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When he is on the way to work,the sky is bright blue, beautiful clouds, warming sun that greets him a good day. Yet, he himself knew it wouldn't be a good day, today is the day... The last day for him to hit his target sales or else his position, his reputation, his dignity, his pride all would be gone. This hasn't being well.
Once, he was a top seller.
Once, he was a top leader.
Once, he lead the best selling team.
Once, every boss would try to buy his head for themselves.
Once, he was respected.
Once, remained as once. Today was different.

The decline of economy, the pressure of the society and the company has lead his selling team to a dead end. Lead them do a diverge road of 'Do or die'
Breakfast at the coffee shop smells different today, the coffee seems to be more bitter than ever, his nose can't feel the rich aroma of the coffee anymore. Even in the small family coffee shop, where the shop owner's smile was so warm,the waitress's service was so welcoming and where laughter and smile surrounds the air of such good morning,he could feel the agitation. Nothing could patch up his anxiety.

It is 10am, it is time. He meet up his team, their face are no different than his own. Tension is in the air, the stakes are high, the a thousands away from their target, the smile they make to each other is definitely a reluctant one. He gave them a short briefing, a briefing to motivate them, but he himself lacks the confident and the motivation, his team could only give him the looks that a cat would show when it is watching the fish swimming freely in the pond. Hope is just not there.

Time flies.
People rush by them.
Working hard on their booth, trying to sell every flash drives they could sell.
All of them are so busy, everything was forgotten, the tension, the sadness, the anxiety, the fear, all lost. The only thing in their mind is that: This is the last rush.

Tik..Tok...Tik...Tok...
Richard, one of his colleague that works under him for nearly 3 years, following him loyally towards the days of glory where the are the best in everybody's eye. Clearing the last box at their booth, Richard walk up to him... "Max, it is a pleasure working with you, but... I will see you in the office tomorrow" As he talks, his voice was unconfirmed, as if the words was eating his throat, for every word that spilled out, it brings it's own sorrow. Richard bid him farewell, everybody take their leave. On their face, there is no expression, blank, truly blank. Watching them walking away, he could just watch their back walking away, his eyes dun wan to blink, fear that it would be his last chance to take a glance on his beloved 'students'.

Hours has passed by in the boss's office, the door hasn't make it's move since he went in the office. When the blue small door opens, he walked out, soul-less. He has fail his team, the team was dismissed. Everyone would be change to different department, the only silver lining left is that he kept his post as a sales manager. Things would be still different, after hard climb on the ladder of success, all the sudden, a landslide put him down all the way, even if he kept his post, the pain and the hardship spent would go away, not to mention the looks he would get from everybody: FAILURE.

Tired. Exhausted. Aghast of what tomorrow would be, he walk his way back home...
The walk was extremely long, then he starts to think... What would his wife think of his for such failure, a failure he never made. Something he himself was so proud of himself, and for him, it is surely the thing the world was proud of him for. Now it is all scattered, would image as a successful person scattered in other people's eyes? How would everybody else judge him? The thoughts continue to haunt his. Unconsciously, his footsteps brings him to the familiar door step, the smell of prepared dinner crawls out of form the window, as if it is calling him in, yet, it also feels like the smell that crawls out and starts to criticize him.His hands just can't reach the door bell.

Before he could notice, the door swings open. A boy shouted :"Daddy!! Daddy!! You are home!! Comes another little girl:"Daddy!!" Runs straight towards him with hands wide open, trying to engulf him with her small, little arms. She kiss his cheek, "Daddy! Did you bring me toys today?"
His reluctantly smiles back to his daughter,"Not today Gwen, Not today..."
"Daddy, is something wrong?" Asked the little boy
He shift his eyes to the wall, he cant look at them, he just can't stand to look the disappointing looks of his own children would give him, yet... He look back at his son, a face full of worries. "Dad...?"
"Ken, I m ok, how was school today"? he slides in another reluctant smile.
As they slowly walk through the corridor, with two happy kids, telling their daddy their day, they reached the living hall, where the aroma he smelled just now came form. Dishes are all ready on the table.
"Yeah!! Dinner time" The kids run to the table, like a good children should do, they sit onto their own chairs, anticipating to the taste of the delicious looking dish, but they know that they shouldn't start before mum and dad does. Like a hungry wolf, the stare at dad, signaling his to start dinner fast.
His feet are still heavy the impact he received is still lingering around his body, as he slowly approach the table, a familiar flash that he was seeing for 5 years appears in front of him, like De javu, this seem to happens everyday. As he was flashing back, from the kitchen, she came out, on his hands a plate of omelet eggs, she smiles,"Dinner time... Honey"

He smiles back, haste his way to the table, sits down, look at his two adorable children and as she sat down, he looks at her. She looks at him back:" Silly, what are you spacing out for, the children are starving =]"
He laughs, at his own silly-ness, everyone on the table then continues to smile, his first laughter of the day, a real laugh, fills the house. His family's laughter fills the house, his family's tenderness warms the home.

Home, where you get the smile that you would be sure that everything would be OK.

Tomorrow is worth living no matter how hard it is,all hardship that was harvests on the day will be gone when they smiles at you and the warm tenderness fills your heart, and after all those family loving matters, the next thing you would seek, is your bed ;)

Mr.E signing out, home sweet home =]