[December, 2041]

Here I am once again, sitting on the bench in the memorial park. The leaves started to greet me, and I could only sigh. This is still fall. The wind blew harder and flew the leaves, made the world seemed dying. Like yesterday and the other yesterday, I closed my eyes. Hoped that when I opened it, all the leaves will change into something I really want to see. Maybe, this action is a bit childish, based on my age that has stepped on the end of 50s; but someone told me that I have to believe this kind of small things before I could believe in this big world.

TIK!

I opened my eyes, could see a white yet cold thing on my semi-white hair. Then the ‘tik’ voice started to getting louder and louder as that white and cold things started to slid one by one from the sky. The curve of smile appeared on my face, as I jumped happily. This is always been the happiest day in my entire life. Every happiest moments in my head started to playing again, as I chuckled at how happy that times was.

. . .Flashback. . .

[December, 1994]

Today is saddest day for me. My dad just passed out because of his heart-attack and when my mom knew it, the police said to me that she suicided not a long time after my dad died. I knew that I’m too young to understand all of this, but the reality is I’m mature enough to understand everything. I understand that my dad and mom had gone from this bad world forever. I understand that now I’m in the orphanage, the place where every kids that lost his parents would live.

TIK!

Something white and cold from the sky fell down into my hair. Do my parents miss me? Used to my mother always said to me if something white and cold from the sky (which I knew is the snow) is falling down, it means that someone is missing me. Later I knew that what my mother said was lying, but let’s now pretend that I believe what my mom said, because I am missing them so much. I still could remember clearly how the warm hand that my dad have; was teaching me how to ride a bike; or how soft the voice that my mother have; was waking me up to go to school.

Then the wet things fell down into my cheek. I knew that this isn’t snow. This is the tears of mine. The tears of loneliness. “Hello, there?”

I erased my tears as I heard someone’s voice. Turned out to be the kid that seemed to be from the same orphanage. “Are you crying?” He saw me with his small eyes, examining my face. I shook my head as he moved to sit beside me. “Don’t lie to me, noona. Every adults always said that they weren’t crying and they always pretended to be strong. But, in fact, they aren’t as strong as us and always finished their problem by taking an absurd way.”

I couldn’t help but widened my mouth to be ‘O’ shaped. He’s still very young, but his way of talking is like he’s in the college. “Y-your parents. . .?”

He smiled blankly before looked at me perfectly. “Yes, they were. Two days ago. Suicided. Just like your mom, right noona?” Before I could ask again, he interrupted me. “I heard—about your parents from Mrs. Lee, the head of this orphanage.”

“What’s your name?” I asked, ruffled his soft hair. “Jang Wooyoung. And you, noona?” He asked, gave me a curious-look. “Sandara Park. And how old are you? You seem still pretty young.”

“This year is five.” He answered, made me widened my eyes again. “You’re younger than me by five years!” I said, more surprise by the reality he’s still too young to lose everything. “So, noona is ten? Really?! You’re not seem that old.” He said, examining my face once again. I just replied him by a smile, unsure to spoke anything. With the snowy day, now I could feel relieved by the reality that I’m not the poorest person in this poor world.

[December, 1999]

Today is the same month as five years ago. But now I was sitting here, with the smile on my face. That day was the worst day in my life, but that day was also the beginning day for me to growing up my confident. Now, I’m not a mushy kid anymore. I am Sandara Park—the teenage girl that will change the prepectives of every parents of this world. I couldn’t let them to suicided and leaved their little children, like what my parents did to me. And thanks to Wooyoung—the bright and smart kid that I’ve met five years ago.

 His wonderful words made me realized how ridiculous I am. I always thought that I was in the small and narrow cage, and I couldn’t run away from that thick and heavy cage. But, in fact, I was outside the cage, and my mind was the one who enter that cage, trapped me with the loniless of sadness and despair. But five years ago, I started to take my mind back and now, I have a dream to destroy that cage. And thanks again for that kid.

“Noona.” His voice always made me realized how younger he is. His elementary uniform still on his body, make him looked cuter. “How are your first day in the high school?” He asked, sat beside me. “Like usual. The different part is the amount of the homework get bigger and bigger.”

We both laughed.

“Today is the 5^th anniversary of your parents’ death, right noona? What’s your plan today?” He asked again, eyed me carefully. “I don’t have any plan. My only plan is sitting here all day, waiting for the snow.” I answered, smiled weakly to him. “Do you want me to accompany you here?”

“Sure, Wooyoungie. You always do it for the last five years we have met.” We both laughed again, then looked at the sky impatiently. “Why don’t you close your eyes, noona? When you open it, I’m sure that the snow will fall down.”

I chuckled at how cute he is. Eventhough he looks more mature than the age he is, he is still the kiddo that need attention and affection. “Don’t stare me like that, noona. My word before isn’t something childish.” He said, as if he was reading my mind. I frowned, didn’t understand his word at all. “Sometimes, if you want to believe this big world, you have to believe this kind of small things first.” Then here I am once again, surprised at how mature his words now. I nodded and closed my eyes.

One minutes. . .

Two minutes. . .

Five minutes. . .

Ten minutes. . .

TIK!

The white and cold snow greeted me. I opened my eyes, just to see the snow started to dropping. I laughed happily at him, who was smiling at me. “See, noona? Actually, closing your eyes doesn’t make the snow fall down faster; but when you believe it, even the most impossible things will be possible, right?” I nodded, once again amazed with his words. “Wooyoung-ah! Jang Wooyoung!” I could hear Mrs. Lee’s voice was getting closer as she appeared in our sight. “Wooyoung-ah, you have to come back to the orphanage now. You will have a new parents! Is that good?”

We exchanged the stare, before he nodded to Mrs. Lee and ran to the orphanage. Slowly I followed him from the back, walking with Mrs.Lee.“Mrs. Lee.” I called her as she turned his head to mine, hinted me to speak more. “Will Wooyoung move to other place? So, we will never meet again?” Slowly, the tears started to fall down into my cheek again. Mrs. Lee sighed and hugged me warmly. “The farewell will always heavy to be passed, Dara. But, it’s for his goodness; so we have to let it be.”

For the past five years, I have promised to not crying anymore. But now, remembering that my little hero has to leave, made me couldn’t control myself. Actually, I couldn’t describe what kind of feeling I felt now, because I myself confused with it. He’s the kid I spent for already five years. He’s also the one who make me stronger. He’s the one that comfort me when I’m sad. He’s the one who always give me the power through his words. And he’s the one who always accompany me whenever the snow started to falling. We met in the winter, so do we have to said goodbye in the winter too?

[December, 2002]

“It’s okay, noona. Just believe yourself and believe me. I promised myself that this time will never be our last time, and we will meet again, someday.”

I remembered clearly that, that words was the last words he said to me. But I believed him. I always wait for him, in every breath that I passed. And today is my third times to seeing the snow alone. Like last year and the last last year ago, I closed my eyes again. But now, my hope is bigger. I’m not just waiting for the snow. I’m waiting for him too. When I opened my eyes, the snow always greeted me, but there still no him. And I’m never as happy as I used to felt before when seeing the snow. I am happy, but there’s still something missing in my heart. Something that I will and always believe.

But when I open my eyes this time, and I still couldn’t see him, I started to cry. Is he lying at me? He said that when we believe, something that the most impossible will be possible, so why doesn’t he in here? Today, I will leave this orphanage. A rich family who didn’t have any children, wanted to adopt me, and there’s no reason I have to say no to them. So, here I am. In the bench of the park behind the orphanage again, waiting for the last time for him. Mrs. Lee said to me that I have to move to Seoul, because my new family live in Seoul.

“Dara?” Mrs. Lee’s voice greeted me again. “Let’s go now.” I nodded as stood up and secretly saying goodbye to this memorial park. Can I feel the snow again now?

[December, 2011]

The smile appeared on my face as I touched the old bench. Cold, but full of meaning. I sat down in that bench, let my work clothes got wet, but I didn’t mind it. The memory started to fill my brain once again. Remembered back then as how the ten years Sandara Park was, cried and trapped on the sadness and despair. But now, I am the twenty-seven Sandara, who was being the most famous motivator, not just in South Korean, but all over the world. Back then, I’m just the pity orphanaged kid; until I met someone who changed me one hundred and eighty deegres. He was the one who make me stand on my position now. And, after the last 12 years we met, I still couldn’t find him.

I closed my eyes and then after a while, I opened it. Smiling when seeing the snow again fell down into my hair. “Noona.” I smiled weakly at how clearly I still could remember his voice. “Noona?” I blinked for a second, then turned my head. Just to see the man with the coat, taller enough to make me lifted my head just to saw his face, and he was smiling confidently at me.

“Remember what I’ve told you, noona. We will meet again, someday.” Slowly the tears started to fall down again into my cheek. He smiled again then wiped the tears on my cheek and sat down beside me, like used to he always did. “Don’t be a mushy girl, noona. . .”

“It’s better if I use the power I have—to help someone?”

I interrupted him, remembered the words he said to me a long long years ago. Then he chuckled and placed his head to my shoulder, spread his arm so that the snow would fall into his arm. “Childish.” I commented, pinched his cheek. He chuckled again, and faced me directly. “I am still a child, noona.” He protested, showed me the best smile that I always missed very much. The smile that showed his upper teeth, and somehow his teeth make him cuter than ever. “You’re twenty-two now, Wooyoungie.” I corrected him, pinched his cheek once again.

He pouted, and then faced me again. “Then, am I mature enough to do this now?”

Before I could speak more, his lips has touched mine gently. First I was to shocked to do anything, but then I started enjoy it, as replied his kiss. We kissed for so long that I could feel the snow has fell down so heavy this year. Then he broke the kiss, smiled at me. The smile that I will never refused of. His right hand busy with his pocket, until I could see the small box from his right hand. Slowly he opened the box, as I widened my eyes. He took the content of the box and then held my hand. Placed it into my ring finger.

“You don’t even ask my permission to do this yet, Jang Wooyoung.” I said as pouted. He laughed and whispered something through my ears, made me feel the butterflies in my stomach.

. . .Back to present. . .

[December, 2041]

Here I am once again, sitting on the bench in the memorial park. The leaves started to greet me, and I could only sigh. This is still fall. The wind blew harder and flew the leaves, made the world seemed dying. Like yesterday and the other yesterday, I closed my eyes. Hoped that when I opened it, all the leaves will change into something I really want to see. Maybe, this action is a bit childish, based on my age that has stepped on the end of 50s; but someone told me that I have to believe this kind of small things before I could believe in this big world.

TIK!

I opened my eyes, could see a white and yet cold thing on my semi-white hair. Then the ‘tik’ voice started to getting louder and louder as that white and cold things started to slid one by one from the sky. The curve of smile appeared on my face, as I laughed happily. This is always been the happiest day in my entire life.

“I do it, because I believe it. I’m sure that someone has told you that you have to believe this kind of small things before believing in this big world, right?”

His words started to replay on my head once again. Gigled to remember that again now. “Noona.” I smiled as I saw him walked to approach me, slowly. “You still want to call me ‘noona’ with your age, grandpa?” I asked, . He laughed and sat down, placed his head on my shoulder. “I am still fifty-two, noona. You’re the one who I have to call ‘grandma’.”

We both laughed, once again.

“Promise to always believe in me?” He gave his little-finger. Actually I didn’t understand with his word, but I rolled his little-finger with mine. “Good, then. You have to believe that this time will never be our last time, and we will meet again. . . someday.” He said to me, the words he said to me forty-two years ago. “Wooyoungie, why do you say that suddenly?” I asked, moved his body from my shoulder.

Then, I widened my eyes, just to see Wooyoung’s body slid into my lap. His eyes is closed perfectly. The wrink on his handsome and cute face didn’t make any impact as how perfect they are. He was the one who make my world changed. And he is the one until now.

Slowly I ruffled his cheek then closed my eyes, believed that when I opened it, I would see him again—someday. 

END

Sorry for the grammar error... Like I've always said, English isn't my first language and I just finished the story in two hours, so sorry if there's any wrong in my story. Once again, please appreciate my story by comments and subcribes. Thanks! :D