No Beginning: The Day I Lost Everything

 I didn’t know that day would change my life.

It started like any other.

The Afternoon

It was around 2 PM when I came back from playing with my friends.

The sun was still strong. My body felt warm and tired in a good way. My feet were dusty. My mind was empty.

Just another normal day.

Then I heard my grandmother calling me.

Her voice was different.

Not the usual call for food.
Not the usual tone.

There was something urgent in it.

The Coconut Tree

I stopped near a coconut tree behind the house.

From there, I could see underneath the house. The shaded space where my grandparents rested during the day. There was a wooden bed there.

That’s when I saw them.

My grandfather was on the ground.

My grandmother was trying to lift him.

She was struggling.

She called my name again, louder.

She needed help.

Frozen

But I didn’t move.

I don’t know why.

My body just stopped.

Everything around me felt quiet.

I could hear my own heartbeat. Fast. Heavy.

But my legs didn’t respond. My hands didn’t respond.

I just stood there.

Watching.

My grandmother kept trying to lift him. She looked small in that moment, even though I knew how strong she was.

She couldn’t do it alone.

The Neighbors

People started to come.

Neighbors gathered under the house.

Voices filled the space.

Someone gave instructions. Someone tried to help.

But to me, it all felt far away.

Like I was outside of it.

Still standing near that coconut tree.

Still frozen.

The Dream

Earlier that day, after his nap, my grandfather told my grandmother something.

He said he had a dream.

He saw my mother walking down the road, coming toward the house.

At that time, it didn’t mean anything.

It was just a dream.

The Waiting

The afternoon turned into evening.

The house felt different.

Heavier.

No one said much.

People stayed close.

Watching. Waiting.

I didn’t understand everything that was happening.

But I knew something was wrong.

7PM

When the evening came, I noticed something strange.

All the neighbors stood up at the same time.

No one needed to say it.

I felt it.

My grandfather was gone.

The Phone Call

Right after, I went to a telephone service place.

I needed to call my mother.

I don’t remember how I got there.

I just knew I had to tell her.

When someone answered, it wasn’t her.

It was her neighbor.

I said who I was.

There was a short silence.

Then they said:

“You called at the right time.”

My chest felt tight.

“Your mother just passed away.”

The Same Time

7PM.

The same time.

My grandfather and my mother.

Gone.

At the same moment.

No Words

I didn’t cry right away.

I didn’t shout.

I didn’t know what to feel.

Everything felt empty.

Like something inside me had stopped.

No Way to Say Goodbye

We didn’t have money.

There was no way for me to go to PoiPet.

I couldn’t attend my mother’s funeral.

So I stayed.

I stayed for my grandfather’s funeral.

Two losses.

One night.

And no goodbye for one of them.

What Was Left

After that day, nothing felt the same.

The house was still there.

The people were still there.

But the feeling was gone.

Something had been taken.

And it wasn’t coming back.

A Child Without Direction

I didn’t understand it fully at the time.

But that day marked something important.

I was no longer just a child living with grandparents.

I was someone who had lost the only people holding my life together.

Silence

That night, everything felt quiet.

Not peaceful.

Just empty.