" Oh damn! I am late again!" Christopher groaned while getting up from the bed. Yeah, right. This baka is running late for work as usual... He rushed out of his house, clumsily locking the door behind him but his phone rang, it was his mother. In a hurry, he declined the call, thinking that he will call later. But will he?

Finally he reached his office and started his work. The day went by quickly as he was busy with work like always. Tired,he returned home and flopped on the bed listening to the calm ticking of the clock which kept going on in a rhythm, slowly he drifted in sleep. The thought of his mother's call slipped his mind.

Again the morning came. His alarm went off. Like always he started his morning in a rush and chaos. Christopher rushed out and went to his office. The time drifted away in chaos and his busy routine kept his mind occupied. Again night came, the moon and the stars decorated the dark sky. Christopher was slowly walking through the streets, it was hustling and bustling like always. He sighed tired which was lost in the crowd. His eyes lingering around saw a mother and a child going home happily, his childhood memories flooded his mind. Suddenly the realization struck him that he forgot to call his mother. He reached home, it was silent like always only the sound of the ticking clock echoed his empty house. He picked up his phone and hesitantly called his mother, ready to say sorry and explain the situation. The call rang, which felt like an eternity. Finally, Someone picked up the call and said in a hoarse tone, " Hello?" He instantly recognized that voice, it's his father. He said, " Hello, Dad. It's Christopher...." His father spoke in a sorrowful tone, " Finally you called."Christopher said, " Dad, is everything ok? Did something happen?" His father sighed heavily and said, " Your mother...." He paused unable to say anything. Then finally he spoke again, " Your mother passed away yesterday night....She wanted to see you... for the last time…" Christopher's heart sank as tears started rolling down his cheeks, the silence seems to mock his condition. All the memories of his childhood, his mother, her smile, her songs, her cooking, her scolding, her efforts and love everything flashed before his eyes.... they are now only memories that he can cling to for the rest of his life.. He can't see that smile again.

Next morning came,utterly empty and weirdly silent, no chaos, no rush.. His eyes red and a bit swollen with heavy dark circles under his eyes. He looked utterly tired but he got ready in black... it's his mother's funeral.

Time passed by, Everyone offered their sorrow. He stood there looking at her lifeless face utterly blank. Everyone left after the burial but he stood there in front of her grave. Tears flowing from his eyes, blurred everything around him. He clenched the pendent his mother gave him on his 18th birthday. Only his sobbing sounds and the rustling sound of the tress were heard. He whispered lowly, " Thank you and Sorry." But the one he wanted to say this to the most isn't here anymore. The wind carried his words and his sorrow but couldn't carry his regret that will cling to him until the end of his own life, until this heart stops.

Time doesn't turn back to those beautiful days that you hold dear, this is the tragic truth of the life. Someone might be here with us for the whole lifetime but you can never be sure if they will be there tomorrow or not. Future is uncertain, cherish people and things before they turn only a memory. Because Time will never turn back for anyone.

Hopefully you got the lesson, my dear.

The sky got swamped by dark clouds, Christopher looked up, his eyes shut tightly." Is it going to rain?" Rain was his and his mother's favourite season. He opened his eyes looked tiredly at the ground. His shoulders slumped like he can't even walk now. He started walking back, he glanced back at his mother's grave once again. He started walking aimlessly for a long time, almost like dragging his feet. When he finally looked up, he wasn't sure why he was here. It was his mother's house.... where he had grown up.

He entered the house, the door opened with a creaking sound. The house is still the same but still something is missing. It was a home before only it's only a house with memories. He started walking around as memories flooded his mind, all were with his mother as she brought him up alone. The warmth of the home as almost faded away now.

He entered his mother's room, it was organized and clean. He saw a familiar album on the table under the light lamp. It was his childhood album that his mother made.

He sighed as he caressed the black cover of the album. Slowly tears started gathering in his eyes again, I opened the album slowly, the 1st picture was of him and his mother when he was still a baby sleeping peacefully. Slowly the rustling sound of the pages filled the room, the clock's ticking sound faded away in the background.

The pictures brought back every single cherished memories of his childhood with his mother, 1st birthday, how he used to fall asleep while reading, picnic, how he used to draw on the walls, his 1st day of school.... every memory which used to make him smile now did the same but he smiled as the tears started rolling freely down his cheeks. His mother loved to capture every moment with him... but time surely doesn't turn back now only this memories are left with him. His eyes wander through the pictures, a familiar face caught his eyes, it was his childhood friend and..... well whatever.

It started raining heavily, the sound of the rain always calming as ever. He sat down on the bed, his tired eyes wandered towards the window. The sky was darker than before, it's been hours now, already night. The clouds still covering the sky. He loosened his tie and murmured to himself " Perhaps I will just stay here tonight. " He looked around the memories haunting his heart. He flopped on the bed tired and looked blankly at the ceiling. His stomach growled lightly, he didn't eat anything from last night. But he couldn't careless. The sound of the rain filled the empty and cold house a stark contrast of the warmth that filled this house which used to make it his safe haven. Slowly his tired eyes fluttered closed, as sleep claimed him, he drifted into a dream.

Christopher looked around and saw that he is in the school, he was in, But he graduated 8 years ago. He started walking around, the same familiar classrooms, ground, tress, corridor that he used to walk through every day before... his quiet time alone. He misses it all, a quiet wish to turn back the time... to relive those moments again.... He looked down and sighed which was lost in the air.

Suddenly he heard a familiar voice calling his name from the other end of the corridor. He looked up slowly, his eyes widened slightly as he closed them quickly afraid to open them again. He murmured to him, " It's a dream, right? No way it's real." He opened his eyes slowly hoping to wake up. But no... he saw that person again, same striking black hair, dark gray eyes stared at him which seem hide something beyond your imagination...a gentle smile on his face, he looked stunning like always, still the same as 8 years before when he saw him last like time didn't affect him at all. He called out Christopher's name again with that sweet gentle voice which somehow gave him goosebumps. He turned around and started running down the stairs. When he reached the ground floor, he was out of breath and his hair was fanned out. Just then someone hugged him from behind. Arms firmly wrapped around him and then he put his head on Christopher's shoulder and whispered in a low tone that it almost felt like he imagined it " Did you forget about me, Chris?"

Suddenly he woke up, short of breath. He sat up on the bed slowly. He clutched on his shirt as his eyes wander around. He was indeed in his mother's room. The morning light came illuminating the room. It's morning already, he looked at the clock, it's 6 am. He closed his eyes slowly and laughed bitterly. He murmured to himself, " Yeah, only a dream.... no way it was real." He bit his lips slightly and opened his eyes.

He stood up from the bed and went to fresh up.... After a while, he started making a simple breakfast, his mind lingering on the dream. He felt exhausted.... So much worse happened in this less time.

After breakfast, he got ready to go to his office. Work is always there you know. He sighed tiredly, all these recent events weighing him down like an invisible burden which he can't share with everyone. He got prepared for his work, that professional and polite smile back on his face,a mask that hides his pain from the world.

Well, some burdens are indeed like that which no one can see but it's always there weighing someone down, worst they can't be even shared too with someone... Everyone around you has that though you can't see it what that easy smile hides behind perhaps it's for the best or the worst.