HOURGLASS
Taehyung's POV
I'm at the park to spend my break time. I glanced at the sky and found two birds chirping while they flock together. I smiled, a sad one.
Missing someone and not being able to see them anymore is the worst feeling ever.
"Grandma, I know you're proud of me right now. Are you happy out there? I'm sure you are because I know you're with Him already. He only takes the best. Don't worry about me, I'm eating delicious foods here, it's not as good as what you used to cook but it's okay. What are you doing now grandma? Are you watching me? Can you see me?" I waved to the sky. "Are you waving back grandma? Sorry if I can't see it, but to be honest, I want to see you right now, I miss your smile, your voice, your laugh. Just one time grandma, let me see you, please." I wiped my tears away. I didn't even know that I was already crying.
I stood up from the bench thinking about finally going home when I stepped on something. I picked it up and looked at it. It's a small hourglass.
I suddenly dropped it when I felt the people around me froze. It's like the world stopped moving.
I closed my eyes because my head started to hurt, then I collapsed.
━━━━━━。゜✿ฺ✿ฺ゜。━━━━━━
I opened my eyes as I stood up. I'm still dizzy but I stiffened when I realized where I am. I'm in my grandparent's house. I look around and smiled because it didn't change a bit. It's still the same after I left.
"Taehyungiiiiie" my heart stopped beating for a moment after I heard that voice. That voice I've been longing to hear for four years.
I turned around and saw my grandma smiling towards me. Tears started to fall from my eyes.
"Grandma..." I whispered. I was about to hug her when some kid ran and hugged her first. Grandma returned the hug. But...w-wait, is that me? the younger me? it can't be.
"You little boy, are you hungry? Let grandma cook you some food." How I miss the taste of her food, so much.
"Let me help you grandma!" Grandma nodded to the boy and they both went to the kitchen together. That's how I knew that I'm invisible. She can't see me. She doesn't know that I'm here.
"Here." I looked at the handkerchief in front of me and looked at the one who's holding it. It's a girl wearing a white dress. She's uhmm glowing?.
"Thanks? Wait...you can see me?" I asked after wiping my tears with the handkerchief.
"Of course." She smiled.
"How? And what am I doing here?"
"I can't explain how but the second one I can explain. You found my hourglass." She pointed at the one I'm holding. This is the hourglass that I saw at the park. "When you hold or touch it with sands inside it, your wish of returning to a specific period of time will be granted. So now, you are here, with your grandma, sadly she can't see you but at least you can see her and I think that is what's important." She explained.
"So... I can stay here? So that I can always see and be with her?"
"Taehyung, time is important for all the people. Staying here means leaving the world as it is. The world will not move again in the present and the people will stay frozen. Listen, I'm Athaiah, the goddess of time. Until you're not letting go of me or that hourglass, the world in the present will stay as it is, frozen." She answered but I didn't reply. I ignored her.
I don't want to hear anything for now. I just want to spend some time with my grandma. Selfish? I know, but if you're in my situation, for sure you'll do the same thing. Being with her is all I wanted right now. If this is just a dream, please don't wake me up again or can I still sleep for some time? I just missed her so much.
I went to the kitchen and found the two laughing. I just stared at them. You will never know how much I would give to have you back in my life grandma.
Minutes passed and they already finished eating. I listened to my grandmother's story as they eat. How I miss those stories told by her.
Grandma and the younger me went to the fields. They laughed as they farmed together. I remembered how she always ask me if my shirt is wet or not, then she'll put a towel at my back if it is. Sometimes, memories sneak out of my eyes and roll down on my cheeks.
After farming, they proceeded to my room. It's time for my younger self to sleep. I always sleep in the afternoon because my grandmother told me that I will grow fast if I did. So I obeyed her. Grandma, look how big I am now.
"You've been here for hours already. Will you let me go now?" Athaiah asked. She's been following me wherever I go.
"Not yet." I replied.
I glanced at my grandma as she pat the younger me so he can fall asleep fast. She just sat there and is looking at the kid who's already sleeping like an angel.
I walked towards her and hugged her. How it hurts that she's not hugging back. Grandma I am here. I hope you could actually see me.
"Tell me, why did you leave so fast? Why did you leave me? Do you know how much I've missed you? I tried so hard to always put a smile to them so I won't make them worry but it hurts. It hurts so much knowing that you won't be around me anymore. I tried my hardest to not act how I feel. I pretended that I'm not hurting even though I am. There even are times that I hide my tears when I say your name. I wasn't ready grandma. I'm still not ready to let go. I grew up with you by my side. You held my hand when I was still small, even my later years as well. You were always there. You were always there to tell me to be kind, to be humble, to be friendly, to always forgive, to make people happy, to understand others and to never give up. It's sad how you were such a big part of my life and now you're just gone. I loved you like there was no tomorrow, and then one day there wasn't." I wiped the tears running down on my cheeks. "Grandma, I wish heaven had visiting hours so when I am sad I could just talk to you. When I'm tired I'll just go to you. When I feel alone I'll just run to you. It's hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember and that someone is you Grandma." I glanced at Athaiah who's coming towards us.
"Taehyung...please let me go. The present needs me." She pleaded.
"N-no...p-please...j-just a minute...I-I'll let you go...j-just give me more time to be with her..."
She just nodded and gave me a sad smile. I know she pities me. I tried my best to smile back to her then I look at my grandmother again.
"Grandma, you're someone with silver in your hair and gold in your heart. Don't worry about me anymore. I've grown. I'm strong and brave. Well, sometimes. But I'll move forward and I'll be thankful that for once, I had a great grandma that took care of me when I was little and helped me to grow as a fine man. I'm not saying goodbye to you because I'm sure that we will meet again." I look at grandma who's sleeping on my arms. "I know you'd be with me today if heaven wasn't too far away. I loved you everyday and now I will miss you everyday. Grandma it won't be the same without you, thank you for everything. I won't be the Taehyung I am today if it wasn't for you. I'll miss your smiles grandma, I'll miss the way you say my name, I'll miss your sweet voice. I'll miss everything. I know it won't be easy but I think it's time for me to go. Thanks for the memories grandma. I'll keep them in my heart forever. Time is precious and I'm glad I got to spend them with you. I think it's time. It's time for this dream to come to an end. I'm glad I got to see you again, grandma." I kissed the top of her head and walk away slowly from her. A light like yours can't go out and even though I can't see you again, when I look up at the twinkling stars, I know you are still shining somewhere too.
"Taehyungie" I stopped when she called my name. I turned to her and found out that she's talking while sleeping.
Tears running down again. I walk towards her and hugged her. Tighter this time.
"I love you grandma." Finally I said it. The words I want her to hear when she's still breathing. The words I want to say to her live on television as she watch me wearing a smile on her face because she's so proud of me. The words I haven't mutter for her because of that bad timing. I wiped my tears away but they won't stop falling.
If I don't let go now, I don't think I could ever will. At some point, you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart, but not in your life.
"A-Athaiah" she looked at me sadly after I called her.
"I-I'm letting you go..."
I looked at grandma who's now starting to fade away. I just treasured every seconds that I could still see her. She may be gone from my sight but she is never gone from my heart. My head started hurting again, and everything went black.
━━━━━━。゜✿ฺ✿ฺ゜。━━━━━━
I'm holding my head as I slowly opened my eyes. What just happened? Was it all a dream?
I look around and people are already moving, they're not frozen anymore. The world is moving again. Everything's back to normal. Wait, who am I kidding? Of course it's a normal day. It's too obvious that it was all a dream.
I look at my watch. It's already 4 o'clock in the afternoon. It's time to go back to the dorm. I stood up from the bench as I stepped on something. I picked it up. It's an hourglass. There are no sand in it but there are two words written on it.
Thank you.
Athaiah. I thought.
Then probably it wasn't just a dream? It was all real? I got to spend some time with my grandma. I smiled and looked at the hourglass again.
I used to wish for those sand to stay still and never leave the upper glass. But now, suddenly I know that it's time to start a new and trust the magic of beginnings. If you don't leave your past in the past, it will destroy your future. Live for what today has to offer, not for what yesterday has taken away. Our lives are but specks of dust falling through the fingers of time. Like sands of the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.
My wish came true. I got to see my grandma.
I looked at the sky once more and flashed my sweetest smile.
There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have to let go. One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you can't change.
The birds are singing as the sun set. The sky turned pinkish with a bit of orange. I can already see the moon in my vision, there are stars too. Perhaps they are not stars but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pour through and shine down upon us to let us know that they are happy. The sky is beautiful that I can't help but to smile. I know you are happy out there, with Him.
Strong winds blew. I embraced it thinking Grandma returned the hug I gave her earlier.
I'll miss you grandma, until we meet again.
Nothing is permanent, everything will be gone soon. Time expires, and the sand in the hour glass runs out. ⏳
- - - - - - -
End ⭐
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The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.
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so I have reach the maximum pages in this one. see you in book 2 💜