Two children, a boy and a girl, exchange gifts under a shelter in a tropical riverside village with palm trees.

The Boy Who Came Back” In a small riverside village surrounded by coconut trees and the sound of church bells, a boy and a girl once shared their early school days together. They sat in the same wooden classroom benches — Grade 1 and 2 — giggling over pencils, crayons, and songs. The boy was shy but bright; the girl gentle and always smiling. Years passed. The boy’s family moved to the city when he reached Grade 6, and the girl remained behind in the village. School became too hard for her to continue. Eventually, she dropped out, spending her days helping her mother at home, fetching water, and tending to the small garden. The boy, meanwhile, studied on — through Grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 — growing into a fine young man. Yet, deep in his heart, the memory of that little girl from the village never faded. --- When the school holidays came, he decided to travel back home. He packed his bags and bought six pocket shorts, T-shirts, tongs, jewelry, and even expensive perfume — all for her. After a six-hour PMV ride over bumpy roads and muddy rivers, he finally arrived. The smell of the sea, the sound of laughter from children, and the church choir’s songs filled the night air. That night, the youth group went around singing Christmas carols, moving from house to house, spreading joy and blessings. Amid the excitement, the boy quietly sent word for the girl — asking her to meet him by the roadside. But she was too shy. He waited once, then again — but she never came. Frustrated and See more