.

- No, neither have I.

- No! Are you kidding me?

Okay. This is fascinating.

Well, all the folks

around here,

we're accustomed to kris's

eccentricities.

Oh, wait one...

Oh, you know what?

That's my editor.

I should go.

- Thank you, guys.

- Miss wahl?

Can I call you Anna?

- Of course.

- Well, then, come on, Anna.

I'm done with my shift.

I'm gonna walk you down.

- Oh, great.

- Good night, ladies.

- See you later.

- Thanks, mayor.

- Thank you, harley.

- Oh, you too.

This is a letter from

a little girl called Virginia.

And she says,

"please tell me the truth.

Is there a Santa claus?"

"Yes, Virginia,

there is a Santa claus.

"He exists as certainly

as love and generosity

"and devotion exist,

"and you know that they are

bound to give to your life

"its highest beauty

and its joy.

"How dreary it would be

if there were no Santa claus.

"It would be just as dreary

if there were no virginias.

"So... a thousand years

from now,

"there will be

another Santa claus.

He'll continue to make glad

the hearts of childhood."

Do you believe?

- Mm-hmm!

- Yeah!

- Zelda, tell me...

- How did all this happen?

How does John Wilson,

ordinary citizen,

become kris kringle?

It's a real tearjerker,

this story.

I think I can handle it.

- It was Christmas Eve...

- 1960.

Only three days prior,

John had married

his high school sweetheart,

Betty Clark.

She couldn't stand the thought

of anyone being alone

on Christmas Eve.

And this was to be their

very first Christmas

as husband and wife.

You see,

she wouldn't leave the hospital

until the last of her patients

had drifted off to sleep.

Betty was on her way home

to John

when her car hit a patch

of ice near the old road.

There was an accident?

Yeah.

- She didn't make it.

- No.

Oh... that's so sad.

Oh, I told you.

So losing his wife...

- That's what made him go crazy.

- Oh, no, now, wait now.

Who... who's to say

that he's crazy?

He changed

his name to kris kringle.

He thinks he's Santa claus.

I would say that's a little

more than just eccentric.

Well, I suppose that

there's a lot of people

with a couple doses

of crazy in 'em.

I like ketchup

with my pancakes.

I sleep

with mittens on my feet.

And harley...

He likes to get up on the roof

in his underwear,

and he talks to the moon.

Cuckoo!

Well?

Those are quirks.

This has been going on

50 years with him.

Do you know what I think?

I think you need

to get around town

and you need to talk

to as many folks as possible,

and you gotta get to know

kris...

And then you make up

your mind.

- That's very good advice.

- I know.

- I'll take you up on that.

- Okay.

- Thank you for the walk home.

- Toodle-oo!

Good night.

Ohh...

Ah...

Oh, you're kidding me!

Hello! Front desk!

- Hi. Hello.

- This is Anna wahl in room five.

- Oh, Anna, I can't hear.

- The noise in the background...

Yes, I realize there's a loud

sound coming from my room.

You hear that?

You hear it?

It sounds like

an army of gremlins

making horseshoes in here.

Oh, we already got somebody

to fix that.

- Love to have it fixed.

- First thing in the morning.

- Morning!

- Oh, fantastic.

Sounds perfect.

You have a good night.

You too!

Oh... this place.

- Morning, Jake.

- Morning. How's it going?

- Good. Morning, guys.

- Hey, man.

Looking good.

Hello?

Aah!

Oh! Oh... oh!

- What are you doing here?

- I'm so sorry!

- I was just...

- Just get out now!

- I don't care... go!

- Of course. Uh...

- Go!

- Hank told me

there was something

wrong with your heater.

- I don't... go!

- If it makes you feel better,

- I didn't see anything.

- Please leave!

What is it with this place?

I don't believe that you sent

some strange man into my room

without calling me first?

- I'm real sorry, miss wahls.

- I didn't see him come in.

Well, yeah, sure,

like Johnny handyman's

just gonna come strolling in

off the street

walking right past you

without checking with you first.

Well, actually, he's more

than just a handyman, he...

I just don't want

anyone in my room

unless you're absolutely sure

I'm not there.

- Is that too much to ask?

- No, not at all, miss wahls.

Good. And it's wahl.

No "s".

Just wahl.

Oh. Don't worry,

miss walls... wahl.

We'll get that heater

fixed for ya.

Thank you.

Oh, miss walls!

Congrats on makin'

the front page!

That fateful

Christmas Eve phone call

forever altered the life

of the small-town

furniture maker.

It's gonna make ya type faster.

Thanks, Zelda.

Kids would line up

around the block

for hours ahead of time,

waiting for a chance to be

the first one on his lap.

It was a real badge of honor.

It was 1973.

I was first that year.

Probably one of the biggest

days of my childhood.

I was first once, 1984.

I was four years old.

I tugged on his beard

to make sure it was real.

I was the last kid once,

Christmas Eve, '65.

Kris gave me a ride home.

Said he was

off to the north pole.

Didn't anyone find this

a little bit... weird?

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