Christmas Wish

1. Just as she arrived at the gate, the loudspeakers blared the familiar melody of a song. The sun was setting, and gusts of winter wind swept across the fields, filling the village with a chilling cold. Little Khang sat on the doorstep, looking out at the road. The wide road ran towards the mountains, where his father worked.

"Why don't you go inside? It's very cold sitting out here!" she gently reminded her child.

Cu Khang looked up at his mother with teary, red eyes. It turned out her little son was crying. That afternoon, she had to rush to her parents' house to discuss the upcoming memorial service. Before leaving, she told him not to go out to play, but to stay home and study, as the final exams were coming up. Obeying his mother, he only dared to step out onto the porch to look around, but he couldn't concentrate on his studies. Because he missed his father. He missed him terribly.

She recalled the days when little Khang was just a toddler, every afternoon he would pull her hand and go to the gate to wait for his father to come home from work. When his father took off his mask, he would smile brightly. Khang would clap his hands and cheer. His father would lift him up and put a hat with a star on it on his head. And so, the two of them would laugh and play happily together. She would watch them both smile, her heart overflowing with happiness.

Image from the Internet.

2. It's been almost six months since he's been home. He's been assigned to a border guard post in a district bordering a neighboring province. It's a mountainous, highland district where the people face many difficulties, but they are very warm and friendly. He called home, telling me to rest assured, that although he's far away, he gets to experience the close bond between the military and the people. His unit provides a lot of help and support to the locals. I feel somewhat reassured seeing him so mature and having so many good plans. Many nights, dreams overshadow his, making me feel lonely as a woman separated from her husband for so long. I secretly cried, wanting to confide in him, but then I thought better of it. He has his job, he has to serve in the military. I'm a teacher, interacting with students every day, sharing knowledge and compassion with them, so why should I only think about myself? Thinking this way, I feel lighter and more enthusiastic about my work. Cu Khang's obedience is also a source of motivation that helps his wife not feel lonely when she is away from her husband for a long time.

The day he announced he was going to work in the highlands, she looked at him, trying to control her emotions. He knew his wife was worried, so he comforted her a lot. Little Khang clung to his father's hand, sobbing. He soothed him with a promise to buy lots of presents when he returned. She saw him off for a short distance, then silently watched him go.

In the early days in the remote highlands, during breaks between shifts, he would always call home to his wife. He told her many stories about his time there. The people were simple and honest. They cherished the soldiers far from home, often packing up things like corn, pumpkins, or bundles of wild vegetables. He and his comrades were assigned to help the villagers with roofing houses, building bridges over streams, or harvesting rice and potatoes in the fields during the harvest season. Listening to his stories, his wife felt sorry for the people there who still lacked many things and felt proud of her husband. She encouraged him to complete his mission well, and at home, she would try her best to take care of both sides of the family.

3. Christmas is almost here. Time flies so fast that it feels like just yesterday. It's been almost a year since he left home, and she's gradually experienced the joys and sorrows of life, the hardships and worries. Last Christmas, he was on leave and took her and little Khang for a walk in the city, to church...

Khang was busily writing a letter to Santa Claus. Yesterday, on his way home from school, he passed by the street and saw shops selling Christmas trees, Santa Claus costumes, and many other pretty things. Khang begged his mother to buy him some. His mother said he had to be good and study hard to get presents on Christmas Eve. He nodded and looked into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. He remembered his father. His father doted on him, often kissing and cuddling him, and readily carrying him around the yard or strolling through the alleys.

Suddenly, Khang looked up at the sky with its gray clouds, as if wondering if his father, working far away, missed him. Christmas was coming soon, but his father wouldn't be home to take him for walks in the city or to church anymore.

Mom, do the kids up there get to celebrate Christmas?

Surprised by her child's innocent question, she hugged her child tightly.

At night, as the cold winter winds swept in, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Khang's words lingered in her mind: when she asked him what Santa Claus wanted. She had only asked, pretending not to, but she had already read the letter he had carefully written to Santa. Contrary to her expectations, Khang wished for lots of presents to give to his father to share with his friends in the highlands, which brought tears to her eyes. She would secretly buy these gifts according to her son's wishes in his letter to Santa.

4. The road from home to the church seemed wide, spacious, and clean today. The rows of trees gradually receded into the distance. The elegant two-story houses had begun to light up. Little Khang clung tightly to his mother's waist, whispering all sorts of stories. The car just passed the ecological park next to the park. Along the edge were stone benches placed under the canopy of bougainvillea that bloomed year-round. He and his wife used to sit there, sharing stories and watching their son happily playing. Happy days. Many good plans. The son's infectious laughter. The husband's affectionate gaze... Suddenly, she smiled.

The church was vast, adorned with colorful lights. This was the first time she had gone to church on Christmas Day without him. Every year, he would arrange his work schedule to take her and their son out for dinner, then stop by the park for little Khang to play for a while, before going to church for the service. Although they were not religious, the chilly winter weather and the Christmas carols always stirred her heart, making her eager to join the crowd heading to the church on Christmas Eve... She let the images of the past suddenly appear, enveloping her soul. Little Khang left his mother's hand, running and jumping around the tree trunk, then chasing after the sound of crickets chirping somewhere in the thick grass. Seeing her son's innocence and carefree nature, she felt a sense of relief.

Suddenly, she looked up at the bell tower. Tonight, the gifts from her son's wishes would reach the children in the highlands. As for Khang, the understanding and empathetic child, he would receive a thank-you letter and the most anticipated gift.

Source