The Gift of the Magi rewrite

A word of advice, don’t lie. Even though there might be a situation that you think it is necessary to tell some white lies, but still, don’t lie. Why? Because someday it’s going to backfire and leave you battered and humiliated. The feeling is going to be really horrible and I knew it, because that’s what I’m about to go through.

    My story dates back to the beginning of the semester, I was a new student in this class. I’m not normal, in fact I’m different, but not in a good way. When I was eleven, I was in a car accident that made me crippled , my parents still believe this condition is not for life, they think all I need is a good doctor so they’ve been trying their best to find one in the past five years, but they hadnt found the right one yet. I was afraid that I might not blend with the class not because I am crippled, but because I came in the middle of the year. But it wasn’t as I thought, everything was fine, I fit in well and I made a lot of friends. School was fun and I enjoyed it, and it was this time that I met my best friend-Ryan.

     We were pen pal friends every since the beginning of the semester. We wrote a lot to each other and we found out that our characteristic and interests are really alike. The only thing different is that I’m more of a sporty guy and he’s more of a musical guy. You may wonder how can I play sports when I am crippled? Well, I wasn’t born crippled, before the accident happened I was one of the best member in the soccer team! I really love soccer, even though it’s all history now. I really hope that I can just forget about it and go on, but in reality I can’t. So when Ryan asked what’s my hobby I told him my story and my love towards soccer, and it turns out into a lie that I’m still playing soccer and I’m still one of the best player. You may think it’s not a big deal to tell a little lie about yourself to someone you never met and will probably never meet, but you’re wrong, because that’s what it leads me to now.

     After five months of writing letters he suddenly told me that he’s coming to visit me around Christmas! Now what? If he comes he's going to find out that I am crippled and I was just lying to him the whole time! But I can’t just go up to him in a wheelchair and tell him another lie that I broke my leg a few days ago and it will take me one month to recover because it never will and I knew it! I am so troubled right now and I really don’t know what to do. Should I tell him the truth or just leave a message to him and tell him I can’t make it, but how many more lies do I need to tell? I really don’t know, but he’s my best friend and I don’t want to end this friendship. I guess the best way is to tell him the truth and apologizes to him.

     It took me a long time to come up with this decision, which makes it really fast for the day of his visit to come. On that day, I bought a headphone for him because I know he likes to play and listen to music, so he’ll probably forgive me when he receives this gift. We’ve seen each other’s picture quite a few times so we can recognize each other. I’m so nervous, the time has come, five o’clock in front of the park, I look around and I saw him sitting on the beach under the tree, reading a book. I take a deep breath and walk towards him.

     “Hi,” I said. He look at me with amazement. He carefully looks at me and his face express a sign of depression. It seems like he’s trying to say something, but he can’t. I knew I’m going to receive some kind of reaction like that, but I wasn’t quite ready for it. Suddenly, he hands me a well wrapped box and just smiles at me. I took it over and ask, “For me?” He nodded his head, so I opened it. Inside the box is a beautiful soccer shoe with black strips on the side. I’m so touched, although I know I can't do anything with it, and my heart sank after I recognize it. He looked puzzled and he sense the trouble on my face, I really don’t know what should I do, suddenly, I remember I prepared something for him too, so I handed him my present and he received it happily. We smile as he open his gift, but by the moment he see it, he starts to cry. I panic and ask him why, he look up at me with shame and took out a piece of paper and pen. He starts to write something on it and after he finishes he shows me what he wrotes. I am shock as I read it, then I write something back to him, he read it and we both laugh…sarcastically.

It’s ironic, how this story ends. After all, we were both hiding something from each other. He was actually deaf when he was born, he never learned how to play music nor he ever gets to hear it. He always dreams of one day he can sing and listen to the beautiful melody of Chopin and Tchaikovsky, but he never can. I told him my story, which he kind of guesses it when he saw me, but it’s just ironic how it ends. At least we learn something from each other, and how to face the true reality of life without running away from it or just hiding it with lies.