Page 13 - aruba-today-20201128

CLASSIFIED Saturday 28 November 2020
A13

In Santa's mailbag, a HEALTH

peek into children's DOCTOR ON DUTY

Oranjestad
pandemic worries Hospital 7:00 pm / 10:00pm
Tel. 527 4000
LIBOURNE, France (AP) — region that has been han-
Jim, from Taiwan, slipped a dling his mail since 1962. San Nicolas
face mask inside the greet- Toiling out of sight among Imsan 24 hours
ing card he sent to Santa vineyards, his secretariat Tel.524 8833
and marked "I (heart) u." of workers (who call them- Women in Difficulties
Alina, 5, asked in her Santa selves "elves") spends the PHARMACY ON DUTY
letter written with an adult's months of November and Oranjestad:
help that he please use the December slicing open Sta. Cruz Tel. 585 6890
front door when he drops envelopes decorated with A postal worker dressed as Santa, talks with co-workers who call San Nicolas:
in, because the back door hearts, stickers and colors, themselves "Elves" as they open envelopes addressed to "Pere Centro Medico Tel. 584 5794
Noel" - Father Christmas in French - decorated with love hearts,
Women in Difficulties
is reserved for Grandma and spreading Santa mag- stickers and glitter, in Libourne, southwest France, Monday, Nov. OTHER
and Grandpa to minimize ic by responding on his be- 23, 2020. Dental Clinic 587 9850
their risk of contamination. half. Associated Press Blood Bank Aruba 587 0002
And spilling out her heavy From the first letters opened Urgent Care 586 0448
little heart to "Dear Father at the secretariat from Nov. pleas for toys and gadgets demic in some way, Hajji Walk-In Doctor’s Clinic
Christmas," 10-year-old 12, it quickly became ap- were also requests for vac- says. q +297 588 0539
Lola wrote that she is wish- parent how the pandemic cines, for visits from grand- Women in Difficulties
ing "that my aunt never has is weighing on children, parents, for life to return to EMERGENCY
cancer again and that this says the chief elf, Jamila the way it was. One letter Police 100
virus no longer exists." Hajji. Along with the usual in three mentions the pan- Oranjestad 527 3140
"My mother is a care-giver Noord 527 3200
and sometimes I am scared Sudoku Sta. Cruz 527 2900
584 5000
San Nicolas
for her," Lola explained, Police Tipline 11141
signing off her handwritten Ambulancia 911
letter with, "Take care of Fire Dept. 115
yourself Father Christmas, Red Cross 582 2219
and of the Elves."
The emotional toll wrought TAXI SERVICES
by the pandemic is jump- Taxi Tas 587 5900
Prof. Taxi
588 0035
ing off pages in the deluge Taxi D.T.S. 587 2300
of "Dear Santa" letters now Taxi Serv. Aruba 583 3232
pouring into a post office in A1 Taxi Serv. 280 2828
southwest France that sorts Women in Difficulties
and responds to his mail TRAVEL INFO
from around the world.
Arriving by the tens of thou- Aruba Airport 524 2424
sands, the letters, notes American Airlines 582 2700
588 0059
Avianca
and cards — some mere Jet Blue 588 2244
scribbles, other elaborate Surinam 582 7896
labors of love in colored Women in Difficulties
pens — are revealing win- AID FOUNDATIONS
dows into the tender minds
of their young authors, and FAVI- Visually Impaired
of adult Santa fans also Tel. 582 5051
asking for respite and hap- Solution on Page 14 Alcoholics Anonymous
piness, at the tail end of a Tel. 736 2952
year of sickness and tumult. Narcotics Anonymous
Tel. 583 8989
Like this letter from young Women in Difficulties
Zoe, who limited her re- Tel. 583 5400
quests to a music player Centre for Diabetes
and amusement park tick- Tel. 524 8888
ets because "this year has Child Abuse Prevention
been very different from Tel. 582 4433
others because of COV- Quota Club Tel. 525 2672
ID-19." Women in Difficulties
"That's why I am not asking General Info
you for many thing(s) to Phone Directory Tel. 118
avoid infection," Zoe wrote,
signing off with "Merci!" and
a heart.
In theory, and often in prac-
tice, any letter addressed
"Pere Noel" — French for
Father Christmas — and
slipped into any post box
around the world is likely to
wend its way to the sorting
office in France's Bordeaux