A Magical Christmas Collection 2022

The Tree

There was no miracle tree anywhere in this world. It was only in legend and in myth, Eunjoo reminded herself. But she knew it was foolish, she was the foolish one looking for the miracle tree on Christmas evening. A miracle, something that would be amazing if it'd chosen her. When she thought about her troubles, and there was no one to share it with, she felt small and invisible. It couldn't be that difficult to ask for a pair of listening ears that would make her comfortable enough to tell it everything.

The miracle tree. She heard from the group of young adults she passed the other day when she was job hunting out in the streets. Maybe her eavesdropping skills wasn't the sharpest because she couldn't find anything close to that miracle tree they bragged highly of. She visited four famous shopping squares, but none had that miracle tree. Just a normal Christmas tree in the middle of the shopping center, closed off, only for photo-taking purposely.

No miracles, she knew. Deep down she held onto that last hope, maybe that was why she spent her whole Christmas searching. But now, reality checked her. She should head home. Home, resume, bills, and job-hunting were her reality. She turned toward the way home and a gust of wind kissed her face and shoveled her hair around. She turned to face the wind to keep her hair out of her face.

Whistling. The sound of mouth whistling traveled with the wind. A soft gentle melody. The sound led her body.

Her feet stopped at the shopping square. A hidden square. A small place but the red and gold Christmas tree was bigger than the larger square she'd been to. Golden stanchions with red velvety ropes lined toward a small stage. People lined neatly along it. Eunjoo took slow measured steps toward the stage.

She asked the staff at the beginning of the line, "What is this line for?"

"The Miracle Tree."

That moment, everything in Eunjoo's body escaped. Heart, mind, and soul. Body and spirit. If that many people came to make a wish, could it all possibly be granted? What was the chance of her tiny wish amongst thousands of others?

Yet, she remained in line and patiently moved along, inching closer to the stage.

The two male staffs behind the table each handed her an item. A strip of paper and a red ornament. One told her to write her wish, rolled it up, put it inside the ornament, and hung it on the tree for a miracle to happen.

She even prayed each night, but nothing was granted. This was a childish activity for Christmas spirit. So Eunjoo wrote on the strip:

Someone cute and handsome who would listen to me.

Eunjoo rolled it up and asked the staff, "Do you have a ribbon?"

He searched quickly behind their boxes of inventory and turned to her with a string in his hand. "We only have a red string."

Eunjoo snatched it from his hand, "Thank you." She left the stage to complete her ornament. She was excited at her silliness to participate in the Christmas spirit and missed the concerned look on his face.

"I'm in trouble," he mouthed, watching Eunjoo's back with pleading eyes.

The male next to him leaned in, "How dare you give Jooheon's red string away?"

He trembled as he watched Eunjoo circled the tree a few times, tip-toped and hung it on the tree. Snow started to fall. "I'm doomed."

Eunjoo left the square. Aside from the miracle tree, there wasn't any other activities or shop opened. Eunjoo looked up into the sky as the snow fell more and more. Shall I take this as a good sign? Eunjoo didn't understand why, the day was cleared of snow, but it snowed after she hung her ornament.