Santa's Train

Dave sat with his friend, a fellow college player of his sport on the Zephyr express. An Amtrak train that ran up and down the west coast of the United States. His name was John.

The train ride was very comfortable and seats were large. So we're the windows. Huge and they automatically tinted for the level of sunlight. The seats also could lay flat.

The view was not the first time Dave had ridden on a train but that was so long ago in the past, he did not remember much of it. There was a train ride on a steam locomotive which a tour through a redwood forest up in the coastal mountains near Santa's Village an amusement park. But that ride was nothing like this train or the train ride, or the passenger cars. No this was luxurious and would take twelve hours or so.

This train like the other at Santa's Village travelled the back country area and never passed through a town. The views were spectacular. Even so, the decided to visit the club, where they could eat and drink.

Up they walked through the passenger train, which meant forward, towards the locomotive. It was John who told Dave about the club car. When the two reached it John said, I have never seen a club car like this. It had a "second story" of tables and reclining swivel chairs even over the bar.

They sat down and the windows ran from the ceiling of the second level to the table tops of the floor level.

"This view is even better. Great choice John," Dave noted as a cocktail waitress came to the table.

"Would you like drinks or something to eat she asked. Her hair was blonde and she wore a black ribbed skirt with big ruffles down to mid thigh. Her blouse was a formal looking, long sleeve, white number buttoned to her throat, starched collar. It almost looked like the blouse could be worn with a man's tuxedo.

"We're you a gymnast or acrobat?" Dave asked the waitress.

"No," She replied but smiling.

"How do you make it up and down the stairs with a tray?" Dave asked, "I barely fit through the climb."

"If you place an order for drinks or something to eat, I will show you," She said adding, "My name is Dana and I will be your waitress."

"Dual Guinness Stouts," John ordered and what do you have to eat, Dana?"

She spoke the list and we ordered the hamburgers and fries. The big ones. The big sized order. Yes, we both had everything that came with it, medium rare.

"You two look to be very large men but how old are you?"

We took out our ID's and we passed the inspection. John said to Dana, "I am getting the first round."

"Coming right up!" Dana turned and left.

"That's one very good looking lady," John observed quietly, "Agile," As he watched her descent upon the circular staircase.

She brought back the drinks with glasses, well what really happened was, there were four supports of two wide spaced pipes vertical alongside the inner edge in between the two tables. We heard a cranking noise and the tray became visible with our drinks and glasses on it, lifted a pinch above safety railing also around the inside edge.

Up she mounted the stairs and then moved the tray off the rack and onto our table. This car also had a long raised skylight in the center of the car. There was a low curved metal top with glass slanting upward at about thirty degrees all around from the outside edge to canopy top. The whole of the skylight assembly was about four feet wide.

Surprisingly, the meal was on very large plates filled, the hamburgers wide and tall with cheese, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, "Big," Dave muttered nodding. There was a condiments holder.

"I told our chef you two are huge men, what do you do?"

"Meat on the hoof," John said. The title of a book about American football.

"We are offensive lineman at the University of the Pacific," Dave replied watching her as she spoke, "Tackle football. Tackle, Center." Dave pointed to himself then John.

"Hmmm..." She smiled. "Here's your check," and she slid the ticket to Dave.

"I said I will cover the first order," John said, "He will get the next."

"Oh, I apologize here you go." She paused, "You mean dinner?"

"No, what we will have for lunch next. We alternate." John stated.

"I should have told you Dana but do you also have glasses of water?"

"Yes," I will bring you one each. Maybe a pitcher, a pitcher of water each?"

"That would be good." John spoke through a bite so it was garbled.

"That would be good, John said," Dave said with a smile.

"I'll be back with those pitchers." Dana said, "You're both huge." and left to retrieve the pitchers.

"This a great place to eat. The scenery is absolutely beautiful," Dave said between mouthfuls. Then, "How much is it?"

"With, ..., the, ..., tip, ..., $25.00," John's words interrupted by chewing and biting.

The pitchers appeared on the tray with glasses on the other side of the railing.

Dave looked out the window and a very large solitary home appeared in the distance. There was a six foot fence around a very huge yard.

Hey you should turn and see this house we're approaching off to the side a bit, it's magnificent," Dave said to John. He turned. They did not stop eating. As they approached the house they saw there was an Olympic sized swimming pool, a white but tanned, nude woman walked out of a back door towards the pool. They watched her while the train travelled forward and because they were very high up on the second level, they saw all of her, the naked woman. She waved, then dove into the pool. Dana stood there holding a pitcher of water in each hand and when they,

"Don't see something like that every day, thanks for the head's up Dave."

They turned, Dana was stood frozen, "Oh, excuse me." They said to her.

"Now that's a hot flash if ever saw one," she said.

"She looked good but you don't have to worry because you're better looking." Dave opined with a nod.

Dana placed the two pitchers of water a bit in from the edge of the table, "Thank you." She paused, "Each of you have eaten almost all on those plates." She looked at the both of them, "No one has ever done that, never. Certainly not that fast."

"Kill a cow," John garbled between chewing, finished.

"Raze a potato field," Dave said. He too finished. "Should we order the second course, John."

"Most assuredly."

"Do you want to order the same meals and drinks," Dana asked them.

"Could we hear the menu list again, please, and I will cover this," Dave said, "It's my turn and could you waIt to hold the cooking of the order until I return?"

"Yes, I will clear the table, while I take your order."

"John could you give Dana the order, I have to run."

While Dana put all the empties on the table and put them on the tray, she recited the menu to John all over again.

"How big is the large supreme pizza and the large pepperoni and mushroom pizza?"

"The supreme is six dollars and the pepperoni is five dollars. They are 14" wide.

"That doesn't sound right but we'll have one of each, I will have another Guinness and Dave will have a Long Island Ice tea. With the large nachos on the side."

"Really? You're joking?"

"I am being serious that's what we want Dana. When Dave returns, fire it up please."

"Right." Dana wrote down the order, then set the tray on the lift and before she left she asked John, "John does Dave have a girlfriend? How old is he?"

"Why not ask him yourself Dana? There really aren't that many people that come in here are there?"

"It's early yet! This car will fill up."

Dave returned from the toilet but signaled Dana he was back, "The facility is clogged, Dana, I did not find anyone to notify."

"I'll call an attendant for you," then she ventured, "Dave how tall are you?"

"6'7" but I am still growing," he smiled wide. Was about to turn, when she asked, "How old are you?"

"Almost twenty-two," and he looked Dana up and down, stood up straight and said, "I would guess you to be five-seven."

"Good guess, but five-eight, do you have a girlfriend or a wife?" She asked him.

"No, I do not." He answered, "Single?"

"I will bring your order up when it is ready,"

"What did John order for me,"

"Two large pizzas, a supreme and a pepperoni, and a Long Island Ice Tea."

"Does the iced tea come with lemon wedges?"

"It will," she replied.

"Excellent."

"They are patrons coming in to the car," she said and I must attend them plus call the bathroom attendant first, place your order."

"Yes, nice to meet you," they turned away from each other. Dave returned to the table. Dana returned to her missions of work.

"It'll be here soon," Dave said to John as he sat, "Yeah, the food."

"Now it's my turn," John said as he rose. Dave told him that the stall on the right might still be clogged. John nodded, "Warned."

The food, Dave smelled coming, as he heard the crank below operate, it smelled delicious. He thought about Dana, lovely, slim but not too skinny. He could not tell how long her hair was but she had it in a neat bun at the back of her neck. Green eyes, well groomed, and very personable, wonderful sounding voice. He wondered how old she was but would not ask. Not polite. Up and down the stairs, she must be in great shape. Then she appeared, "Here's your second meal Dave," she removed the tray from the rack and put it on the table then placed the, "Yours the supreme or pepperoni and mushroom?"

"We will most likely eat some of each but most of mine is supreme."

She laid out white porcelain plates, silverware, and condiments for the pizza. Then she placed the drinks removed the tray and asked, "If I gave you my number, would you call me?"

"I would Dana," She wrote her information on the back of a blank order and Dave sipped from the straw of the iced tea,

"That's not like any iced tea I have ever tasted," Dave said.

She handed him the bill, "That is a long island iced tea, there is no tea in it. It is a whopper of an alcoholic beverage."

"It does not taste like there's any alcohol in it."

"No it does not. There are five shots, one of
Vodka, Gin, Tequila, Rum, and Triple Sec, and then there is cola, sweet and sour, and a slice of lemon. It is very potent. I thought you knew, what John ordered for you. I apologize and I can take it back if you wish."

"It's okay," Dave replied, "and besides I am huge and this won't affect me very much."

"Here place my name and number in your wallet so you do not use it and please call me. I have the times when I am home for calls and leave a message. I have to go and are you certain you don't want me to bring back a real iced tea?"

"Certain," Dave smiled.

"I have to go back to work."

"Talk to you soon. How old are you Dana?"

"Almost twenty-two, bye."

Dave began his pizza fest and half was left of each by the time John returned. Both water pitchers were empty.

"Well, clean up on stall two," John said as he sat down.

Dave slurped the last of Long Island Iced Tea, "That was delicious." He slurred a bit. "That drink was a third of the tab. $12.50 for one drink and they know to make on a train. Thanks, for joke. I think I'll move over to the lounge chair, while you dine." He winked.

"Enjoy your nap, worldly one," John smiled and said garbled while he chewed pizza.

Dave made it to the lounge chair, turned it to the window, and laid the seat back, "Beautiful pine forest, beautiful Dana," to himself muttered and Dave was out. The snoring began and it was loud. Dave slipped into a dream.

He was in a house with Dana and there was a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with an angel on top. Underneath the tree, was a hand carved wooden train on a wooden track. The train ran round and round the track and Santa was the engineer of the train. Dana was in the dream. They sat in comfortable high backed office chairs and watched the train roll around the track.

Dana was older. Their cat was in the window. Their dog asleep on the floor.

He awoke four hours later and never forgot the dream. Years later, he and Dana were sitting in chairs in front of the their Christmas tree, which was in front of two windows. Underneath the tree was an exquisitely train carved from wood with Santa as the engineer with elves and presents in the two train cars all gaily painted. The engine and cars were not hooked together nor did they move. There was no track. Now they were much older.

"I have a secret and I never told you this my Darling Dana. I thought if I told you of it you would think me mad."

"Tell me what David?"

"On the very first day we met, on the train, where I drank the Long Island Ice Tea and I fell asleep in the lounge chair in the club car, I had a dream. In that dream, everything looked just as it is now, except the train ran around a wooden track. When I saw the train at your parents house, I knew something very strange, sent me that dream, my dearest friend. Now that your parents gave us this train and we sit here before the tree and the train, the cat, dog, same windows...older," Dave paused.

"That really happened," Dana asked?

"Yes, and here we are together my Darling."

"Forever, the truth about love, soulmates is the strangest most wonderful."

"Yes, it is, truly a wonderfully strange thing is love." And they leaned over the arms of their chairs and kisse with love renewed and ever stronger.

An original story by Jeff Kubitz, a man under attack by drought causing weather wizards in the Utah Desert. "Dana is with me."