Beep… beep… beep… went the heart rate monitor as Taemin applied some lip balm on his mother’s lips as she lay in the hospital bed with an oxygen mask over . No one said a singe word till a nurse came in, to inform them of the need to settle some paperwork. Naeun, Taemin’s wife, excused herself from the ward to take care of it, “I’ll go settle it.” “You accompany your appa okay?” Naeun instructed to Sungjong, the couple’s 16-year-old son, whom stood by the bed and stared out of the window with a grim look on his face.

Ever since Sungjong’s grandfather passed away, Taemin invited his mother to move in and live with them in their rented house in Seoul. But there were times when she put them in difficult situations. “Why is this meat so tough?” she complained and threw down her chopsticks, refusing to eat. Naeun felt ashamed and brought the plate of chicken meat back into the kitchen. “Eomma why don’t you try this piece of vegetable?” Taemin encouraged as he picked up a few strands and placed them into her rice bowl. Sungjong’s grandmother had a stubborn attitude and turned her head away, declining to even eat those foods, which she deemed as trash. “Eomma, I’ll get fish porridge for you okay?” Taemin suggested and left the table. 12- year-old Sungjong was fed up with his grandmother’s attitude and slammed his chopsticks on the table and left the table.

A few months later…

“Let me go! I’m leaving this place! I’m going to my sister’s place in Busan!” Sungjong’s grandmother raged as she dragged her baggage of clothing and memorabilia out of the house. “Eomma please stay!” Naeun begged as she dialled Taemin’s number on her hand phone. Taemin, an odd job worker had to leave his job midway even though his boss threatened to fire him if he left, in order to persuade his mother to stay. Despite the entire ruckus at home, Sungjong slammed the door shut, setting the relationship distance between him and his grandmother further apart.

And then there was one night…

Sungjong overheard the family doctor saying, “I think it would be best if you sent her to the hospital for a medical check-up. The fall that she suffered could deal a heavy blow to her head. ”

“Appa, why do you still treat grandma so well even though she treated you and eomma so badly?” Sungjong asked his father before their hospital visit.

“Taxi!” Sungjong’s grandmother yelled and waved her arm as she tried to flag one amidst the heavy downpour. In her other arm, was young Taemin whom was suffering from a high fever. Forgoing the taxi, she carried Taemin in both arms and ran to the nearest hospital. “Excuse me! My son is suffering from a high fever.” Sungjong’s grandmother went up to a busy nurse whom replied, “Everyone here is seeing the doctor. You need to wait patiently.” Sungjong’s grandmother then settled in a chair and hummed a soothing song for Taemin as she his hair.

Taemin hummed the very same song for his mother, as she did for him years ago. Sungjong’s grandmother heard the song in her coma, and a teardrop rolled out from her left eye down her cheek.

How one generation loves… the other learns…

A/N: This Mother's Day, be it a simple chat over dinner, or even a walk in the park... don't you think it is possible to pay her back for what she's done... with your most precious gift - time.