My Christmas story for you

There was a little old man standing out in front of a Wal-Mart store. He was a obese, short, and he had a scruffy white beard to go along with his long white unkempt hair. He wore a red and white Santa hat and had a smile and a Merry Christmas for everyone who walked by his kettle as he rang the bell for the Salvation Army. His gentle disposition and his physical characteristics made him very special at this time of years. This was his kettle and he did his job very well.

'Look, there's Santa," the kid exclaimed as families went in and out of the store. True enough, he looked like Santa. Then the unthinkable happened. The bell dropped to the cement and rolled away as he clutched his chest and fell to the ground.

A gasp went up as people watched. Some came quickly to his aid. A man took out his cellphone and dialed 911.

"He just fell over,"the man said. The operator got more information and it wasn't long before you could hear a siren off in the distance. Help was on the way. But for this old man, would help arrive too late.

Soon, the big red and white fire engine came to a stop in front of the store. You could hear the whoosh of the air brakes as firemen dressed in dark blue sweat shirts came out of the doors and opened compartments to take out a bag with lifesaving gear inside. A paramedic went right to the old man who lay motionless on the ground, his hint of white breath against the cold winter air now gone.

"Is Santa dead?" a little boy about five asked his mother. He grabbed her leg as she tried to spare him from the unfolding sad scene. He held his ground and watched. Tears formed on his face as he watched the firemen work on the old man.

"Is Santa dead?" he cried out. "Is he? Is Santa dead?"

"No honey," his mom said as she reached down and turned his face away from the scene. She tried to get him to go but he held firm.

The paramedic stopped working on the old man. He took his stethoscope out of his ears and put it around his neck and looked up at the engine's captain and shook his head from side to side.

The boy struggled with his mom and finally bolted free. He ran from her reach and over to the paramedic. Tears were streaming down his face as he looked at the old man who lay motionless on the ground. He shook the paramendic's shoulder.

"Is Santa dead?" he cried.

The paramedic turned and looked at the boy. He took a 4x4 cotton bandage out of his kit.

"No son," the paramedic said as he tore open the package, took out the bandage and wiped the tears from the boy's face.

"Santa isn't dead," the paramedic said as he looked back at the old man. "He is just a dead ringer."