the short story

The Chronique

By: Firdausi Khoirunnisa

The Chronique was a small shop hidden between tall buildings. There was a sign, “Merlin’s Timepieces,” swinging with the autumn wind. The shop was owned by a middle-aged man called Merlin. From the outside, it clearly showed that the shop was filled with clocks of many shapes and sizes. All those clocks ticked in perfect harmony.  

One rainy evening, a young woman entered the shop. She wore a beautiful emerald dress. She had recently lost her mother and felt very sad.  

The owner of the shop, Merlin, had a small sharp face and wore glasses with a gold frame. He looked up at the door from his desk.  

“How can I help you, young lady?” he asked the woman. His voice was warm and calm.  

She shook her head. “I am not looking for anything. I just need a place to hide from the rain.”  

Merlin smiled. “People do not usually find my shop unless they really need to. What is your name?” he asked.  

“Mary. Mary Lanford.”  

“Well, Mary, I am Merlin Chronos. You can call me Merlin,” said the man.  

Mary chuckled, “It all makes sense then. The shop and your name. Chronos means time, isn't it? and you are selling clocks.” Then Merlin laughed, listened to what Mary said.  

Merlin suddenly noticed the sadness in Mary’s eyes and hesitantly asked her, “I am sorry for asking, but why do you look so sad?”  

Mary was a little startled by the question. She had carefully put on makeup that morning so people would not notice her sad face, but he noticed it. “I… I just lost my mother recently, and I cannot stop being sad,” she answered in a low voice.  

“Oh, I am so sorry, my dear, for your loss. I hope you will find new things that can make you happy again,” Merlin said. Mary smiled.  

Both of them stayed quiet for a while. Merlin went back to his desk, and Mary took a look around the shop. Merlin then remembered something. He asked Mary, “Mary, would you like to come with me? Come here.”  

Mary was a little unsure, but she felt curious about why the man asked her to come, so she followed him to the back of the shop. Under the dim light, there was a beautiful clock. It made a strange noise. Unlike other clocks, it sounded as if the clock was singing. Beautiful.  

“This is Chronique,” the man said. “It is not like other clocks. It allows you to visit the past, believe it or not, just for a short time.”  

Mary stopped breathing for a moment. “So… you say that I could… I could see my mother again?”  

Merlin nodded. “Yes, but only for one hour, and you must not change anything. You can only watch and speak.”  

Mary thought this might be the time she could see her mother again for the last time. She hesitantly whispered, “I will do it. I want to see my mother again.”  

“Hold the handle, and turn it left one time,” Merlin instructed Mary. As she did, the clock began to glow with golden light, and its gears spun faster to the left. In a flash of light, she felt the world change. When the glow faded, she found herself in her own house. The warm scent of rose candles and freshly baked bread filled her nose. Seeing her mother making tea for breakfast made her heart skip a bit. She felt happy. Her mother looked so beautiful.  

“Mother,” Mary said softly. Her mother turned around, startled.  

“Mary? My goodness, what are you doing here? Finished reading your book?”  

Mary remembered this moment. She had been reading a novel while her mother was cooking breakfast. She repeated the same moment, but it was fine. She still felt happy. “I have not finished reading, Mom. I smelled something good from the kitchen,” she answered her mother. They spent the time together, ate breakfast, had a conversation, and laughed.  

As the hour came to an end, her mother suddenly said, “Promise me, my beautiful daughter, live your life and try new things without any regrets. Time is something precious, so you must use it wisely.” Before Mary could respond, the golden glow returned, and she was pulled back to the shop.  

She stood in front of the clock, her cheeks wet from happy tears. She looked at Merlin. “Thank you. Thank you,” she said. The man just nodded and smiled.  

Mary stepped out of the shop, knowing the rain had already stopped. Merlin watched her go, then turned back to the Chronique and reset the handle. He knew that it would not be long until someone else, lost in grief, found their way to his door. (fk)