Albertha walked briskly through the thickening snow. Icicles hung from the mountain tops like fine lace on a white wedding gown. It was Christmas Eve in the small town of Jasper Alberta and there was only one store that would remain open that day. She must hurry before it  too was closed. Her mother was sick with a virus and was running a terrible fever. She needed medicine. Cough elixir and vapour rub.  Her father, a  Canadian Mounty, had been called away on duty and wouldn’t be home for hours. Because her family actually lived in a bungalow inside Jasper National Park the township was actually quite some distance. On the way, she would have to pass the house of one Myrna Larcombe, the most popular girl in school and a bully. For years Myrna had bullied Albertha mercilessly. Not only on account of her name, which had been chosen because her father had wanted a boy named Albert and her mother wanted a berth on the next ship out of Alberta, but because Albertha also had rather a large nose. The bulb tip of her nose would go very red in the cold and this was, of course, a major embarrassment to an otherwise very pretty girl.  It was red now in fact. Oh God how she hoped Myrna would not be looking out of the front window as she passed by her house on the hill.

Picking up the pace with her breath creating pockets of steam in the thick snowy mists, Albertha tried to duck down as she went past Myrna’s big sophisticated mountain mansion. But it was too late. Myrna , who had been putting lights on the Christmas tree on the front verandah with her friends, had noticed something moving behind her front fence.

Albertha’s brown woolly coat was mistaken for a bear. Myrna screamed. An unearthly, blood curdling type of scream.  Poor Albertha lost her balance and fell over. As Myra and the others tentatively approached, Albertha picked herself up, brushed off the snow, and started to run.  Realising who she was they all ran after her taunting her with… “Hey Bertha Big nose where you going? Come back Bertha Beak maybe you could light up our tree with your shiny red nose bulb?”

Albertha kept running and they kept running after her until the brightly lit main street of Jasper came into view. Whew! thought  Albertha. “I see it. Its  still open. I can make it.” She virtually stumbled toward the doorstep of the chemist /gift shop which was still open for business.

Just as she did so there was a huge grumbling sound and everything began to shake.  It was an avalanche.  Myrna and her friends turned back in the nick of time and ran  back the way they had come, but Albertha froze to the spot. She couldn’t turn back. The avalanche had blocked the road and had barely missed demolishing the store. Thank goodness it had only been a small one.

The owners and their two staff members busily checked for damage and were too frantic to notice that a frightened deer had wandered inside looking for some place safe to hide. The poor thing was limping. Albertha, who had a way with animals, wandered in after it.  The deer saw her and ran straight back out onto the road. A car was driving toward it. Headlights beaming.  The deer stared straight into the headlights and stopped. The driver put on the brakes just in time.  A man with a very red nose got out of the car.

It was Albertha’s father. He’d stopped to see if he had hit the poor animal which was now shaking beyond control. Imagine his surprise in finding Albertha there. He and Albertha together ran toward it and Albertha knelt down,  cradling it in her arms, while her father fetched a blanket from the car.

“You wrap this blanket around it and wait here whilst I go in and get the medicine,” Her father said. “We’ll have to go home the long way round.”

Albertha did as he said and tried to calm the poor creature.

“Don’t worry little one. My father will know exactly what to do.You’re safe with us. Oh my goodness you are so cold.” she said, and rubbed its ears. As she did this its nose began to change colour from black to brown.

By the time her father returned with the medicine the deer’s nose was a dull purple. Was it frost bite, hypothermia or did the deer also have the flu?

Together they picked up the deer and carried it to the car.

“Home we go.” said Albertha’s dad as he put the key in the ignition.  There was no sound. He tried again. No sound. The engine had died.

“What’ll we do?” Albertha asked. “Mother is so sick and this poor little deer is still shaking.”

“I’ll call the station. There must be someone on duty.”

Just then at that very moment there was the sound of bells.  Lots of bells becoming louder and louder coming straight toward them. The deer nuzzled Albertha and shook off the blanket. Its nose was red. Bright red.  Albertha looked out of the rear window and there flying over the mountain tops was Santa in his sleigh with five reign deer.

“Somehow dad I don’t think that will be necessary.”

They watched in awe as Santa swerved toward them and landed his sleigh right in front of them. Alberta’s father put on the brakes suddenly. Santa came toward them. His eyes focused on the reindeer in Albertha’s arms.

“Rudolph I’ve been searching all over for you.Where on earth have you been?”

Albertha released the reindeer and Rudolph went straight to Santa who hugged him with glee.

Securing Rudolph to his rightful place at the front of the sleigh, Santa motioned for Albertha and her father to climb in and off they went over the roofs of the little shops, over the snow capped mountain peaks, over the deep valleys, over Myrna Larcomb’s mountain mansion and over Albertha’s own front gate landing on the lawn.

Myrna and her friends had gone straight to Albertha’s house to wait for her return hoping that Santa would be there too. In fact Myrna was so excited when the sleigh landed that she nearly wet her pants. Albertha was surprised too for Myrna and her little gang had never bothered to visit before.  Suddenly Myrna raced over to her as she got out of the sleigh and gave her a great big hug as if they had been friends for years. Albertha pulled away first.

Santa noticed. Santa noticed everything. He got out of his sleigh and walked toward them with his sack of presents over his shoulder.

” Tell me Myrna Larcombe. Have you been naughty or nice this year?”

“I’ve been very nice. Always. I’m always nice.” She replied.

Santa looked into his sack and then winked at Albertha.

“Nope. Nothing here with your name on it.” Santa replied. “Maybe next year.”

With that he hopped back into the sleigh pulled on the reigns, jingled all the little bells, and off he went high into the sky and disappeared once more into the clouds.

Albertha’s mother came out onto the front porch and her father followed her back into the house.

“Coming Albertha? ”

Albertha smiled and followed. Myrna and the others started for the gate.

Just before reaching the front door Albertha turned back and took off her warm woolly scarf.

” This is for you Myrna. Merry Christmas.”

Myrna accepted the scarf and wore it all the way home.

To this very day Myrna still wears the scarf and shares tea and Christmas cake with her oldest friend Albertha in her great big mountain mansion on the hill.

By Renee Dallow.