The Cost

The next day Tomas used the clock to catch spilled ink, avoid an awkward answer, and win a game of cards. At closing time he found three blank spaces in his memory. He could not remember his mother's visit, the taste of lunch, or the tune a child had played outside. A note beneath the blue clock explained the price: every borrowed minute replaced another minute already lived. Tomas put down the key. His mother had brought soup. He could see the empty bowl but could not remember her face.