With the aid of the random holiday picker our friends embark on a
Caribbean adventure. But all is not well in paradise, there are evil
deeds afoot.
The very existence of a centuries old celebration is in danger. Who
will save the day? Who has the courage and intellect to rival the most
dastardly of foes? Who’s got the worst taste in sunglasses ever?
Join Brave Dave and Tariq for the answers, and find out how they rescue Santa Claus and the meaning of Christmas.
Simon Woodward lives in Benfleet in Essex. He wanted to write a story for children that would cross over and be entertainment for adults also.
Before thinking that writing could be another avenue for his life’s goals, he’d assumed that his job in I.T. was the only thing that he was good at.
Through his wife’s encouragement, Simon Woodward took up evening classes in creative writing and found that this new life skill was something he really enjoyed.
“You don’t know until you try.” Is now his motto and he applies it with vigour to every challenge that is presented to him. Some things don’t work, but in the main it’s fun finding out, he says.
He is now considering taking up cooking and the only challenge there is convincing his wife it will be safe for her.
“Dave, you won’t believe what I’ve just heard,” Tariq said as he placed their glasses of fruit juice on the table.
“What?” Dave asked, curious as to why his friend seemed so agitated.
“I think Santa Claus is here and……”
Before Tariq could finish Dave interrupted. “Santa Claus! — Is here on Maiti?!”
“Yes,” Tariq said, “but not only that, there are two people here who want to change all of his presents to cuddly toys.”
“Is that a bad thing Tariq? Surely there’s nothing wrong with cuddly toys?”
“But they’re planning to make sure there is only one cuddly toy for all the children at Christmas.”
“Just one?” Dave said, now understanding why Tariq had seemed so agitated.
“Yes,” Tariq replied. “Only one and it will be called a Softy Mike.”
“That’s not good,” Dave said, a bad feeling coming over him, forcing his holiday mood to disappear in a huff, knowing it had now been banished for the rest of the trip.
“No it’s not,” Tariq agreed, imagining how Jim and Maddy Jones would feel about their Christmas if this happened.
“How are they going to do that?”
“I don’t know. The music started before I could hear the rest,” Tariq sighed.
“How on earth are they going to make sure that Santa Claus only gives out the Softy Mikes?” Dave said, mainly to himself.
Before they had made this journey Dave had known there was a reason why he should be here on the island of Maiti, though he hadn’t known what it was at the time. But he did — now.
“I don’t know Dave,” Tariq replied unhappily. “But we need to do something, don’t we?”
“Of course we do Tariq. It is clear, now, that this is the reason we came here; destiny has guided us.” Dave had started talking in his serious voice. “We have to make sure the children of the world get the toys they asked for from Santa, as long as they have been good, of course. Not just the ones they are given.” Dave now fully understood the gut feeling he’d had back in England, and the reason he’d promised Tariq, that using his fast skill, was the right thing to do.
“What should we do now?”
“What we do now — is wait and watch,” Dave explained. “As long as DJ Wrapper, also known as Santa Claus as we now know, is doing his stuff, then we can be sure that, when the time comes, he will be off in his sleigh delivering the right presents to the right kids. If there are any changes to his plans we will know he has been got at. But we only have nine days to do it.”
“Tremendous,” said Tariq.