Memories!

He watched her as she placed the bouquet of white lilies on the head of his grave. It wasn't the first time he was seeing her. He had been seeing her every day. She had never seemed to forget coming or miss a day. It was hurting him to see her like this, not being able to forget the man. The day was chilly. With the snow falling lightly and the wind blowing just enough for the branches to sway on the trees, she had still come to the grave to visit the one who was no longer part of her life. But the fact that he was no longer beside her, holding her hand, didn't stop her from remembering him or even talking to him. Whether a storm had been forecasted or the sun was shining its light on the people of Canberra, she never thought once before stepping her foot out the house to come and visit him. Then why would she think twice today? After all it was the most important day of her life. It was their anniversary today; the 14th of February.

He had seen her for the first time five years ago, when he happened to visit the graveyard for the first time himself. He hadn't known about it, therefore started visiting it more frequently. Gradually visiting it every day of every month of every year. Everyday she would bring a flower to place on the bed, but it was just special days like anniversaries, birthdays and Diwali that she would bring a bouquet of flowers. He loved white; therefore she never brought any flower other than a white one, whether that was a lily, rose or a camellia, it was always white.

She loved the man more than anything in the world, more than herself. He could see it in her clear crystal eyes. The way she would sit for hours on special days like these and remember all the good times they had had together and then suddenly start crying whilst rewinding all those memories. But the fact that he had never gone up to her and talked to her, only left him to question she loved her husband more than her own life. He even tried putting himself into her feet and thinking whether he would have the courage to come visit the grave of his wife, if a similar mishap occurred in his family. Would he then still have the courage to raise his two young children? He really did admire this woman who was standing quite a distance away from him. She really did love her husband to bits, though she had been strong enough to pull it through without him.

The weather was getting worse. The snow was getting heavier and he was starting to get worried for the weak and lean woman who was standing about ten meters away from him. He could see the frail figure of the woman, swaying in the direction that the wind would push her to. She drew her shawl tighter around her, but somehow he knew that it wouldn't be enough for her. He felt that strange attraction again, one he had been feeling everyday for the last five years. And for the first time, in all these years, he walked over to her and put his thick, fur coat over her small shivering body and hugged her tightly. It was as if she had always known that he was watching her. Of course she knew. A mother always knows.

Neither of them said a single word. They didn't need to. Both of them knew what each other were thinking. He knew how much his father meant to his mother. He had been the perfect son, father and the perfect fighter. He didn't exactly have any memories of the man as a father as he was very young when he passed away, but his mother had always told him that he loved them both very much.

But of one thing he was sure. That he had never felt the loss of his father as his mother had fulfilled the duties of both; as mother and a father. He knew that for the sake of her son, she put aside all of her tears and sorrow and helped make him the man he was today.

As they stood their side by side in silence he realized how strong his mother was. She did everything she could to raise her child, put clothes on him, feed him, educate him and nourish him in every way needed. Even though she had lost that one person that she had loved the most in her life, she would put a smile on her face every time her son had come in front of her. No doubt his mother and father loved each other so much, as they both had the determination to get through the hard times and hardships of life. They were both ready to sacrifice their own happiness and life for the sake of others.

But for one thing he was sure now. There was no way that his mother would spend the rest of her life like this. It was time that she was welcomed with new happiness in her life. New celebrations, new smiles and most of all... new memories.