Christmas is always quiet at the temple because the nuns don't really celebrate Christmas, but they will always put up a bedraggled Christmas tree on Head Nun's instructions. It must be at least ten years old now and its once green branches had turned to a dirty old green and are in danger of falling off any minute. The cockroaches and other rodents have also got to it though it is stored carefully with moth balls and tissue paper. It is indeed a sorry sight.
"Wish we could have a new tree," I sighed when one of the nuns brought it out. We carefully cleaned it and hung whatever old decorations we found in the box. Head Nun happened to come along and saw my sad face.
"I know what you're thinking, Vege Cat, you want a new tree," she said.
I nodded.
"Aah, but do you know the story behind this little tree?" she asked.
"Er - no, Head Nun," I replied, a little baffled. Head Nun pulled up a chair and told me to sit down.
"Vege Cat, this tree was given to us by one of our oldest devotees, Sis. Yuen. You probably don't remember her, she moved to another town years ago. It was the pride and joy of her ten year old daughter, Ming-er. Every time Christmas came around, she would invite us to her house and Ming-er would show off the tree with all its beautiful decorations."
Here Head Nun paused. "Unfortunately, Ming-er suffered from leukemia and died soon after her 10th birthday. Sis. Yuen was devastated and was under deep depression for some time. Finally, her husband persuaded her to move away in the hope that she would forget her sorrow. Before she left, she passed to me this little Christmas tree and made me promise her to keep it alive every Christmas in memory of Ming-er."
"Head Nun, I'm sorry, I didn't know," I stammered.
"It's alright. So now you know why I always have it put up every year despite its dilapidated condition. I only wish we can get some new decorations but you know we can't afford to spend on such things."
I thought for a while, then said, "Head Nun, is it not possible to get some of our devotees to chip in and buy some new decorations for the tree? I'm sure they wouldn't mind."
"Well, we could try," said Head Nun. "But you know times are hard and we may not get a good response."
Head Nun was right. The response we got was only lukewarm. A few devotees brought their old decorations which they didn't want any more and one donated a few new ones. When we sorted them out, we had two baubles, a plastic Santa Clause with his reindeer, a silver bell and some mistletoe to add to our old decorations and that was about all.
"That's not nearly enough to cover the whole tree," said one of the nuns. Then another nun who was rummaging in the brown wrapping paper suddenly gave a shout - "Hey, we missed this one," and she brought out an angel - the most beautiful angel in a white lace dress and two golden wings on her back. It was still in good condition - she had hair of gold and glowing pink cheeks and everyone agreed the top of the tree was the best place for it - and it did indeed look good there.
We hung on the other new decorations, put some cotton wool on the branches of the tree to represent snow and when we stepped back to look at our work, the little tree looked very pretty indeed. It would have looked even better with lights but of course they were too expensive to buy.
"Well done," said Head Nun, nodding approvingly. "Now wrap some empty boxes as Christmas presents and put them under the tree. It will look very nice."
That evening, the nuns and I sat around the tree in the hall. (Ning was of course at his club and Tai Koe had gone to bed). We talked and laughed and the love we shared that evening made me feel so warm and happy. Oh, if only everyday could be Christmas! After a while the nuns left to watch television but I stayed on under the tree.
I was about to doze off when I heard a small voice from behind the tree say "Merry Christmas". I sleepily replied "Merry Christmas" without bothering to look. Then the voice whispered once more, "Merry Christmas, little cat." I sat up with a start and looked behind the tree.
It was a little girl with big black eyes and a pink ribbon in her long black hair. I was surprised to see her and assumed that one of the devotees had brought her to the temple. Sometimes they come to see Head Nun to chat and exchange news.
"Little girl, what are you doing here so late? Has your mum forgotten to take you home?" I asked
She didn't answer but said, "Little cat, thanks so much."
"Er - thanks? For what?" I asked through half closed eyes.
"For bringing my tree back to life again." she replied. "Oh, how I love this tree," she continued softly. "I used to open my Christmas presents under it," she said excitedly, her eyes shining like two bright stars in the night. She twirled around it, fondly touching the baubles and stars. Her face was glowing as she laughed softly.
"Glad you like it ...." I mumbled, yawning widely and not really listening.
"I must go now, little cat. Thanks so much again. You don't know how happy you have made me." She blew me a kiss and ran away.
"I hope her mum doesn't forget to take her home," I thought to myself and promptly fell asleep under the tree.
The next morning, I had forgotten all about the incident until Head Nun called me to her room.
"Here, Vege Cat," she said. "This is an old photo of Ming-er which her mother gave to me."
I looked at the photo and my heart missed a beat.
"This ... this is Ming-er?" I gasped.
"Yes, why do you look so shocked?" asked Head Nun.
"She... she was here last night," I whispered as I looked at the girl in the photo with a pink ribbon in her long black hair.
Head Nun smiled. "I'm not surprised. I see her every year during Christmas time."
"You do?" I gasped. "But you never told us!"
Head Nun shrugged. "You all wouldn't believe me. I guess she wanted to thank you for making her tree look so beautiful with all those "new" decorations. Look, let's just keep this between you and me, okay?"
Later that evening as I sat looking at the Christmas tree, I said softly, "Merry Christmas, Ming-er!"
I hoped she heard me because I never did see her again nor did Head Nun. I would like to think that she had at last found peace in a Christmas Wonderland up there among the stars.
"Wish we could have a new tree," I sighed when one of the nuns brought it out. We carefully cleaned it and hung whatever old decorations we found in the box. Head Nun happened to come along and saw my sad face.
"I know what you're thinking, Vege Cat, you want a new tree," she said.
I nodded.
"Aah, but do you know the story behind this little tree?" she asked.
"Er - no, Head Nun," I replied, a little baffled. Head Nun pulled up a chair and told me to sit down.
"Vege Cat, this tree was given to us by one of our oldest devotees, Sis. Yuen. You probably don't remember her, she moved to another town years ago. It was the pride and joy of her ten year old daughter, Ming-er. Every time Christmas came around, she would invite us to her house and Ming-er would show off the tree with all its beautiful decorations."
Here Head Nun paused. "Unfortunately, Ming-er suffered from leukemia and died soon after her 10th birthday. Sis. Yuen was devastated and was under deep depression for some time. Finally, her husband persuaded her to move away in the hope that she would forget her sorrow. Before she left, she passed to me this little Christmas tree and made me promise her to keep it alive every Christmas in memory of Ming-er."
"Head Nun, I'm sorry, I didn't know," I stammered.
"It's alright. So now you know why I always have it put up every year despite its dilapidated condition. I only wish we can get some new decorations but you know we can't afford to spend on such things."
I thought for a while, then said, "Head Nun, is it not possible to get some of our devotees to chip in and buy some new decorations for the tree? I'm sure they wouldn't mind."
"Well, we could try," said Head Nun. "But you know times are hard and we may not get a good response."
Head Nun was right. The response we got was only lukewarm. A few devotees brought their old decorations which they didn't want any more and one donated a few new ones. When we sorted them out, we had two baubles, a plastic Santa Clause with his reindeer, a silver bell and some mistletoe to add to our old decorations and that was about all.
"That's not nearly enough to cover the whole tree," said one of the nuns. Then another nun who was rummaging in the brown wrapping paper suddenly gave a shout - "Hey, we missed this one," and she brought out an angel - the most beautiful angel in a white lace dress and two golden wings on her back. It was still in good condition - she had hair of gold and glowing pink cheeks and everyone agreed the top of the tree was the best place for it - and it did indeed look good there.
We hung on the other new decorations, put some cotton wool on the branches of the tree to represent snow and when we stepped back to look at our work, the little tree looked very pretty indeed. It would have looked even better with lights but of course they were too expensive to buy.
"Well done," said Head Nun, nodding approvingly. "Now wrap some empty boxes as Christmas presents and put them under the tree. It will look very nice."
That evening, the nuns and I sat around the tree in the hall. (Ning was of course at his club and Tai Koe had gone to bed). We talked and laughed and the love we shared that evening made me feel so warm and happy. Oh, if only everyday could be Christmas! After a while the nuns left to watch television but I stayed on under the tree.
I was about to doze off when I heard a small voice from behind the tree say "Merry Christmas". I sleepily replied "Merry Christmas" without bothering to look. Then the voice whispered once more, "Merry Christmas, little cat." I sat up with a start and looked behind the tree.
It was a little girl with big black eyes and a pink ribbon in her long black hair. I was surprised to see her and assumed that one of the devotees had brought her to the temple. Sometimes they come to see Head Nun to chat and exchange news.
"Little girl, what are you doing here so late? Has your mum forgotten to take you home?" I asked
She didn't answer but said, "Little cat, thanks so much."
"Er - thanks? For what?" I asked through half closed eyes.
"For bringing my tree back to life again." she replied. "Oh, how I love this tree," she continued softly. "I used to open my Christmas presents under it," she said excitedly, her eyes shining like two bright stars in the night. She twirled around it, fondly touching the baubles and stars. Her face was glowing as she laughed softly."Glad you like it ...." I mumbled, yawning widely and not really listening.
"I must go now, little cat. Thanks so much again. You don't know how happy you have made me." She blew me a kiss and ran away.
"I hope her mum doesn't forget to take her home," I thought to myself and promptly fell asleep under the tree.
The next morning, I had forgotten all about the incident until Head Nun called me to her room.
"Here, Vege Cat," she said. "This is an old photo of Ming-er which her mother gave to me."
I looked at the photo and my heart missed a beat.
"This ... this is Ming-er?" I gasped.
"Yes, why do you look so shocked?" asked Head Nun.
"She... she was here last night," I whispered as I looked at the girl in the photo with a pink ribbon in her long black hair.
Head Nun smiled. "I'm not surprised. I see her every year during Christmas time."
"You do?" I gasped. "But you never told us!"
Head Nun shrugged. "You all wouldn't believe me. I guess she wanted to thank you for making her tree look so beautiful with all those "new" decorations. Look, let's just keep this between you and me, okay?"
Later that evening as I sat looking at the Christmas tree, I said softly, "Merry Christmas, Ming-er!"
I hoped she heard me because I never did see her again nor did Head Nun. I would like to think that she had at last found peace in a Christmas Wonderland up there among the stars.
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