Merry Christmas?

It is already December. This day, the snow is falling again. Everything was completely covered with white—the trees, houses, tall buildings, backyards, the road. The city is buried in large piles of snow, yet it remains busy because Christmas is quickly approaching. Though busy, happiness and merriment can be sensed in the atmosphere. Everyone is enjoying the moment. Okay, I take that back—maybe not everyone.

Ali’s first Christmas in Dublin had been memorable. She became acquainted with her first childhood best friend, Shan. From that Christmas on, she was accustomed to celebrating their December days together, and even their ordinary days. People would often say how they are so cute, being so attached to each other as if their worlds revolve around them and them alone.  But as time advanced and moved on, Ali and Shan became distant with each other. The two kids that were dependent on each other, grew up different from what everyone had thought they would be. They became aware of the fact that the time of building sandcastles, playing on the seesaws, running around the playground, and shooting marbles are long past them.

Ali had grown up to be a tomboyish girl capable of doing everything without even trying. She is close to everyone. Why? She’s simply perfection itself—rich, kind, generous, talented, one-of-a-kind, and totally beautiful with her green eyes, coal black hair, and porcelain-like skin. No one can find a reason to be angry with her. She’s closer to the guys considering that she’s quite tomboyish, and she’s living with her five brothers and her parents. She can’t be blamed. But don’t get it wrong. Although she’s loved by everyone, she has never gone out with anyone. Well, she is afraid of ending up hurt. Let’s put it like this—she’s been in love with her childhood friend; she just doesn’t want to admit it to herself.

            Shan became eligible for relationships. And when we say “relationship”, it is that kind of relationship wherein a guy asks a girl to be his girlfriend and such. He’s a guy, after all. That kind of thing becomes essential for the boys. Shan didn’t have a hard time making Jessica, their school’s head cheerleader (who happens to be beautiful as well), his. That’s because Shan is handsome with his blue eyes and blonde hair. Not to mention that he’s really sweet. Admit it. No girl can resist that.

            Ali’s December now isn’t as merry. Yes, Ali is supposedly enjoying this moment, considering that she is with her classmate-friends, skating around on the rink with their skating shoes. It’s just that Shan is with them, and he’s not skating. He’s just standing by the edges of the rink, flirting with Jessica. Ali can’t shake off that painful feeling she gets whenever her vision directed on that part of the rink. It gives her that feeling of being angry at the whole world. So, instead of skating free of worries and stress, she pushed her skating shoes and her skating skills to the limit. She vented out her heart aches on the ice rink. “Why am I feeling this way? What is this…?” She did all kinds of stunt while thinking over these things which amazed all the spectators. Her stunts became more and more intense; it was increasing in level. But with her current state of mind, she is most likely to fail anytime, and in any stunt. She unknowingly did the “Double Axe”, positioned her feet, threw herself in the air, and KLANK. Ali’s vision became blurry. Her body became numb. She lost control.

“Al! Al! Keep yourself together!” Ali saw Shan’s face near her. Although her vision was blurry, she could say that Shan wore a face of worry and panic—the first time she had ever saw him like that.

Shan was the first one to run to Ali when she fell. He carried her to the nearest hospital, taking deep breaths and shouting for help, even when he got inside. Ali’s mother came rushing into the hospital. She waited with Shan for the doctor to report to them about Ali’s condition.

Based on the doctor’s expression when he went out of the operating room, they inferred that Ali’s definitely safe from any death or serious situation. “She fractured her left leg. We can’t say that it’s not serious. Actually, it is serious. But we can still treat her leg. She may not be able to walk for a couple of months, but she can still regain her leg.”

Both Ali’s mother and Shan were relieved. Ali’s mother went to see Ali first. She has regained her consciousness, but obviously, not her foot. “Al, there’s another person who wants to talk with you. I need to get going now.” said her mother as she walked out the door. Ali wondered who might that be, until a tall figure with blonde hair walked into the room and approached her.

Shan kept still for a while, as if deep in thought. Then, he let out a big sigh. When he had collected his thoughts, he started,

“I am disappointed myself. First, I left you and distanced myself away from you. And now, I can’t even protect you.”

“That’s alright. You don’t have any obligation to me. I’m just your friend, like how you are friends with Ron, Seph, Troy---“

Ali was cut from saying what she was supposed to say. That moment stopped the time, and she didn’t know why. She just suddenly realized that Shan’s lips were on hers. For five seconds, that moment seemed so long to her. She was familiar with these kinds of happenings, because she likes Korean dramas, but she never ever imagined it happen to her.

“B-b-b-but you have a girl friend!”

“I already broke up with her.”

“Why so sudden?”

“Because the moment you lost your consciousness, I felt like I’m going to lose something very important. I suddenly thought that if I lose that person, I might lose my mind—no. I might lose my everything. I never would have discovered this feeling if all these didn’t happen. I mean, I know there is something whenever I looked at you, but…I never thought it was this. I didn’t know that I want to keep you free from harm, from sadness, from everything that could hurt you. I don’t want anyone else to do that for you. I want it to be me.”

Ali stared at Shan, as if trying to compel what he just said. She couldn’t get out of her daze from what Shan had just done and said. She was just so happy that she got injured this day. Ali was able to receive the best Christmas gift she could ever wish for, even on the Christmas she thought would be the least merry of all.