The day continued as usual. Mom cooked the food, not forgetting to ask us how much we wanted to eat. Mana would not stop bothering me about why I could remember the names of some random vegetables yet forget everything about her. Dad tended to the plants, then sent the dried clothes into a basket and put them away.

An hour passed with nothing much happening, and it was 7:30. We sat down to eat.

"Eon, I don't know if you remember this, but you must always pray before you eat." Mom said. Then, the family prayed for roughly 30 seconds. What were the contents of our prayer?

"We express our respect for your importance. We hope to keep away from madness."

Yeah. A little weird, but it was what it was. The prayers passed, and we silently ate our food. The food was simple. Rice, a vegetable soup, fish, a side salad, and some curry. All were neatly kept in containers. I found this reasonable, for we were to follow the commandment.

"Never leave food remaining on your plate."

Everyone seemed to follow the commandments to the last letter. Why? I wonder. What do these commandments have? What compels people to keep them so close to their very being? With these thoughts in mind, I raised the corresponding questions to my unfound-found family.

I was surprised. Not by their answers, but by the fact that they themselves did not know the reason. Hell, they never even question the damn things!

The discussion paused as everyone continued eating. Mana kept bothering me with some broccoli, got an earful from Mom, and stopped her shenanigans.

Is this how it feels to have a family? I could not stop such questions from arising in my heart.

Oh, and Mana kept asking for seconds. Where does all that food even go?

Everyone finished and went to wash their dishes. It was a tradition in my family.

”It is weird, isn’t it?” My mother said while stacking the plates back into the rack.

”We never thought about why the 12 commandments existed, or about where they came from. Eon, you kept losing your memories often, but not even you asked that question to us on those occasions. This is a first for us Eon; we were unable to answer you.” It seemed as though she had trouble putting her thoughts into words. Is it that new of a question in this world? It’s been 27 thousand years you know.

”You said that you saw a cathedral right?” She asked. I nodded, and then she continued.

”The 12 commandments, they are taught there. Every day, the priests hold a morning sermon and have kids recite it and learn it by heart. Don’t you think the priest might have answers?”

Well, that explains the cathedral part. But… It. It doesn’t explain the fear. Why? Why did I experience that sense of fear from those images?

”Don’t make him too pensive.” Dad came back down the stairs. “Eon, I already called in and got my leave. We will go visit those places this afternoon alright?”

”Ok. Thanks, Dad.” “Heh. Don’t mention it.” He seemed pretty jovial.

These moments pass by in a blur, don’t they?

”Brotha!” Mana — it seemed as though she finally spared time for something other than the TV — called out.

”Yes?” I went and sat on the couch beside her. Just doing the dishes felt like a tiring task.

”How does it feel to lose your memories?” Ah yes, I was wondering when things would veer off course. I scratched my head. How do I even answer that question?

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

”Well..” Huh. It really is difficult to explain this. Right. This should work.

”Do you ever have those instances where you feel like you have done something or experienced something before and are experiencing it again?”

”…”

"..."

Mana, you need to reply when you are asked a question you know. Not give them a scarring stare right in the eyes. “Mana?”

She slowly nodded. What took you so long?

”Right as I was saying, losing your memories. It feels like you know you have experienced something before. But at the same time, you don’t know. Now that I think about it, my body still remembers how to walk, eat, and do all that, does it not?”

She is nodding vigorously now. Cute.

”These daily activities, these conversations; they give off a sense of familiarity.” I paused for a bit. This… sigh. “Everything else, however. They feel alien to me. The random customs, this television. OK well not this television, but you get the point. I don’t remember my childhood Mana. I don’t— I don’t remember what happened yesterday.”

Why did I have to do this? Now the entire mood is down.

”So, it’s brand new?” Mana continued our conversation, her head tilted to the side. She had that signature blank look on her face, her purple eyes drawing everyone in.

” I mean, brotha finds the world to be brand new every time he loses his memories?”

”Well, not brand new exactly. It’s like visiting an old place that you used to know. The only thing that happened was that everything in that place shifted positions, or changed. You know it's the correct location, but you don’t know it anymore. Does that make sense?” I highly doubt any of that made sense. Why is this such a difficult thing to explain?

Mana seemed to be thinking something to herself; looking like a scientist in the middle of observing their test subject. Is my situation THAT amusing to think about?

I did not get to complete that thought. Multiple images passed by my eyes again.

In a class, in front of the students; explaining something.

In a laboratory, supervising the students during their experiments.

In a festival, a math festival. Giving a presentation on why math was not a subject to be forced, but a sense to be learned.

In my room, using a camera to record and stream videos of me teaching math.

Eon Aika was a teacher. A math teacher.

I was a math teacher.

My sister was staring at me again. “ Did you remember something?” She said curiously.

”Yeah. I was a teacher. A math teacher. “

”Not was, you are. You are fanatical about math Eon.” My mom chirped from the side.

Are, not was. Do I even remember what I studied and practiced?

”What? You don’t believe me? Heh, wait.” Then she went to the drawer set below the TV and brought out a notebook. And some pens. Why do you even store them there— you know what forget it. I don’t want to know.

She handed the notebook to Mana and gave her one of the pens. Wait, don’t tell me I’m going to be tested on elementary questions.

A minute later, Mana finished writing and handed the paper and pen to me.

Right, I hope I don't fail elementary questions. That will not be cool.

I adjusted the paper and started reading.

”…”

My brain rebooted a few times.

I rubbed my eyes. Once, twice. Thrice. The content of the page did not change. The same numbers. Same shapes. And... same letters.

"..."

Mana, why in the world do you know about advanced number theory and differential geometry?

”Heh.” I smiled, how could I not? For some reason, I still remember how to do all of this.

More images flashed by me. This time, I could confidently say that they were my memories. Oh, and they didn't hurt my head.

Me being infuriated at the fact that no one had the same passion for math as me, then randomly pulling my sister and making her sit through literally all the topics from elementary to advanced. I really bullied her on it, didn’t I? How long ago was this? At the very least, I know Mana isn’t ten. There is no way she would be patient through all of that—

”I’m nine.”

what.

”You started teaching me when I was six years old brotha.”

”…”

I give up. Not the questions, but my life.

I give up. I don't want to understand anymore.

----------------------------------------

Our banter continued, Mana went through 2 movies, and Mom finished some household chores.

Soon, it was 11. The Afternoon.

”Afternoon for visits and work, the nights for sleep. Mornings for the family, evenings for the meet.”

It was time to visit. Be it my memory lane, these fearful images, or just this world in general. It was time to face them, and hopefully solve my godforsaken problem.