A few months had passed; Pilkyo was still in his wooden form. The boy who owned him always treated him bad. He hit Pilkyo onto a rock, threw him onto the ground, stepped on him a hundred times, and even drowned him in the river. Every night, he would cry and cry, wishing to be forgiven, wishing to turn back to human. He could not live like that any longer. He missed his parents, his family, and his old life. But of course, being a wooden doll, no tears came out, and even his voice couldn’t be heard.

It was almost Christmas. That was what Pilkyo thought; when he saw it started snowing. He didn’t stop wishing, hoping, praying for someone to help him. One night, while Pilkyo was trying to sleep, he saw a bright light blinking up in the sky. He knew it was a big star. He spoke his wish, as sincere as he could.

“Please turn me back into a human boy. I admit I did wrong. I’ve been a bad son to my parents, a bad person to everyone. Please turn me back. I want to go home. I want to apologize to my parents, to everyone. I promise I will be good if I ever turned into my old self again.”

Suddenly, the room became bright. Pilkyo’s eyes were shut, because he was afraid of what was going to happen.

“Pilkyo. I heard your wish. I would like to grant it myself. But you need three things in three days before your wish could come true. First, you need a person to wish for you, your wooden self. Second, you need to grant whatever he wished for you. Third, you need to make that person feel grateful for meeting you. If you have completed these three things, your wish to return to your normal human self will come true.”

When the voice disappeared, the light did too. Pilkyo felt a little relieved now that he knew there was a way out of this mess he created. And every night since then, he would pray hard for someone to actually wish for a wooden doll he had become.

Hearing birds chirping outside the window, Pilkyo knew it was morning. He was still on the floor since last night. He looked around the room, trying to memorize the interior, and what it felt like living there for months. Suddenly he realized he was not in his evil owner’s room. He was at a toy shop! There were lots and lots of toys there. The shelves were full with many different kinds of them. They were even scattered on the floor.

“Oh hello.” Pilkyo was lifted up by an old man. “I have never seen you here.” The man rubbed the dirt off of Pilkyo and put him on a shelf. “Never mind. Hope someone would buy you soon.” The man smiled and left.

Days passed by, and it was finally Christmas day. Pilkyo felt sad when he suddenly thought about his parents. He missed them.

“Young boy, you’re still here.” The old man, who Pilkyo learned was the shop owner, spoke to him. “I’m sorry you have to spend your Christmas here.” The man sighed. Then he took Pilkyo to the cashier counter and cleaned him up. “Maybe if you smile a little bit more and shine brighter, someone would eventually buy you.” The man spoke as he traced Pilkyo’s lip line with a marker; to make it looked like he smiled wider. When he finished, he put Pilkyo back onto the shelf. “Free your heart and mind from worries. Someone might be looking for you now.” The man smiled before he left the shelf. Pilkyo felt relieved hearing the words. Now he missed his parents even more.

After what seemed like more than a month, Pilkyo was still in the shop. The owner knew toys like Pilkyo would not sell well, but he still kept Pilkyo in his shop, thinking that someday, someone would eventually looking for toys like him. With the treatment Pilkyo received from the shop owner, he grew fonder towards the old man.

“If only I was nicer towards my parents…” Pilkyo cried in his heart. Suddenly, the old man came with a younger man following him. ‘Must be a customer,’ Pilkyo thought.

“Sir, this is the last one of its kind. You’re very lucky.” The old man spoke to his customer, and the latter smiled.

“My son sure is lucky. I have been looking for this doll for days. Thank God you have it.” The younger man grabbed Pilkyo from the shelf and brought him to the cashier, with the old man leading the way. Pilkyo shouted in joy. He was finally being bought! “You look kind of old.” The man spoke to Pilkyo as he was walking down the street. “But since my son wished for you, I have no other choice. Hope you would last longer than any other wooden toys.”

“Yes sir. I will. I promise.” Pilkyo spoke in his heart. When he reached a house, Pilkyo felt excited and nervous at the same time. He could not wait to meet the son who wished for him. But when he saw he was being taken to a woman, he felt slightly disappointed.

“Honey. Is he sleeping?” The man asked, and the woman nodded, smiling. “Now could you please wrap this up? I forgot to ask the shop owner for wrapping service.” The man gave Pilkyo to his wife, and left.

“Hello there little doll. I hope my son would like you.” The woman hugged Pilkyo before putting him into a box. Pilkyo sighed when the box was closed. He was going to be stuck in the box for a while.

Pilkyo woke up from his sleep when he felt he was being carried. He tried to listen to his surroundings.

“Happy birthday, my dear son!” Pilkyo heard a woman’s voice. He felt nervous.

“Thank you Mom.” This time, it was a little boy’s voice. Pilkyo’s heart started beating fast.

“Happy birthday son.” Pilkyo recognized the voice; it was the man who bought him.

“Is this what I hope it is?” Pilkyo knew he was now in the hands of his new owner. “Thank you so much Dad.” Pilkyo’s heart was beating rapidly when he heard the box being unwrapped. It was a matter of time now before he could finally meet his owner, the boy who wished for him – the person who would help to break his curse. “Wow!!” Pilkyo was shocked seeing the person in front of him. “It’s a boy!” The boy immediately hugged Pilkyo, and his parents just laughed. ‘One down, two to go,’ Pilkyo thought to himself.

Later that night, Pilkyo was sitting on his owner’s lap while the latter looked intently at the night sky. When he heard his owner’s wish for him, he felt touched. The wish was so sincere; he started to like his owner.

“And please make him cute.” Pilkyo snorted when he heard the last sentence. Suddenly, the boy turned to look at him, and Pilkyo felt his heart beating a little faster than usual. He was confused on his feelings. “I hope you would turn into a real boy soon.” When his owner pecked his cheek, he could feel his blood rushing to his head, making his face felt hot. ‘I think I would like it here,’ Pilkyo thought.