1 week before christmas…

 

The cool breeze from outside could be feel, brushing over his cheek and hair. He was busy jotting down everything been written by his lecturer on the board. His classmates were also doing the same. All of them were very focused because they did not want to miss a single thing.

 

“Please read page 48 till 50. And then complete Task A and Task B. Submit to me in next class. Thanks all for today. See you in the next class.” Mr. Luke packed all his stuff and leave the class. That was the last class of the day. He finished his notes and then packed his stuffs.

 

“Hey Josh… Any plan for this weekend?” His best friend, Junhyung pat him on the shoulder.

 

“I don’t think so… Why?” he replied.

 

“Let’s go to my house. Let’s finish the game, bruh.”

 

“Swagggg… Yeah sure. I’ll bring some snacks.”

 

“That’s my bro…”

 

“You have any plan for this christmas?”

 

“Well yeah.. My mum plans to bring me for a skate. She likes skating. You want to join us?”

 

“No thanks. I’ll be in my room playing games.”

 

“How will you find a girl then if you’re always with the game?” Joshua teased.

 

“Who said I don’t have a girl? I found myself one.” Junhyung said it proudly.

 

“The girl from the game you meant?”

 

“Yeah indeed. It’s been 3 days.” he said proudly.

 

“Oh wow. Interesting. Good luck, bruh.” Joshua replied and chuckled.

 

After a short while of walking, he arrived home. His house was a stone throw away from his college. Joshua placed his bag on the sofa and headed to the kitchen.

 

“Omma?” he searched for his mother.

 

“Eh? Where’s omma?”

 

“Shua yah~ I’m at the back here, honey.” He heard her mum calling from outside.

 

“Hello honey. How’s the day?” she asked while doing her yoga.

 

“Great. As usual. By the way mum, I’m going to Junhyung’s house this weekend.”

 

“Sure honey. You hungry? There’s chicken pie in the kitchen.” she said while stretching her legs.

 

“Ok.. Thanks omma. I’ll be in my room. I need a small nap. It is such a tiring day.”

 

“Ok honey. Don’t forget your lunch.” Joshua went to the kitchen and took some chicken pies.

 

“This is…the best. Omma’s chicken pie is indeed the best.” he said while stuffing more chicken pie in his mouth. He went upstairs and landed on his bed. A few moments later, he fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

It was raining cats and dogs outside. The day seemed moody. He could hear the strong wind along with thunder from outside. The leaves from the trees kept hitting the window as the strong winds kept pushing the leaves. Joshua went to the window and closed the window. The floor was little bit slippery and wet. That must have been the rain water, he thought. Joshua shook his head and closed another window next to him. He looked around him. He just realized that he was not in his room. That was not his house. Where was that? What place was that? He never been there before. How he reached there? Is this some kind of dream? He was in someone’s living room. Quite big and cozy than his house. He went outside of the living room. There was no one there. He would be dead if someone saw him. They would think that he was a thief! A handsome thief, he thought. He realized that he was entering the kitchen of that house. Wow… They really have a big kitchen. He amazed for awhile. He fancy the kitchen a lot but then he came to his sense. He need to find the way out from the house before he got caught.

 

He saw a door at the end of the kitchen. He thought that must be the way out from the house. He slowly went to the door; afraid that if he might make any noise. But, he was startled by a voice, a crying voice of a girl. For awhile, he thought that was a ghost. It sounded spooky when the cries of the girl are as cold as the wind outside; along with the thunder and heavy rains. He got goosebumps. The girl was sobbing really hard and the voice seemed not far from him. Actually, it was right next to the exit door. The door was not fully shut. Joshua planned to peek a little bit into the room. There was no one in there! He gasped. He shook his head for awhile.

 

“Ghost does not exist, you babo!” he thought to himself.

 

He was about to ignore the sound of a girl crying. But, why it sounded so sad? It was like the sadness of that person was streaming down in his blood and into his heart. He reached out his hand to open the door. It was a store. But, there was no one there. He searched around the room. There was nothing interesting in there. Just some old things and broken things. Maybe the owner of the house did not want to throw all those things and kept it in the store.

 

But then, he seemed to catch a figure of a girl sitting at the corner of the room, beside the rack. She was still crying while hugging her knees.

 

“Is she the maid of this house?” he thought.

 

The girl was wearing a faded red dress. It looked so old that Joshua thought her mom would used that dress to wipe the dirt or wipe their house windows. Her hair seemed messy and she won’t stop crying. Joshua walked slowly towards her and seemed like she did not realized his presence. In front of her, there was a frame of picture and he saw a picture of a man with a little girl.

 

“Who are they?” he thought.

 

“Appa… I miss you…” she said and sobbing.

 

“They didn't love me…” she said again.

 

She reached out her hand. Joshua gasped. He could see some bruises on her elbow. She cried again. Is she in pain, he thought to himself. Beside her, he saw a plate and a mug. It was only a plain bread and a mug of cold water.

 

 

“It hurts appa… It hurts a lot.” he heard she talked again. She looked at her bruises and sobbed again.

 

“I hope you’re here… I’m hungry. You would cook my favorite food if you were here. Appa, I miss you…” she kept saying that she missed her father. And finally, she fell asleep. Joshua stared at her face. Who would treated this pity girl this badly?