The morning began like any other.... At exactly 6:45 a.m., Daniel’s alarm rang from beneath his pillow. He slapped the phone twice before finally finding it. The room was still dark and the fan above him made a tired clicking sound as it rotated.
From the kitchen, his mother called his name. “Daniel! Are you awake?”... “Yes, Mama!”
“You said that yesterday, but you were still sleeping.”
Daniel smiled and pulled the blanket away... He had an important presentation at work that morning, and he was already running late, so he rushed into the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and almost slipped while trying to wear his trousers.... His younger sister, Anita, stood outside the door laughing..
“You are always in a hurry,” she said... “And you are always disturbing people.”
“You should have woken up earlier.”
Daniel opened the door and looked at her. “One day, I will wake up early and disturb you.”
“You cannot even wake up early.”... She ran away before he could respond.
In the kitchen, his mother had prepared bread, eggs, and tea. Daniel picked up a slice of bread and started walking toward the door.
“Sit down and eat properly,” his mother said.... “Mama, I’m late.”
“You are always late. Is lateness your profession?”... Anita laughed from the corner.
Daniel sat down reluctantly, His mother placed a plate in front of him and began complaining about his habit of skipping breakfast. He pretended not to listen, but he ate everything and before leaving, his mother handed him a small piece of paper.
“Please, buy my medicine on your way back.”.. Daniel folded the paper and put it in his pocket.
“I won’t forget.”... “And call me when you get to work.”
“I will.”
Anita followed him to the gate... “Daniel, bring me chocolate.”
“You have two legs. Go and buy it yourself.”
“But you are going out.”
“So?”
She smiled. “Please.”
Daniel shook his head. “Fine. If I remember.”
“You always say that.”
He laughed and walked away.
The street was already busy. Cars moved slowly through the morning traffic. A woman arranged tomatoes beside the road, A schoolboy struggled to tie his shoelace while his mother shouted at him to hurry up, Everything looked ordinary.. Daniel boarded a bus and found a seat near the window. He spent most of the journey replying to messages and checking the time. But When he arrived at work, his colleague, Michael, was already waiting.
“You are late again,” Michael said.
“Good morning to you too.”
“You will never change.”
“People should learn to accept others as they are.”
Michael laughed. “You are unbelievable.”
The day moved quickly... Daniel gave his presentation, attended meetings, answered calls and even complained about the amount of work waiting for him... Then around lunchtime, Anita sent him a message.
Don’t forget my chocolate...
Daniel replied... You and this chocolate. I will buy it... She sent a laughing emoji, then He returned to work and forgot about the message almost immediately.
At around 4:17 p.m., his phone rang... It was his mother.
Daniel looked at the screen and considered calling her back later... He was reviewing some documents and he did not want to be distracted But the phone rang again...
He answered.
“Hello, Mama?”
There was silence.
“Mama?”
When she finally spoke, her voice sounded unfamiliar.
“Daniel…”
He sat up.
“What happened?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m at work. What happened?”
His mother began to cry.
“Anita was coming back from the shop. A car hit her.”
Daniel stood up so quickly that his chair fell backward.
“What?”
“She is at the hospital.”
“Is she okay?”
His mother did not answer.
“Mama, is she okay?”
“She is inside. The doctors are trying…”
Daniel did not wait for the rest of the sentence, He grabbed his bag and rushed out of the office... Michael even tried calling him, but Daniel barely heard him..
When he got to the hospital, it was crowded... People sat on benches, stood beside doors and moved through the corridors with worried faces... Daniel found his mother near the emergency ward, She was sitting with her hands clasped tightly together.
“Where is she?” he asked.
His mother stood up and held him.
“She is inside.”
“What did the doctors say?”
“They have not told us anything.”
Daniel paced the corridor. Every few seconds, he looked toward the emergency room. He wanted someone to come out and say Anita was fine. He wanted to hear her complain about something. He wanted to see her wearing his old T-shirt and laughing at him again.
After almost an hour, a doctor finally stepped out.
He looked at Daniel’s mother first, then at Daniel.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
Daniel stared at him.
“No,” he replied.
The doctor lowered his eyes.
“No,” Daniel repeated. “You need to check again.”
His mother began crying loudly.
Daniel did not cry. He simply stood there, unable to understand how the day had changed so completely.
That morning, Anita had been laughing at him outside the bathroom... That afternoon, she was gone.
When Daniel returned home later that night, the house felt unfamiliar.. Anita’s slippers were beside the door.. Her schoolbooks were scattered across the table. A half-finished bottle of water stood near her bed... Her room was exactly as she had left it, Daniel entered slowly and sat on the edge of her bed but His mother remained in the doorway, crying quietly.
Then he remembered the chocolate... He reached into his pocket and brought out the folded paper his mother had given him. The medicine was still written on it... He had forgotten both things.
The next morning, Daniel woke up before his alarm and For a moment, he expected to hear Anita laughing outside his door or his mother calling him to breakfast but the house was painfully silent.
The fan still made its clicking sound. The morning light still entered through the window. Somewhere outside, a radio played an old song... The world had continued as if nothing had happened.
Daniel sat on his bed and stared at his phone. Anita’s last message was still there... Don’t forget my chocolate... He read it again and again.
That was when he understood something painful.. the last normal day never announces itself. It does not come with a warning.. It does not tell you to pay attention, It simply passes like every other day, carrying ordinary conversations, unfinished plans, small arguments, laughter and even promises.
Only later do you realize that it was the last time. The last breakfast... The last joke.... The last goodbye.... The last normal day..
Image Source: GeminiAI
