7th of December. 18days to Christmas. 
Fire Place.

He stared at the dancing flames. 
It was dancing. 
How the orange flames did a little skip to the left, twirled around, and crouched back into the core of the fire and bounced back up.

He gave a small chuckle at the thought of it as he sipped his hot coffee. It was a long and cold night.

It was the night that he dreads every year, well maybe for two years already.  
7th December. 
This day has haunted him. 
The reminder of the date left his heart burnt. 
It was almost as if the flames has jumped up and caught on to his heart and burn it alive. 

He shut his eyes tightly as he tries to overcome that pain. 

He was in an old cafe, the oldest in town. 
It was a cozy little cafe with a huge fireplace in the middle. 
Comfy sofa were settled around the fireplace, its usually where conversations starts going and friendships starts building in the neighbourhood. 

But... he only comes and sits at this chair on 7th November night. 
With her. 

But now,.. it's just him. 

He took another sip of the coffee. 
Yes, he was in for another sleepless night if he was to indulge in this caffeinated beverage. 

A little boy ran across the room after shouting at a plump woman, " I HATE YOU! " and ran to sit on one of the sofas, at a  suitable distance from him. 
Actually, out of the five sofa, only the both of them were occupying. 

G.O gave a glance at that little boy. 
He looked no more than seven years old.. 
And.. he just expressed his hatred on a winter night? 
What a boy.. 

He looked out in the window, that was just perfect in front of his vision, as he only needs to turn his head slightly. 

It's snowing. 
She would have grabbed his hand and comment on how pretty snow is.. 
How both of them should have a  night walk under the falling snow. 
How... 
He closed his eyes again. 
Why is it so painful to remember anything about her? 
He haven't celebrated anything much for two years, let alone the coming christmas.. 

He sighed. 

" Ahjussi.. " the little boy called out. 
He broke off his thoughts and stared at him who mysteriously started a conversation, " Yes? " 

" Am I.. disturbing you? " that little boy gave a concerned face. 
G.O. chuckled, he must have thought the sigh was venting annoyance on the little boy's arrival. 
" Not at all... Go ahead, make yourself comfortable. " 

G.O. leaned back as he tries to sink into the sofas.. 
Hopefully he would feel more comforted. 

" I hate her.. " that little boy muttered under his breath. 
G.O broke off his thoughts again. 
Maybe, it would be a great distraction to entertain this little boy. 

"Why? " 
 

That little boy was stunned, he didn't expect this adult would give him attention. 
He never got much attention from adults anyway. 

That little boy rubbed his nose, " Because.. she made me believe there's Santa. " 

G.O stared, wide-eyed at this young boy. 
" You... don't believe in Santa??" 

That little boy shook his head instantly. 

G.O stared into space, when he was younger, he wasn't much a believer of stories of Santa.. 
But.. he never had that firm answer. 

" Why...? " G.O cautiously asked. 

That little boy pondered, it was interesting to see his changing face as he thinks. 

" I..had never receive presents. " 

G.O suppress that urge to chuckle. 
It would hurt that little boy further. 

" Just because you didn't receive presents, doesn't mean Santa isn't real.." G.O questioned himself hard if he was to say the next line.. but no harm...right??, " Were you naughty? " 

That little boy defensively replied back, " NEVER!" 

G.O was taken aback.. 

That little boy continued, " I.. eat my meals well, I didn't waste a single grain of rice. Even when the big bully.. Hong.. " that boy stared at G.O for a while.. before continuing with his eyes fixed on the dancing flames, " that.. boy beat me, I didn't fight back.. I was really good for two whole years. He, " that boy stared at G.O, " Santa never gave me presents. " 

"Did you tell your parents about him beating you? " 

That little boy shot back, " I.. don't have parents. I'm an.. Or..fan.. ofan" he struggled with the pronouciation. 
And.. G.O 's heart hurt for the second reason for the night, and helped him by correcting his pronouciation.
" It's Or-phan. "  

In an attempt to change the subject, 
" So... you think Santa is just a guy who passes presents to good boy?? " 

" Isn't it? " he stared at G.O quizzically. 

The irony lies at how G.O attempts to convince this little boy when he never did believe in Santa when he was younger. 
But.. somehow he felt a connection to this little boy. He needs to help him. 
But he has to be cautious, he knows Santa isn't real. 
That's what all adults learn to find out as they grow older
But maybe, just maybe, there's more to just a jolly ol' white-bearded old man giving presents. 

He sets his coffee down on the side table, 
" I think, Santa is a person. A kind person. Any boy, Any Man, Any Girl, Any Woman, even your grandma, can be Santa. " 

" Huh...? " that little boy instantly commented. 

G.O chuckled, " Santa, to me, is a person who loves to spread joy around, give presents, love, care and concern for people during this festive season. The Christmas Spirit, " G.O animatedly gestured. 

He has the little boy's attention. 

" And a gift, may not be a physical present, it can be something that only felt by the heart, like Friendship, Love... " 

That little boy nodded, " So.. Ahjussi believes in Santa?" 

G.O was caught stunned, " I.. I believe everyone can be Santa.. " 

That little boy nodded, he seems really mature for his age. 

" Ahjussi, ... if you believe in Santa.. well.. everyone can be Santa, why aren't you joining the party? " he pointed at the crowd behind him. 

His heart hurts at the remembrance of the reason why he was seated here. 

No harm.. telling a boy right? 

" How old are you? " 
" Six. " He brought up six fingers. 

" I'm not sure if you understand, but you can try.. I had a wife, a woman I loved, " G.O slowly explained with his eyes glued on the dancing flames. 
" She.. " he could feel it, that lump growing in his throat. 
"She left me two years ago, on this date, " he glanced at his watch, how can he ever forget the time, "twenty minutes before 9pm."

"She left?!"

"She.. died.. "

"How did she die? "

G.O shot him a glare, is this boy kidding?

"She... died when I wasn't around, she chose to leave me without telling me that she was really sick. "

He shut his eyes again.
That was the worst night in his whole life.
The doctors had called him, but he was on the plane,
When he has landed in Korea.
It was too late.

How could he have not know that she was sick?
He.. didn't noticed how frail she has gotten, how much weight she has lost...
How tired she always look,... he.. was always about work.
Work and Work.

She has suffered.
They didn't even had a child yet.
He took a deep breath.
No crying, no crying, you have promised.

That little boy was thinking, and words rolled out of his mouth, " Ahjussi,..  Does she love you? " 

"W-What? " 

" My Ofan Mama, " absolutely noticing his pronouciation error, " told me that my mama and dada left me cause they didn't love me. " 
His voice grew softer. 

"Does she love you? " He repeated again. 

Honestly he resented her decision. 
She should have told him.
MBLAQ may be busy with promotions but never too busy to leave her to die alone. 
Let her face through everything alone. 
How does that makes him? 
And.. now he is living in guilt. 
Does she loves him at all? 

"But you know.. I believe my mama and dada didn't leave me because they hate me... " he was slightly squirming, he was probably collecting his emotions to not cry. 

" I believe they love me, they love me so they left me with Ofan Mama.. " 

He couldn't bear it, tears were rolling off his litttle cheeks. 
G.O's heart was wrenching. 

" I believe, she loved me so she leave me too, " he whispered as he patted the young boys back to calm him down. 
He hugged the little boy, it was a cold night for the both of them. 
But how funny that both of them confide each other into their problems. 

And how adorable this little boy was trying to help G.O to overcome his pain, 
Just like how G.O helped him to believe in Santa. 

G.O smiled. 
She must be watching over the both of them. 
And maybe, where ever this little boy's parents are, they are also watching over him. 

After the little boy has stopped crying, and perhaps a few munchies of marshmellows. 
G.O broke the silence, " Hey,.. " 
That little boy looked up, " Thank you for being my Santa " G.O winked. 

That little boy pondered a while, he beamed,  he walked towards G.O and gave him a hug. 

" I believe you're my Santa too. " 

 

No fluffy love story, a little sad... 
But I was inspired after watching the Movie: Polar Express. 

Seeing is believing, but sometimes, the real things in life, cannot be seen, but only be felt. 
Happy Holidays ;D