In the midst of this ruthful autumn, at the catastrophe, with the pain of my mom's death, I stood there, at loss, glancing at the event and actions happening around me in utterly unconscious mind.

A few people had come to visit her before the final rituals were to be held. At this point, all the memories we had kept running as if a reel inside my mind.

The memories were mostly happy and filled with joy, love and laughter when we born, me, Tia and my brother Ron.

I still remember, it wasn't more than 4 months ago that everything was fine...my life was bright like an endless summer. Having both children settled, at the age of retirement, what else would a teacher want in life???

Just a simple life to spend with wife and children. But why can't such a simple wish be fulfilled. Why does it happen that at the end of life... The endless summer had turn into a cold and dark winter night.

"What are you doing, Tia?" said Ron. He was right though. When so many ppl have come to home, as a daughter of this family, I can't sit with my sorrows in my own world. I need to be there, with everyone.

A few people have a chance to spend a peaceful life. Though the absence of a person can feel like storm in the journey of a life, we need to move on with the hope of looking at the clear and bright sky that forms after the storm. We all know that death is inevitable. We have to learn to move on.

After everyone paid their respects, the rituals were conducted. I could not bear it anymore and went to my room. I sat on my bed and saw the photo frame near me. A happy family, me, Ron, mom and dad.... Looking at the picture was like a thorn pricking my heart.....why did it end like this...

Just then, my sister-in-law, Sia, came in. "Why Sia? Why did it end like this?". Until now, all the tears that I had been holding back, started to fall down my cheeks. Sia hugged me and said "We don't have control on what happens in our life sometimes, Tia".

"I don't mind mom's death, Sia, I know we can't defeat death, but why in this way? She was so happy all her life, but why did she have to die at this time, in misery, after suffering so much? And why..... Why did that incident happen 4 months ago? Why did dad leave us? "

" Enough Tia", said Ron who just came in. "The person is not our dad, and don't you dare mention him again."

"Not telling it won't change the truth, Ron. You can't change the fact that he is our Dad".

"He is not our dad, atleast not mine, he was dead for me the day he left mom and us"

Ron left the room angrily. Sia said "He is more hurt than you about what happened that day. He just can't help being angry about it. I will go and take a look at him. He doesn't show it but is more vulnerable than us, after all, in a span of few months, he has lost both his mom and dad."

I nodded and Sia left the room.

I took the sweater that mom had made for him and hugged it. I just couldn't hold the tears and let them flow. I didn't even know when I fell asleep.

I woke up in the evening, it was raining outside and the window was open, but the sweater I slept hugging gave much warmth to me. Sia came in to call me for lunch since I slept, she said that I should not skip meals.

When I had meal and was returning to my room, I saw my brother and sister-in-law talking in their room. I saw Ron flipping through albums and reminiscing the time we once enjoyed. Sia was trying to cheer him up while he embraced the frame of our mom.

He said "I know more than anyone else how happy we all were, Sia. All these years I have been watching them with my own eyes." He picks up a picture in the album and continues speaking, "You see this Sia, this was when Tia was born, look at how happy i looked. And mom was smiling as if she were on cloud on. And look at Dad, holding Tia in his arms, he couldn't be much happier than he was."

"Dad loved mom more than anyone in this world Sia, how could he bear to leave us". Hearing him i remembered the day when dad were leaving us, Ron shut himself in the room and didn't eat anything for two days until I and Sia had to break in his room and feed him.

I saw that it was raining unusually and heavily outside. It didn't seem to stop. Same as that day, it was raining like this that day too... I and Mom were cooking while Ron had gone to pick up Sia from station as she had gone to H city for some important work. Dad came home but he didn't utter a word and went to his room. He looked pale.

It was almost 3 hours but he didn't seem to come out. Ron and Sia had just come home and everyone were about to have dinner when Dad came out... But..... With a luggage in his hand......

He put all his luggage in the car and we were actually still shocked and were thinking why was he doing that. He came back and I went to ask him "Dad, what's all this about?". Ron jumps in says "Wow Dad, are we going on a secret vacation u planned for us?" and I was like "Really Dad, should I pack my things then, come on Mom, we don't have time, help me pack now".

Just then my dad tells us that he is leaving us. And he tells Mom to forget about him and leaves just like that, without even giving us a reason. It was a total shock. Ron said "How can joke about this... If he doesn't come back in an hour, I won't talk to him, why does he have to joke to this level that he left in the rain".

We all waited for him staying awake the whole night but he didn't come back. When dad didn't come back by morning, Ron shut himself in the room. It has been 4 months since then... Initially we still had hope that he will come back... But as time went on we lost our patience... We don't know where he is now....when dad said he was leaving, Mom was silent and since that day she didn't speak much....

Just then Ron's phone began to ring which brought me back to my senses. He picked up his phone and after hearing the other person, he exclaimed "WHAT??!!!! "

What happened and why was Ron shocked. How come Tia's Dad who loved his family so much leave them without a reason and not come back.

Stay tuned to learn more

Ron was shocked and his hands were trembling. This was the first time i had seen Ron tremble in my life. Soon the phone in his hands fell down. I went in and asked him to sit down and tell us what happened and why are you trembling.

He sat and told us that dad was no more alive. I was taken aback. What I heard next was even more shocking. He said that he died at the same time as mom. I asked him what was the cause of death. He said it was due to cardiac arrest and also that he was admitted in the hospital for the past 4 months.

I could not handle what I heard. I needed time and space. I left the place. The rain had already stopped but the air was still cold enough to make one shiver. I came to a park near a house and sat there. So dad left us because he had known about the fact that he had heart issues. I remember how pale he was that day. He thought to leave us so that we would not him suffer and die. It was so shocking they die at the same time. But they truly loved each other

As I sat there thinking, I heard a boy crying. He was asking for a cotton candy from a vendor but he didn't have any money. He looked like a 5 year old boy and wore decent dress as if from a rich family, but he all alone. "Did he get lost, where are his parents" I murmured. I then went to him and squat down to reach his height. I wiped his tears off first and said "I will get you a cotton candy, don't cry".

But when I looked at my pocket, I realised that I had just brought my phone and my wallet was left in home. I was not at blame... Since there were a lot of tension in my mind. But luckily, I was a regular customer of the vendor and he gave me the cotton candy for free when I promised to pay him back next time.

I took the cotton candy and the vendor left. I squatted once again and gave the boy his cotton candy. Then I asked him who did he come here with and where were his parents. He said he came alone and took a bite of cotton candy. Then he said " As for my parents, they are no longer in this world".

I felt sorry for him. I too lost my parents but I am 17 this year and this boy is just 5. I hugged him. He too hugged me but was still busy eating his cotton candy. Then he pulled back and smiled. He said "Don't be sad. Because I am not. Though I don't remember much about the time I spent with them, all memories I have are happy ones. And they would not want me to be sad when I remember them, right?".

I thought how could the boy be so sensible at such a young age. When I was 5 years old I didn't know anything except sleeping and eating.

He further said " my brother says that we don't know what happens in future, so while we have time we shld smile and stay happy while trying to keep everyone around us happy. My brother also says that only thing that is constant in our lives is change. People come and go, places change, our life also changes. What we can do is look at it with a positive attitude and stay happy".

Hearing this was calming me unknowingly. I was more intrigued about this guy's brother, he seems like a great guy. Just then my phone rang and i saw it was Ron's call. I picked it up and told me to come home since its late. I said "OK Ron, but actually I found this little guy lost here in the park and...", when I turned around to look, I saw that the boy was already gone. "Hey Tia! And... What?"said Ron. I said "Nothing... I will come back now".

Just then I realized that I don't even know his name but then I remember those words which calmed me. I thought, I found hope in your words. Hope to live happily