The Precious Present

I guess, some of you might notice I’ve had posted this story a long time. But since that Christmas is approaching, which is the season of giving and sharing, allow me to provide you a great inspiration through this story which inspire by the time I went in a bookstore for a book and author hunt.

Read. Enjoy. Be inspired.

Once, there was an old man who lived alone in a little cabin. Everyday a little boy would always visit the old man to play and hear stories. One day, the child asked the old man.

The Question

Photo credit: http://weheartit.com

“Why?” She asked beyond sobs. Looking at her face, she’s as close as her 5 year-old self years ago asking her mother why would her father have to leave. But it’s not like that. That she wished it will just be like that. That everytime her father left, there’s always been an assurance of him coming back.

Yet this one is different.

Her body was shivering from an inner impulse of unnamed pain. Her arms, bloody and numb held tightly the un-breathing flesh of her beloved , already damped with her tears.

Her childhood friend, her brother, her first love. He was just sixteen and why?

She just kept herself crying. For every moment, she wished this was just like back when she was a child, that when someone leaves, he will comeback. Truth is, she had grown already, she knew all about the laws of death and life, all the mockeries of fate and all the hurts of reality. Still, death was out of her own comprehension.

What she just understood was that he left, he will never come back. What’s worst, she had never even heard him saying goodbye.

“Why?” she asked again.

Stars

Photo credits: http://ilovelifemassive.blogspot.com

She looked up the stars. By the static twinklings of the moonless night, she wondered how many wishes did the sky have collected this time. She bowed down and lay over the floor of the autumn meadow. She focused her eyes towards every star and found what she was looking for.

She laughed.

“You’re bigger now.”  She talked to the star.

“Guess I’ve been wishing a lot this year, huh? Seems that I’ve been feeding you a lot.”

She had been silent for minutes, gazing solemnly at the gallant light that twinkled in pride.

“Thanks.” She whispered.

She closed her eyes, inhaled the sweetness of the night breeze. For a moment she felt herself light and happy. It wasn’t a surprise, but it’s something she had never felt a long time.

She stood and held herself into an apt composure. She decided to take a slow pace back but as soon as she took her steps, she started running.

Whispered Harmony 3: The Tears

Continued from Whispered Harmony 2: The Piano

All was in harmony. Obviously, there was something to thank after Spring departed. She left the beautiful land with bunches of sweet blooms, lovely renaissances of the hibernated trees, the joyous laughters of the grass dancing on every field, blue skies painted with muffled fluffs of cotton ball and the sweet smiles in every creature’s heart – the very nostalgic moment where everyone breathed in celebration – or perhaps, not all.

Esther was silently praying in the very entrance of the church, holding a bouquet of lavender and golden asters. This time, she lost her senses, the understanding of her deep emotions seemed to fade. As a woman, instincts were what she needed in times like this. But she couldn’t, the absence of understanding what she felt blocked all what she wanted to do, the thought that her body was betraying her, made her realized she woke up in a different flesh, a body seemed not her.

The bell rang, the moment she prayed must never happen. On the third bell, the door opened and appeared in front of her were the great smiles of people, mostly she didn’t even know or haven’t met for years. She took her first step on the great aisle dashed by a red carpet towards the familiar altar.

“Sorry.” She whispered before she took her second step and offered a proud head high. Then the chorus started.

Whispered Harmony 2: The Piano

Continued from Whispered Harmony 1: The Touch

“Why do you always have to manipulate my life?” Esther stroked heavy-heartedly to her dad after hearing the news.

“Because I’m your father!” Esther’s dad blurted out.

“Yeah! You’re just my father! And that’s it!” Now, she was losing her respect. She was deeply angry and didn’t care that she was shouting to her dad.

Surprised, her dad stared at her fiercely. “I can’t believe that I’m hearing this from you Esther!” There was a long pause, a silence that brought awkwardness to both.

“You’re going to marry him.” He continued.

“No I’m in love with someone else and he’s the one I’m going to marry!”

“For Christsake Esther! He’s an orphan! He’s useless!” He shouted back.

“But he is the one I love! And he is perfect!”

“I don’t care about love! You’re going to marry and that’s final!” He blasted angrily. Now, with that tone of a master. It wasn’t a thing to argue but an order to follow. She was terrified. She felt weak and she was muted. Tears started streaming down and all she could do was cry.

* * *

It was Monday night and Crisford was all alone inside the church. Alone in the holy realm. Playing his songs of love, hope and happiness. Singing praises to God. He loved this night. He can sing out loud the feelings he felt. Until his angel heard it and came to him at last. He heard footsteps, and he stopped playing his songs.

“Esther?” He shouted out. It wasn’t a question. It was more than a greeting of his heart. Then she appeared in the stairs, walking solemnly towards him with teary eyes, and pale. But she managed to smile. Grateful that Crisford was blind, that he didn’t have to see her in pain.

“Crisford? I need to tell you something.” Her voice was serene, but the sadness of it lingered.

“Another story of angels?” Crisford hurriedly replied like a child hungry for bedtime stories. Esther didn’t know what to tell. She thought of possible ways, of excuses that they will not be meeting anymore.

“Is there a problem?” Now he felt the sadness in Esther’s heart. He was worried. No. He was afraid.

“Crisford, don’t get mad. I’m leaving away from here.” She was fighting her tears. She didn’t want to cry.

“I’m leaving you.” She said in a soft whisper.

“Just because I’m blind?” Crisford can’t think of any possible reason but his blindness. He was acting like a kid now. He played his hands angrily to the keys. The piano was mad. And he was sad.

“No! It’s not that! You are perfect and I love you. I don’t want to hurt you anymore. I’m leaving away from here and I don’t want you to look for me.” She was crying now. Great emotions mixed in her tears. And it dropped on his hands.

“Please forget about me. Everything about me!” Tears were streaming like a wild river.

“Don’t cry.” Crisford said in a calm, smooth tone. His voice was lifeless, but it’s full of understanding. He always had to understand everything.

“I don’t want you to be sad.” His voice was affected by pain. It hurt him. Hurt that only his heart could feel. But he had to do it.

Love is sacrifice, love is pure, it is not envy, and it is not selfish. He thought of these things. The things that he always thought when he was still a child. He thought of his childhood days. His father left him in the church. His mother that neglected him and didn’t even care to have him back. He thought of all the pain. The pain that once healed by Esther, and now the pain brought by Esther.

“Can I kiss you?” He twisted the long silence. It seemed that it was the only thing he must do –or can do.

Esther wiped her tears, and she kissed him. Their lips tasted each other’s love. His lips driving passionately her whole senses. Kissing bit by bit her neck, to her shoulders and down to her breasts. She started to let go of the pains and hurts –he was too.

They were both on the top of the piano, naked, toes on the keys. The piano released a playful harmony as their toes touched the piano keys, along with their rhythmic movements. It was the moment, their last moment. A soul to soul harmony. A body, heart and soul secret where the piano, the statue of the angels and God had witnessed.

To be continued….

Whispered Harmony 1: The Touch

Romance had filled the empty room of the church as the two hearts rejoiced the recognition of their unspoken love. It was Crisford who played the keys. He would always be delighted in playing his piano. Every song that he played brought him to the world where his own mind could see. He was always happy. Soaking every finger as the key made a magical and sweet voice of his heart. It was like the piano and him, united as one.

Esther, the angel of his heart brought out the words as Crisford played. She had the voice that only a deity can possess. She had the feature of a perfect angel. Deep dark eyes like precious ebony. Red lips smooth and fragile like cherries that brought life to her angelic face. And a voice like the soothing wind of the Atlantic that brings warmth and serenity to the cold hearts. But Crisford doesn’t care about everything. It was the voice, the kindness, and purity that made him fell in love. He fell in love to Esther; to a girl he didn’t even see and didn’t even know.

“Uh, Esther?” He muttered in a slowly shaky manner. He was hesitant to form his sentiments into words.

“Yes?” Esther replied in a sweet sensible way.

“Can I t-touch your f-face?” At last! The words went out. But his voice conveyed how shy he was. He was like a toddler who found difficulty in speaking. Then Esther smiled, grabbed his hand and brushed it solemnly over her face. She was happy how Crisford touched and caressed her face. Her cheeks, her lips, her nose and her skin. He was the only man in her entire life that brought vigor to her senses. Where she felt love in just a touch.

“Even though my eyes couldn’t see, my hands and my heart know that you’re beautiful.” He was proud of his words. He knew and believed that Esther is an angel. The angel that comes to him every night and just fly back to the sky every time the bell rang at night. The angel that sings his songs and always bring aster to him. Her favorite flower –and his too. They always have something in common. Something that binds them together. They share of interests, they share of music, songs, they share of stories about angels and they share of love.

“I need to go!” This was her last words for the night. Words that told him that she had to fly back. Words that promised that she will come back and sing their songs again.

* * *

“Why do you always have to manipulate my life?” Esther stroked heavy-heartedly to her dad after hearing the news.

“Because I’m your father!” Esther’s dad blurted out.

“Yeah! You’re just my father! And that’s it!” Now, she was losing her respect. She was deeply angry and didn’t care that she was shouting to her dad.

Surprised, her dad stared at her fiercely. “I can’t believe that I’m hearing this from you Esther!” There was a long pause, a silence that brought awkwardness to both.

“You’re going to marry him.” He continued.

“No I’m in love with someone else and he’s the one I’m going to marry!”

“For Christsake Esther! He’s an orphan! He’s useless!” He shouted back.

“But he is the one I love! And he is perfect!”

“I don’t care about love! You’re going to marry and that’s final!” He blasted angrily. Now, with that tone of a master. It wasn’t a thing to argue but an order to follow. She was terrified. She felt weak and she was muted. Tears started streaming down and all she could do was cry.

To be continued…

CHASING HEARTS

As Juri flipped the last page of the book she was reading, balls of icy soft particles slowly tapped her arms, thus, had snow started to fall. When she started her life as senior high student, drastic changes made her whole existence plausible, meeting new friends, creating bonds with certain people close to her and falling in love all alone.

“Feeling the snow falling is great, isn’t it Juri?” A familiar voice struck her ears. It was Chase, one of her closest friends in the stellar class.

“Indeed, it feels much better than receiving a lot of UV rays from the summer sun.” She replied. Something was different while she looked at him, Juri followed where Chase’s eyes went and saw the answer.

“You like Aria, am I right?” Juri suddenly said to him. It was as if nothing stopped her mouth from telling those blunt words to Chase. Aria is Chase’s middle school friend and also one of her closest friends in the stellar class.

“Yes, you perfectly saw through me. Aria is precious to me but she loves Jin.” Chase replied. His eyes were sparkling while he said those words it was as if he tiff out something very unusual yet gave him a tickle in the heart.

“That Jin is his boyfriend, am I right?” Juri asked.

“You’re right, but I don’t intend to break them up. Just keep this as a secret Juri!” Chase answered. The sad look on his face smashed her trembling heart. She knew very well that Chase likes Aria, but she could not stop falling for him.

The one who is an idiot here is me falling for you Chase. Juri whispered to herself. Hers was an unrequited love and it was a fool chase to still hold on to that.