Finally, I wake up. I sprung to open the doors and was met with a face that even today, I cannot forget. "Guess who is here?" said the one and only, the handsome stranger from my nightmare last night. He was there, smiling, introducing a parcel wrapped in red paper. "What's this?" I asked curiously, shocked, but what followed was those famous white orbs staring at me trying to figure out my mind, then looked at the package.
With a shock, I pulled him in and hugged him so tightly that it would make him sore, then gave him a kiss on his cheek.
"Happy birthday, Leonard," I whispered. "Merry Christmas! And a very good morning too."
"Who are you?" he asked me, pulling me in.
I knew he heard me, but he still didn't know, despite it being my birthday. I babbled about about how I became a Mother again, and how I had developed a special bond with someone. I kept all this so top-secret, but he finally figured it out. He then came closer to my face and I looked up at him with those baby blue eyes. I asked him if he was there to wish me a Happy Birthday. But the surprise was that he didn't come to give me a wish.
"No," he said. "I came here to give you this." He took out a small box with a red ribbon.
"Nah," I said. "I don't want all those."
"This one is special," he told me.
"What's with the package? What's inside it?"
He gave a mysterious smile and said, "Can you guess?"
"No, naughty boy," I said and gave him a playful slap on his shoulder.
He then sat down in an overstuffed look-alike sofa, and I sat in front of him with my fingers on my lips, nodding hard as he gave me a naughty smirk. Then, he added, "Is it not Christmas?"
He pulled out a small box from the small box and gave it to me. I took it, thinking of how it could be a piece of chocolate, a pasta, a sandwich or a glass of juice.
I opened it and found a lost ring.
"Oh no!" I said. "That's not it!"
"Huh!" he said. "Then guess!"
Nothing came to my mind for a very long time, so I closed my box again, but then a thought came to my mind. There was a woman that I know who lost her ring, which she eventually found but with a little bit of magic. Then, I looked from one corner of the room to another, and my eyes stopped at a mannequin with a dark gray dress.
"It's not that!" I said.
"Ah! So you know!" he said, a little bit of disappointment was in his voice.
From my knowledge, I know this man loves his wife so much, so he never even imagine her not there for his ride and holiday, even for his birthday. I knew exactly that this man's wife will never be there for him.
"Do you want to go back to your wife?" I asked the man, wondering if he will answer or not.
"Why are you asking me that?" he said.
"There are moments that I can hear her crying and wailing somewhere far away. I can hear her shouting to me, pleading me to bring her back home, telling me that I don't belong to anybody but her."
"Are you playing with me now? are you trying to make me confess?"
"No," I said. "I'm asking you this because I am the daughter of a woman who left her husband. My mother doesn't want me to know about her real reason leaving, but she did tell me that that she is only with me to let me know that she will always be by my side. I also know that as much as my mother asks me to be sympathetic of my father's situation, she also told me before that she will always accompany him and he is the closest person to her; the woman she loves is the glue that binds them."
"I understand," he said. "That was her promise after she met me and I asked her to be my wife."
I pulled open the bag my ring was in and showed it to him. "You must have waited more than a year for this," I said.
"No, a year is nothing that could destroy me. Early this day, I almost finished my preparations," he said. "I have already begun waiting. Now, I have a faith in the magic."
"That's very romantic," I said.
"Love has its own miracles."
"Yes," I said. "I guess it does."
"I have signs that I have almost finished. As you have guessed, it was a very special present for me. She gave me a ring. After losing my previous wedding ring, this one was a perfect match. It is a surprise to me because as far as I can tell, she gave it to me out of the blue. I feel like she is like the universe, who waits for her children. She tells me to go on. That was the strength she had. She had a certain type of calmness and peace to her. A poise with an elegance that was so endearing. She will be missed so much.
I love her so much. I lost my joy after she left, but she came back, and now I am glad to be with her again."
"I'm sorry," I said. "I guess I am the real culprit here."
"No," he said. "You were given a gift to pass it on to the man who wants her."
"I looked to her for confirmation because I can see that you are in sorrow. I don't know why, but when I saw you two together, I knew you two were meant for each other. As a matter of fact, that was the reason why I want to pass this to you."
"You are sweet, my dear," the man said. "I'm glad I'm here, even if it's Christmas day, even if I have to spend Christmas alone. I'm glad to be with her again. I'm happy that I am her husband again."
I gave him the dear, who then put it on his ring finger. As much as he was happy, I am too. He asked me again, "Who are you?".
"Happy birthday, father. Merry Christmas, my dear. It's Amanda, your daughter," I said, then gave him a kiss on his cheek.
He pulled me into his arms and asked me if I was there all night. I nod and said, Yes!" as his voice trembles. Then, I can see this man who is born in the highest of spirits, his attitude, his patience and persistence became weak. He buried his face on my neck, his body shaking. Words failed to describe my mother's situation when she bade farewell to her family, though she left me behind, her daughter, five months old, her last breath always lingers in my mind.
