Hai! ini adalah post terakhir gue untuk tahun ini, ini edisi spesial natal and it's the first time i write in English. Jadi kalau misalnya ada kesalahan grammar dan lain-lain harap dimaklumi. Gue berharap kalau pesan dari cerita ini dapat diterima.
Happy reading:)
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It's 1 a.m in the morning and today is christmas eve! I sit on the back of my car, my driver is on the front. The town seems quiet. It's snowing outside, the workers were digging the snow to clean the road. The cold made me freeze a bit so i call my driver to turn on the car's heater. It's better now, i didn't like cold, actually. I hate it, i forgot to bring the sweater today because i don't think it's gonna snow.
My name is Alex Graham, if you don't know me, i'm sure you lived in the cave too long. Everybody in this world know who i am. I'm a successful bussinesman, and sure thing is i have a lot of money. I have great little family, i have one wife but she has pass away 7 years ago when she was uttered my princess, Joy Graham. I do serious when i say princess. She has such a cute face, perfect curly blonde hair like his mother, and blue eyes like me.
She is my stress-reliever. When i got home, feel tired and exhausted, she always provide me her warm smile and she never fail to make me laugh. For example, on christmas day 2 years ago she made me a paint of me. It was such a ugly paint, i swear. But she made it for days and her babysitter inform me that she has to re-do it hundred times to make sure it's perfect. Who doesn't melt after hearing that? I still keep it on my office desk.
"Hey Mr. Anderson (my driver) don't you buy some present for your family?"
"Of course, sir. I want to give my son a robot he has dreamt for so long."
"Don't you ever think that we just fool our children for the christmas magic? We lied about santa as well."
"Yes, sir. But that's a lie we need to give our children hope. They'll realize when they grow up."
Yes, a little lie like that won't be a big deal for them right? And it's become a tradition for our country and around the world. It's funny how this little lie become very popular around the world. A little lie that everyone can agree.
Arrived at home, i go check my little princess room. Before i open the door, her babysitter remind me "Be quiet sir. She has slept already." "Okay, thanks for remind me, Ella." I open the door really slowly so she won't wake up. I come close and sit next to her. I begin to rub her cheek. Maybe she's tired thinking about the christmas wishes, i came to her room to see any clue of what she wanted. I searched the bed and nothing's there. I move to her desk and find a drawing book. I begin to open it, no clue. There's nothing there, just the crayoon scratch. Maybe i have to ask her later.
It's now time for me to sleep. I hope Santa gives me some clues.
...
I wake up by her sound, "Daddy, wake up! Wake up! We have to decor christmas tree!" "Yes darling, just give me a minute." I put my glasses on to see clearly, she has jumping a long happily because she knew that i'm not going to work untill tommorow. I rarely have a time for her, so i'm not gonna waste any moment with her today.
"Look daddy, i have ask Mr. Teddy to put the christmas tree here. So now, we can start decorate it."
"Okay, slowly darling. First, let me put the star on the top of it," as i pull the stairs and climb up. Our christmas tree is quiet large. It was 5 meters tall, so i have to be really careful. I step it up really slowly, so it won't make any bunggy. And i made it! I reach the top of the tree, after i put the star on my fear is gone. But i hear the 'crack' noise. And i feel my balance is gone. The stairs wobble to the left and to the right. I try to grab the christmas tree but it failed. I fell from 5 meters to the ground. For God sake, it hurt pretty bad. My head hit first, and i don't conscious after that. I can hear Joy screaming and her babysitter see it.
I was brought into the hospital soon after that. I got surgery immidietly, and to keep me alive i have to be connected to some tool. I could see my little princess and my parents are crying and praying to God to save my life. Maybe you asking, why i know it all? Here's the reason. I DIDN'T ACTUALLY DIE.
Yes, i didn't die. Right after the tragedy, my soul is come out from the body. So i can see my body in front of my eyes, i can see the blood coming from my head and i can see everything. At first, i thought i became a ghost. I become so frustated, i run to the street and scream. No one can see me or hear me either. But that mind was blown after a santa came.
"Ho.. Ho.. Ho.. Joy of Christmas be with you!" I don't get attention it because i think that he can see me.
"Hey you fella over there! Why are you screaming so loud?"
"Me?"
"Yes, you." He point me. "Have you die today or fell from 5 meters?"
What? Why did this Santa knows what happens to me?
"How did you know sir?"
"I know everything."
"What? Are you Jesus?"
"Ho.. Ho.. Ho.. No, son. No. I mean i know every member of my santa."
"Ah.. What? What 'member of santa' means?"
"In a simple meaning, you're a santa now."
"What?"
"Brace yourself, son. Come on, come with me. I show you how to become a real santa." He whistle and suddenly santa's reindeer arrived.
"Go up, son. And put your seat on, because it's gonna be fast."
I come up and really, there's a seat belt on the reindeer. I put it on and the reindeer is really fast, up to the sky. And in couple of minutes we arrived at an ice cave on the north pole.
"Ho.. Ho.. Ho.. We've arrived at our base."
"What? Santa has a base?"
"Sure. Look inside, son. And prepare to be amazed."
I walk inside and there's a dome made of beautiful, sparkling glasses. Inside there's hundred of people that busy running everywhere. "I said it before, prepare to be amazed. This is our base, our activity is based on this base. And i'm the head here. I'm the head minister of all santa around the world. There would be no santa without me. I'm the first santa."
No, no. This can't be right. Santa's base? Head minister of santa? I never heard about it. I supposed to be dreaming now. It must be unreal. I slap my cheek once, it hurts. I slap my cheek for the second times and it still hurt. "Maybe i could help to make you belive it?" He knead his big hand, considering that i could die after that i begin to believe it.
"Good. Since you're believe it, let me introduce you to Mr Redd. He's gonna change your look, give you some tool, and introduce your works too. You better fast because it's very busy down here. See ya!"
"Hey! Wait i still have a lot of questions!" Suddenly a man was came from nowhere, standing in front of me to stop my step. "Hello new boy! You are look so nice but your clothes doesn't fit you at all. Don't worry, we have a lot of clothes to fit you. Let's go to the wadrobe, i'm Redd anyway, John Redd," then he guide me to a big room, where everything are red and green there, except the belt and the shoes.
"Okay.. let see.." he begin to measure me, taking off some clothes, and ask me to go to the wadrobe to try it all. I go to try them. They don't look like santa's costume, they look like our daily clothes. I pick up randomly and come out quickly. "Now you look better. Come on, the tour isnt over yet."
He deliver me to the office room. It's like office in the Midtown Manhattan. Nothing strange look here. "This is our office. And right there is your desk," he pointed the second row desk, "your job will be send through this ipad." He give me an ipad. Just an ordinary ipad. I don't expect to be this 'ordinary'.
"So what's our job?"
"We make sure that children of the world get the present they wanted."
"Simple like that?"
"No.. No that simple hero. On your first job, you will 'diawasi' by your senior, Chris."
"What's up there? You are Alex Graham? The new kid? I have heard a lot about you. Nice to meet you." That's Chris. He is a tall handsome guy with black skin, pointed nose and dense beard. He has nice body too.
Suddenly my ipad is ringing. "Aha, your first job is finally come. Come on, take a closer look." I open the window screen on ipad and there's a name and the photo of a kid and it's parents. The kid's name is Stephanie. "What you have to do is just make the parents give what their children want."
"How?"
"Break into the children's room. Search for some clue and tell the parents."
"What? They are not gonna believe us isn't it?"
"No, we tell them by intuition. You just need to type it on your ipad and your job is done. Make sure you finish your job before their parents buy the present. Come on, we don't have much time."
There's a GPS on the ipad that show us where is their house. We go there by a 'kereta'. Just a couple of minute, we arrive at the roof of their house. It was quite a small house, "wait! There's a thing that you have to know about. First, everyone can not see us, but if we move the chair or something, they gonna see that it move by themselves. We don't want to scare people right? Especially children. So, we got this watch. It can stop time for a while." Chris give me a watch. "How long?" "Just 10 minutes." "This is like CSI isn't it?" "Maybe."
That means i've got no much time. I start the clock I get in by the open window. Bingo! It's the child's room. I begin to check everything, it reminds me about my daughter you know. And i know this is not an easy job. I even still don't know what my daughter want.
The room is pretty small, with a desk and a chair on the side of the window. The kid is love drawing i think. There's a lot of her drawing in the wall. The desk is full of drawing too. There are drawing of monster, princess, and many things. This kid is have a very good imagination i think, but i don't have much time to think about it. What i need to know is what he want. I look at his drawing but no clue. I look at the desk closer but still, no clue. I have 8 minutes left, i have to quick. I have to go down to the family room, maybe i might find some clue there.
Downstair i see the parents are fighting. There are broken glass anywhere in the floor. I guess the parents are throwing glass to each other. I see the child is hiding over the fridge. And at the back of the fridge there's a calendar that has written "The Day When My Parents Fight". There are the month and the date with scratches on the every date. Maybe he hide in the back of the fridge everytine his parents are fighting. Now, i know what he wanted.
I type it on my ipad and my first job is clear. "Nice job, fella. Now you have to do it by your own self. Do you have any questions before i go?" "Just one." "What is that?" "Can i go back to live?" "Yes, you can." "How?" "Your family must give you what you wanted for christmas." "That simple?" "Not that simple. I have wait for my present for 10 years. I think this year is gonna be same as before." "Really? No body? What you wanted for christmas actually?" "I want any present from my ex-wife." "What? Did you broke up?" "10 years ago. She never look after me or something." "Don't be so pesimistic, maybe this year she will give you the present." "Yeah, maybe. How about you? What do you want?" "I don't know what i wanted actually." "You crazy, man. I'm leaving here."
Yes, what i want actually? I never think about that. I have everything, nice house, a lot of money, a little princess. Maybe i don't have a wife but that's allright. I can get it easily because of my money right? Hahaha just kidding. I'm not that easy. I just hope that my daughter loves me.
I'll become a santa for a year. My family give me nothing. Okay, i have to wait for it.
...
I have wait for 5 years, God damm'it! I still haven't recieve any gifts yet. My daughter is now 12 years old and she is growing well. She become to look like his mother even more. I sometimes visit her with the 'time stopper', yes, that's what i and my friends call the watch. She's still sad about me, it can be seen from her diary. Yes, she loves writting diary and i have read all of them.
She always write her sadnesses. It's quite emotional to look she sad like that. One day, i look to her diary and she write that she feel sad because my parents want to detached from the tool that keep me alive for this 5 years because they don't see any hope that i could live. I go to John Redd and ask him what's gonna happen if that's become real.
"You're gonna dead."
"Seriously?"
"Yes, all of our santa come from the people that dying. If you're dead in real life, you're dead too. There's 2 ways you can die, first that in real world you're dead or with this pill."
"What's the function of that pill?"
"You can live again, for only one day."
"Than?"
"You die."
Okay, that's the situation. I face the loose-loose situation. But, i take the pill choice. At least i can meet my little princess again right?
I ask Redd to give the pill then i drink it. My body than got ache, and i faint.
I wake up in the hospital. I see the doctor, my parents, and my daughter standing beside me. They all look very shock to see me alive. The doctor has checked me and he said that i can go back home on the night. Yay!
I go back to home with my daughter. She tell a lot of stories that i missed for 5 years. I sit back to hear every single story of her and know that is the last thing that maybe i could carry to heaven. And at the night she sleep, i cry beside her bed. I know this is the last day that i can live with her. So, i get into the car and find the missed christmas's present. I spend all the money that i have to make sure that she get all that she wanted because i don't know what she wanted, remember? It's my last day either. So, don't mind the money now.
I put the christmas present in her room. There are ten or more, i can't remember. That i make my last letter. Don't mind the sleep, i'll die tommorow anyway! That's all. Now, i can leave peacefully. I prepare for the longest sleep ever.
...
I wake up on the hospital again. My daughter, but she is like her in 5 years ago, my parents don't look older either. Everything is back to normal before i get the coma. I ask the doctor what date it is and he said it's january. So, i only having coma for a month! I don't know how this magic's came from. The doctor has checked me and he said that i can go back home on the night.
I go to my room and there's a red letter there that said :
"Dear Alex,
Congratulations, your family have given you what you always wanted for christmas, your daughter has proof that she loves you. Now we return the time that we've taken. Enjoy your life!
-Head Minister of Santa- "
