The day was warm but still the boy didn’t think so. His heart only filled with grief and sadness.

A young boy was cleaning the house all by himself. The house where he had spend the fourteen years of his life since, he was three. He liked staying with his grandma. They were happy in this little house which seemed big enough for them.

The house was small but cosy, beautiful and surrounded by nature. A small front yard with beautiful garden, always blooming with variety of flowers including his favorite white daisy and pink roses. But now it seems that it wasn't the same garden that he grew up looking at. The soil that always looked full of nutrients was now turning dry gray by the lack of care. The beautiful green leaves were now sagging, turning yellow and brown and the flowers that aways filled the garden was now nowhere to be seen. The small vegetable garden in the back yard that used to be filled with red juicy tomatoes and green lettuce was now dreadful to look at.

Ian’s grandma passed away on the 3rd of September, a month ago, when he was in city A getting ready for the announcement of the admission result that he finally gave after a long months of hard preparation. After the result announcement happily, he called his grandma only to get the news of his grandma being admitted to the hospital. His only family member passed away not long after the demise of his beloved parents who got in a big traffic accident.

Rumbling through the object of his past and recalling their memories, few tears escaped from his red eyes. Ian found a thin box wrapped in a dusty plastic. After removing the plastic he found a diary, it was a leather diary. It was the diary that his grandma gave him on his 14th birthday. When he got first saw it, it was colored in brown, shiny and eye pleasing but now the shine of brown leather had faded into a rusty orange-brown colour, white paper had turned yellowish and the soft cover had gone brittle. He took a heavy sigh, setting it aside in a proper place and continued cleaning.

It was nearly 5 in the evening and Ian was finally done. But instead of resting he searched for a pen and sat on the study table that he once used.

And began to write,

...___________________...

...October 7th, 2015...

...Hi diary,...

...Today is the first day I will be writing on you. After nearly 4 years, grandma brought you for me saying "I wanted you to write your everyday things in here so you would remember your daily life." when I was young and immature, I sometime tend to forget my day-to-day life things easily. So, she brought me this on my 14th birthday but I never used it. Always thinking it was boring to write and getting grandma angry. (Chuckles at himself) And look at me when she is not here with me, I am writing on you. She would have praised me with her honey sweet words. Oh, How I wish I had written earlier and had recorded each and every memory of her in these pages. But being a lazy human being, I never did it and I regret it. I never got to tell her how much I love her. I never got to tell her that I got in the university that I always want. Oh, how happy she would have been. But I will never get that chance. Me being happy over getting in on the university while she was struggling in bed. (Takes a heavy breath trying best not to break down again)...

...I will try to write in you...as she wished me to......

...Bye-bye, Diary....

...Ian...

...____________________...

Ian looked at the diary, he wrote the words of his first day. As he looked, he kept tracing his writing, dapping the wet patches. He took a sharp breath as he remembered his grandma, his parents. Ian blinked his eyes a few times trying not to break down, but failed miserably. He looked to his right and saw a handing picture of his family. The picture where he was still a young boy with lot of dreams, the time when his parents were still alive and the time his grandma was with him.

Ian stood up from his study table and wiped his endless tears silently. With fairly light step, he walked towards the balcony. The cold breeze helped him clear his mind. He stayed there silently admiring the beautiful stars that had surprisingly filled the October night sky. It looked absolutely mesmerizing.

A year had passed and he was finally starting the life of living alone in this world. Ian was struggling with everything, it was his struggle with himself. His classes had started and he was doing fine in it, designing was the favorite part of his course and he was best in it. But he; the one who drew the best was not satisfied at all. His sheets of design had made a pile but non was to his liking. It never satisfied him in some micro point.

Another heavy sigh and another pencil broken, Ian was frustrated. His anger on himself was over his head, he has had enough of his unsatisfying reasoning on the very thing he sat and made with lots of effort. "What is wrong with you stupid dumb boy!! How is this not to your satisfaction!!???", He half yelled half screamed at himself. His head was cupped in his knee, his hands had reached his hair, his strength already pulling on his hair, and teeth clenched. "Why why why!!!!??" He yelled again punching his bed. "Ahhhhh!" Lastly he screamed and flopped on the bed with spreading arms.

Glittering water had already damped his eyes, tears of frustration. It slid wetting his temples, disappearing in his blondish hair. He didn't even bother to wipe it. Few minutes later, he closed his eyes and feel asleep.

It was the day that the all year present professor was absent and everyone saw it as an opportunity. A fairly tall built man in black jeans and blue hoodie interrupted a concentrated Ian. "Yo! My man Ian, you coming today?" It was Jack, one of his closest classmate. "Where?" Ian asked confused, seeming more interested in the magazine filled with news of Jewelery design than the question of Jack. Jack had barely managed himself from rolling his eyes at Ian who sat crooked, looking obsessed at what he was looking. If it wasn't that he knew this overly design obsessed man he would have thought he was up to no good at how he was looking at the thin sheets of magazine, "To the 'Moon' exhibition." Jack said casually. A pause of silence, as Ian finished his last page. Even though the class was filled with chattering voice of peoples, their was a dead silence between them.

"..I..." Ian let out a small guilty voice as he closed the magazine. "You missed yesterdays one. Few pieces of yesterday will be removed but their will be more new ones." Jack being the understandable one said as he took the magazine and started browsing himself. Ian hummed with a light nod, he knew it. He was planning to visit it by himself, he didn't want to bother his friends who nearly missed yesterdays one cause of him. "You not coming?" Jack asked confused as Ian being the man who loved moon's designs was taking a long time to response. "No no I will come. It's just..." Ian answered with a pause "I didn't bring my camera." He ended scratching his hair softly. A frown of anger appeared in Jack's face, he flicked Ian's forehead with force turning it red "You can use our f@@king camera." Ian yelped in pain but without a word nodded with a chuckle.

Ian unlocked his apartment door and got inside, hanging up his jacket, taking off his shoes and wearing a fluffy comfy slipper. He struggles to the kitchen where he seldom cooks and drinks two glasses of water. He once again makes his way to his bedroom and flops on the bed. Likewise, he lazily pulled out his phone from his bag and dialed a number.

"Hello...Yes, I would like to order Sam Gae Tang (chicken soup with ginseng) and rice porridge...Yes, that's it...yes to the same place...thank you"

He closed his phone not before glancing at the time, 02: 38pm. It took him a good 10 minutes to get up after he lay silently on the bed for a while. As he changed into comfier clothes, which were fluffy PJs, he washed his face and poured himself a cup of tea.

He had school today, but had to come back to his apartment because he was feeling unwell. He would have declined to take a leave if it hadn't been for his nurse to suggest he go to the hospital for a check-up. He was confused but didn't ask any further questions. He wasn't a doctor she was.

He sat on his working table near the window where the view of the city was on full display. His love for the display came from having to work on his works even late at night, and the view helped him relax and think. He took a sip of the tea and settled it on the corner of the table and opened a drawer. He clumsily took out a diary and a pen and began writing as he waits for his food to arrive.

_______________________________

September 19th, 2015

Day 13

Hi diary,

I am sorry for not writing, but I have been busy with school and so on. I didn't get along with any one and I didn't talk to anybody. At first, I was panicked but I just seem to like it this way, all alone. Today I walked to school like any other day. I was fine in the morning and yesterday but in the middle of lecture I suddenly got dizzy and my vision got blurry. The teacher noticed my difficulty as I was blinking repeatedly to clear my vision and asked one of the students to send me to the nurse. She checked on me and said that it may be some kind of allergy. She advised me to rest today and visit a doctor within two to three days. So, if I feel better, I will go to the hospital tomorrow. (The doorbell rang and then came a light knock. Ian immediately got up and unlocked the door and paid for the food before returning to his desk.)s arrived. I ordered as I didn't feel like cooking. I am having Sam Gae Tang and rice porridge. Hmm~ Yummy~ Hehe I am feeling a little dizzy again. I am off to sleep after eating.

Bye, diary

________________________________

After closing the diary, Ian began placing the soup and porridge in the utensils and eating it while watching his favorite show on television.

It was midnight when Ian started to feel really uncomfortable. His head felt like someone was banging on it and he was sweating so much that he was soaked in sweat. He opened his eyes only to find complete darkness. He slowly switched on the night lamp attached to his head stand and looked around. He tried to get up, but he was experiencing joint pain in his hands, but slowly he got up. Stretching his hands, he took out a pouch which was a first aid kit. In it there were several tablets, including pain relievers, fever reducers, cough relievers, etc. Along with bandages, disinfection liquids, a thermometer and many more.

He checked his temperature and cursed at himself; he was having a high fever. He took out a pain reliever and a fever tablet and gulped it out with the glass of water. As the medicine took its effect, he got some relief and soon drifted in his dream world.

It was 7 in the morning and Ian woke up motivated after a sick night. ‘A wonderful day awaits me!’ he thought as he punched in the air with high hope for his day to end on a pleasant note. After more than a month and a quarter, he made the decision! He was finally energetic enough to go out to look for some inspiration rather than grumble over some unsatisfactory work. ‘My two brain cells decided to work today.’ He commented inwardly giving himself a head pat. He was an optimistic lad and wouldn’t let anything around him affect him for long.

He decided to take a stroll in the nearest popular but peaceful park and all he had with him was his trusty side bag with only a pen and a simple hand-size notepad. He wanted to take notes of small things that would help him become more creative. "Sometimes small things lead to big achievements." He had heard someone say that when he was a child, but never really considered it.

The light sun and the cool breeze felt like the sweet cake that Ian had been craving. Less crowds were the cherry on top that tempted him to take a bite. All in all, it was all favorable for Ian and he was glad he had chosen this very specific day.

'Ekkk I love it.' He squeaked inwardly like a teenager who got looked at by their crush but kept their face in the corner. Within a few minutes, he had realized it was quite the opposite of what he had imagined. When he decides to park his dumb truck somewhere surrounded by lush vegetation, he notices something that is not pleasing to the eye. “Why today of all days!?” He mumbled out in anger, in sadness, and in disappointment. He was so ready to get something done today, but it seems like nature wasn't cooperating. And he was right, in a few minutes the golden ray of sun disappeared and black clouds covered the sky, thunder began to crash and roar. ‘It isn’t a wonderful day.’ Ian thought again recalling how he had woken up thinking it would be a wonderful day.

As Ian ran through the small streets of the city, the rain began to pour more heavily. Almost as if mocking Ian's childlike idea of a wonderful day ending on a pleasant note and the reality he had to face. Looking like a drenched puppy, he finally reached home. He changed his clothes in a hurry and took a hot shower after letting the water boil for a hot cup of tea. ‘One should have a hot drink after a drench in the rain.’ He remembered his grandma’s words when he was young and used to play in the rain. The heavier it was the more he loved it. After he had taken a shower and poured tea into a cute mug, he sat down in the small sitting area near his window. He loved this small area in his house, it was peaceful and it gave a nice view of aunt Melena’s huge garden. He sat there to recall his day, his terrible day. Taking a sip, he let out a heavy sigh and sighed. The day was indeed miserable, he saw things that burned one's eyes, he was drenched wet in the heavy rain, his pen was missing, his inspiration note was wet, its words forming questionable sentences.

The next day Ian woke up with a runny nose and nothing else but he knew it could be a start of a terrible cold. So, he didn’t risk it and had a cup of ginger tea. He had a long day of lecture today on ‘History of Art & Jewellery’ which he was interested in learning but not quite happy to learn for over one-two hours. And at 8 o'clock his classes started with the interesting pictorial designs of history.

Ian had barely managed to suppress a yawn when he had glanced at the lion yawn of his fellow seatmate. Had he not managed, he would have been glared at like a mush by the professor. Despite not speaking much, the professor was keenly attentive to what was going on. "UGH!!! Never thought that designing also had a history." One of the students in back spoke up as soon as the professor left. An individual next to him agreed and stretched as well. Ian heard them as they discussed, and he couldn’t help but agree. Their talks weren’t as interesting and normal as he had expected them to be. He was having an old talk about girls; a talk about which he had grown in despair. When people reach their prime, normal talk may not be their cup of tea. Ian thought, releasing a disappointed sigh as he gathered his things to leave.

Rain; a heavy rain that no one expected. 'Wasn't it raining yesterday too?' Ian thought out of disappointment when he barely managed to save his papers from getting soaked by the rain. “Looks like the classes are going to get cancelled.” He observed from afar as the same groups of guys discussed. “Oh, I hope it would!” He heard it again. ‘How the heck do I hear them every time!? Do I have a sharp ear or what-’, Ian couldn’t even continue his train of thoughts. It was more like he had already got his answer before even addressing the question to himself. He could tell that he wasn't the only one who heard those two. As if a withered rose that finally bloomed when given a bit of water and sunlight, everyone now had a face full of color and hope.

/GOOD AFTERNOON, /

/I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT ALL THE CLASSES TILL TOMMOROW HAS BEEN CANCLED DUE TO NEWS OF HURICAN ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINFALL. /

/THANK YOU! /

/- MRS. SARAH WRIGHT/

The notice tinged in every student’s phone. There were cheers of joy as they read the notice published by the headmaster. Well at least it wasn’t a false hope Ian thought.