I gazed upon my charred room with tears welling up. It was burned beyond repair. One thing stood out among the rest. It was almost like an altar. It suddenly dawned on me that it was the remains of my ‘experiment’. Memories flowed freely, like my tears.
“Come, come, ‘Gor Gor’ wants to show you something,” I cooed. My baby brother immediately got on all four and crawled towards me. That bundle of joy was just too cute to resist! I gingerly picked him up and ran to my room. I placed him on the floor while I stuck a candle on some melted wax.
“Are we ready?” I asked my brother in a sinister voice.
Giggles and toothless grins were his answers.
“Let us begin!” I cackled.
Again, he flashed me a toothless grin.
Lighting the lighter, I put it on the wick and it started burning with a brilliant light, bathing us in it. My bundle of joy simply clapped hands as he stared in the fire, as if waiting for a reply.
As the flames crackled, I began scanning the room with my ‘X-ray’ eyes (or as my father said with sarcasm) to look for flammable items. “How ‘bout the newspapers?”I asked my little assistant. He nodded. That was what an assistant was for. They always agreed with you.
I ripped a page out and held the end to the flame. The paper burned quickly, turning into a pile of ashes.
Giggles and occasional snorts escaped from my assistant’s mouth.
That was when I decided to go a little overboard. I grabbed the gigantic stack of newspapers with every ounce of energy (Mind you. That was a big stack and I was not a wimp!) and threw it on the candle.
Obviously I imagined the candle burning the newspaper but I was wrong. In frustration, I lit the newspaper with the lighter and threw the lighter at the newspaper.
Unlike just now, the papers burned slowly. Then a sickening smell filled the already hazy air. I gagged for more oxygen and yanked my brother off his throne in his make-believe castle.
The papers then burst into greater flames. I had created a monster! The raging inferno inched closer to us as I moved out of the door. It consumed everything in sight.
By this time, my parents had arrived home.
“Holy moly! What happened?” the hissed when they saw the flames.
In three long strides, they reached us. Mother ran to get a pail. Father leaned over to me and whispered with sarcasm, “What a good job in cleaning your room. Is the sauna an extra feature?” (Like I said, sarcasm is a foreign language to me.)
They snatched pails and flung water in the room.
“Why won’t this fire die” Why, you- “ Father screamed. (He threw some bad words at my creation that would make Granny wash his mouth with straight bleach for a year.)
Minutes passed before they killed my creation. Of course, they scolded me and took away my pocket money. Sigh. If only I had not tried that crazy experiment. My assistant got away scot-free while I got hit again with a two-week video game ban.
Maybe I should direct my energy to being a bookworm and not a mad scientist.
Showing posts with label pupils' writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pupils' writing. Show all posts
Friday, August 19, 2011
Composition contributed by Ivan (unedited) - A Secret
A cool breeze brushed lightly on my face. I knew that the weather was perfect. As I drank in the majestic scene, my brother nudged at me. He pulled my shirt and tried to haul me towards the registration counter to enter the both of us in the Annual Kite-flying Competition.
With great reluctance, I tore myself away from the scene and wrote my name and contact number in bold letters on the entry form. My trusty kite, whom I named Titan, was being constructed at the competition when something cropped up. The strings were worn out and that worried me. So, I got my father to help me reattach a brand new string to it.
Meantime, the young girls apprehensively approached me.
“Ca…Can you help us?” one of them stuttered unintelligibly.
“Um… with what?” I inquired with suspicion building up.
“Our kite….snagged on a tree,” the other whispered. At this line, my suspicion melted away. They did not say anything else but pointed to a big, tall tree. My mouth fell open. Since young, I always had a phobia of heights, so this tree seemed like a huge obstacle.
Not wanting to disappoint the girls, I gulped down a ball of air, put my fears aside and grabbed a branch to help me get a headstart on the tree. The smooth surface of the tree did not make it easier. “If only….some rough bark to help me climb,” I muttered.
I hugged the tree tightly and began to clamber up the tree with my arms wrapped around it. I must have looked like a fool with my back arched like a caterpillar.
“Don’t look down!” the girls cried. Of course, I looked down in spite of their cries. Sure enough, my legs turned into jelly and my arms turned into licorice. I was hanging onto the tree for my dear life!
With the girls’ encouragement however, I continued with the slow, agonizing climb. Without even realizing it, I had reached the top with new adrenline pumping in me, I grabbed the kite and threw it at one of their arms.
I slide down the tree and was laughing victoriously. I had overcome my fear of heights! By this time, my father and brother were already beckoning me to go to them. The girls whispered a thank you before skipping away.
It was then that I realized a lens in the bushes. I walked over to it and split the bushes apart. There was a camera there! It suddenly dawned on me that they were filming a new series called “Go Fish for Samaritans!”. The kites, girls and slippery tree were all just an act!
Turning beetroot red, I turned away in a show of affected indifference, knowing that I was pranked on and they scored an upper hand on me. I trudged to my father and took over the reins of Titan, which had been struggling on to go free.
Although I had won the gold medal in the competition, I was still embarrassed by the cruel fact that I made a fool of myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the innocent-looking girls playing the prank again obese man. I laughed once. I could not believe that I was so shallow!
Many other people had been pranked and they did not even know about it! The moment I got back home, I picked up the television remote control and turned the programmed to Channel 5 and waited for eight o’clock to come. I might even see myself on the programme! A secret was revealed!
With great reluctance, I tore myself away from the scene and wrote my name and contact number in bold letters on the entry form. My trusty kite, whom I named Titan, was being constructed at the competition when something cropped up. The strings were worn out and that worried me. So, I got my father to help me reattach a brand new string to it.
Meantime, the young girls apprehensively approached me.
“Ca…Can you help us?” one of them stuttered unintelligibly.
“Um… with what?” I inquired with suspicion building up.
“Our kite….snagged on a tree,” the other whispered. At this line, my suspicion melted away. They did not say anything else but pointed to a big, tall tree. My mouth fell open. Since young, I always had a phobia of heights, so this tree seemed like a huge obstacle.
Not wanting to disappoint the girls, I gulped down a ball of air, put my fears aside and grabbed a branch to help me get a headstart on the tree. The smooth surface of the tree did not make it easier. “If only….some rough bark to help me climb,” I muttered.
I hugged the tree tightly and began to clamber up the tree with my arms wrapped around it. I must have looked like a fool with my back arched like a caterpillar.
“Don’t look down!” the girls cried. Of course, I looked down in spite of their cries. Sure enough, my legs turned into jelly and my arms turned into licorice. I was hanging onto the tree for my dear life!
With the girls’ encouragement however, I continued with the slow, agonizing climb. Without even realizing it, I had reached the top with new adrenline pumping in me, I grabbed the kite and threw it at one of their arms.
I slide down the tree and was laughing victoriously. I had overcome my fear of heights! By this time, my father and brother were already beckoning me to go to them. The girls whispered a thank you before skipping away.
It was then that I realized a lens in the bushes. I walked over to it and split the bushes apart. There was a camera there! It suddenly dawned on me that they were filming a new series called “Go Fish for Samaritans!”. The kites, girls and slippery tree were all just an act!
Turning beetroot red, I turned away in a show of affected indifference, knowing that I was pranked on and they scored an upper hand on me. I trudged to my father and took over the reins of Titan, which had been struggling on to go free.
Although I had won the gold medal in the competition, I was still embarrassed by the cruel fact that I made a fool of myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the innocent-looking girls playing the prank again obese man. I laughed once. I could not believe that I was so shallow!
Many other people had been pranked and they did not even know about it! The moment I got back home, I picked up the television remote control and turned the programmed to Channel 5 and waited for eight o’clock to come. I might even see myself on the programme! A secret was revealed!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Composition contributed by Maisarah (unedited) - A Bully Stopped
“Ok, so what are we going to do for our Social Studies project?” I asked. We were in the school library doing some research for our project, which was due in a week’s time.
“Hey, Lin! Since we are doing our project on the history of Singapore, why don’t we do some research on Sir Stamford Raffles? Or what about the Japanese invasion?” Selina suggested.
I sat down and thought for a while. The suggestions made by Selina were too common. The other groups might have the same idea and had worked on the same topic and the teacher might get bored with listening to the same thing again and again. I then remembered that the recent General Elections had sparked up a whole lot of discussion. Especially on the former Minister Mentor (MM) Lee’s rough talking: “Residents of Aljunied will live 5 years of regret.” So, talking about how he ‘built’ Singapore might get more points.
Before I could tell my suggestions to Selina, a bunch of boys busted through the school library doors and started making noise. They were making weird faces at each other and did crazy things like over-turning the library chairs.
The librarian came to see what all the commotion was about when… one of the boys started running towards her trying to get away from his friend and they collided into each other. The impact caused by they collision made them fall backwards. The boy quickly got up but, unfortunately for the librarian, she had fainted.
“Lin, go get some teachers now!” Selina screamed into my ear. I rubbed my ear to soothe it. Sometimes, Selina can get carried away with her screaming. I was about to leave when suddenly, one of the boys shouted, “Come back you stupid girl!”
As soon as I heard that voice, I recognized it. It was the one whom they called ‘Terror’, ‘Ultimate Bully’ and ‘Bully of all Bullies’. It was Big Bully Aron, otherwise known as Aron Teo from Primary 6A.
I turned back and saw Selina with her arms on her back, held by Aron’s minions. “Just go, Lin!” Selina screamed. Suddenly, I was under Aron’ s control. “Don’t tell anyone,” he said in a low voice, “or else, you’ll pay for it!”
I cowered in a corner as he stepped closer. I’m just a Primary 4 pupil, what do you expect? Selina began screaming again. Her words made me so guilty, I wanted to cry. I then decided, I’ll fight this bully. I got up and kicked the bully on his dry bone.
“Oww!” he screamed, “Get her!”
I ran out of the library with Aron’s minions hot on my tail.
I ran straight down to the General Office and almost knocked down the Principal. “Help me,” I said desperately,“ they are going to bring me to Aron for him to bully me!”
The Principal and I rushed up to the library. The librarian had just woken up. Aron screamed, “Where is that girl?!” He saw the Principal and froze. He began cowering the way I did. I ran to Selina and we watched the wretched boys being scolded. They ended up doing community work in school by picking up all the litter they could find in school.
Selina and I agreed to take up my idea for our project and in the end, we got the highest sore.
A day after our presentation, the Principal awarded us with a certificate. She told us that Aron would not go around bullying people again. “Yay!” I shrieked with Selina.
“Hey, Lin! Since we are doing our project on the history of Singapore, why don’t we do some research on Sir Stamford Raffles? Or what about the Japanese invasion?” Selina suggested.
I sat down and thought for a while. The suggestions made by Selina were too common. The other groups might have the same idea and had worked on the same topic and the teacher might get bored with listening to the same thing again and again. I then remembered that the recent General Elections had sparked up a whole lot of discussion. Especially on the former Minister Mentor (MM) Lee’s rough talking: “Residents of Aljunied will live 5 years of regret.” So, talking about how he ‘built’ Singapore might get more points.
Before I could tell my suggestions to Selina, a bunch of boys busted through the school library doors and started making noise. They were making weird faces at each other and did crazy things like over-turning the library chairs.
The librarian came to see what all the commotion was about when… one of the boys started running towards her trying to get away from his friend and they collided into each other. The impact caused by they collision made them fall backwards. The boy quickly got up but, unfortunately for the librarian, she had fainted.
“Lin, go get some teachers now!” Selina screamed into my ear. I rubbed my ear to soothe it. Sometimes, Selina can get carried away with her screaming. I was about to leave when suddenly, one of the boys shouted, “Come back you stupid girl!”
As soon as I heard that voice, I recognized it. It was the one whom they called ‘Terror’, ‘Ultimate Bully’ and ‘Bully of all Bullies’. It was Big Bully Aron, otherwise known as Aron Teo from Primary 6A.
I turned back and saw Selina with her arms on her back, held by Aron’s minions. “Just go, Lin!” Selina screamed. Suddenly, I was under Aron’ s control. “Don’t tell anyone,” he said in a low voice, “or else, you’ll pay for it!”
I cowered in a corner as he stepped closer. I’m just a Primary 4 pupil, what do you expect? Selina began screaming again. Her words made me so guilty, I wanted to cry. I then decided, I’ll fight this bully. I got up and kicked the bully on his dry bone.
“Oww!” he screamed, “Get her!”
I ran out of the library with Aron’s minions hot on my tail.
I ran straight down to the General Office and almost knocked down the Principal. “Help me,” I said desperately,“ they are going to bring me to Aron for him to bully me!”
The Principal and I rushed up to the library. The librarian had just woken up. Aron screamed, “Where is that girl?!” He saw the Principal and froze. He began cowering the way I did. I ran to Selina and we watched the wretched boys being scolded. They ended up doing community work in school by picking up all the litter they could find in school.
Selina and I agreed to take up my idea for our project and in the end, we got the highest sore.
A day after our presentation, the Principal awarded us with a certificate. She told us that Aron would not go around bullying people again. “Yay!” I shrieked with Selina.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Composition by Marcus (unedited) - Suitable Title, any suggestions?
“Arghhh……!” I grumbled, rubbing my eyes. The sunlight pierced through the window, blinding my eyes. I clambered out of bed and sat foot on the cold hard floor. It was a Saturday and I was looking forward for a day of fun and relaxation. I stumbled out of my room, half awake and expecting a ‘Happy Birthday!’ because it was my twelfth birthday but to my dismay, it was eerily quiet. I went to the kitchen to grab a snack. Meanwhile, I thought hard: Did my own parents forget about my birthday? I cast aside that thought, not wanting to believe it. I sighed and strode off to look for my parents.
“Hello?” I called out. No reply. I opened the door and examined the room. Not a single soul in sight. I felt for my pockets for my hand phone and fished it out. Disappointment surged through me. I was hoping for a splendid birthday. I dialed my mom’s phone number only to hear the beeping of my phone. I plodded to my room and lay prostrate on my bed.
Tensed moments passed as I closed my eyes, wishing for a party. Then, a glimpse of hope bubbled in me, the bell rang. I scrambled out of bed with euphoric spirits and bounded to the door. I flung the door open and was blown away at the amount of party stuff with the abundant amount of food bought by my parents but the thing that caught my attention was the beautiful decorated cake. I ushered them into the house, grinning from ear to ear.
I inquired,” what’s these stuff for?” hoping it was for me but my heart sank to its pit when I heard the reply
“It’s for Tim, remember?” Mom replied with a grin. The words “For Tim “rang deafening in my head.
“Oh…..” I mumbled with a tinge of jealousy. Just as I was about to ask about my birthday, I felt a tug at my shoulder. I looked across my shoulder. It was my father.
“C’mon, let’s spend some father-son time at the park, we might even see your girlfriend, Jenny there.” My father chuckled. I could hear my mom’s giggling from the kitchen. “Very funny, I’m already missing my birthday and you’re joking.’ I thought. I fought the urge to shove my father aside. Putting up a brave front, I nodded and followed him out of the house.
We took a stroll in the park. My father explained how PSLE was important but my mind was somewhere else, thinking of my birthday. We continued to walk; I looked at the lush greenery around. The ambiance was great. I smiled. Although it simmered a little anger in me, I was still seething with rage.
“Hey, mom just called, we better hurry home for dinner,” Dad said leading me back home. I sulked, dragging my feet as I followed him home.
“Ding Dong” I rang the bell. When the door was thrown open, mum was standing there beaming. My parents screamed simultaneously “Happy Birthday!” I was blown aback.
“Wasn’t this supposed to be Tim’s birthday?” I thought. I was about to open my mouth and ask but I was speechless. Mom immediately recognized that dumfounded look. She explained every detail, the planning and surprise. I was lost for words.
“Maybe this is going to be better than what I had thought it would be.’ I thought. In that instant, I was on cloud 9. I skipped into the kitchen.
“Woa! So much food, you’re gonna eat them all?” I joked.
Mum rolled her eye, “there’s another surprise actually.” I lifted an eyebrow.
“Ding Dong…..Ding Dong!” The alarm jingled melodiously. I went to get the door, Before I even opened the door, the guess had already budged in.
“Jenny?” I asked, bewildered
“Duh….it’s me!” She sniggered and cheekily smiled. “The time no one’s at home is worth it, man.” I thought and laughed.
“Hello?” I called out. No reply. I opened the door and examined the room. Not a single soul in sight. I felt for my pockets for my hand phone and fished it out. Disappointment surged through me. I was hoping for a splendid birthday. I dialed my mom’s phone number only to hear the beeping of my phone. I plodded to my room and lay prostrate on my bed.
Tensed moments passed as I closed my eyes, wishing for a party. Then, a glimpse of hope bubbled in me, the bell rang. I scrambled out of bed with euphoric spirits and bounded to the door. I flung the door open and was blown away at the amount of party stuff with the abundant amount of food bought by my parents but the thing that caught my attention was the beautiful decorated cake. I ushered them into the house, grinning from ear to ear.
I inquired,” what’s these stuff for?” hoping it was for me but my heart sank to its pit when I heard the reply
“It’s for Tim, remember?” Mom replied with a grin. The words “For Tim “rang deafening in my head.
“Oh…..” I mumbled with a tinge of jealousy. Just as I was about to ask about my birthday, I felt a tug at my shoulder. I looked across my shoulder. It was my father.
“C’mon, let’s spend some father-son time at the park, we might even see your girlfriend, Jenny there.” My father chuckled. I could hear my mom’s giggling from the kitchen. “Very funny, I’m already missing my birthday and you’re joking.’ I thought. I fought the urge to shove my father aside. Putting up a brave front, I nodded and followed him out of the house.
We took a stroll in the park. My father explained how PSLE was important but my mind was somewhere else, thinking of my birthday. We continued to walk; I looked at the lush greenery around. The ambiance was great. I smiled. Although it simmered a little anger in me, I was still seething with rage.
“Hey, mom just called, we better hurry home for dinner,” Dad said leading me back home. I sulked, dragging my feet as I followed him home.
“Ding Dong” I rang the bell. When the door was thrown open, mum was standing there beaming. My parents screamed simultaneously “Happy Birthday!” I was blown aback.
“Wasn’t this supposed to be Tim’s birthday?” I thought. I was about to open my mouth and ask but I was speechless. Mom immediately recognized that dumfounded look. She explained every detail, the planning and surprise. I was lost for words.
“Maybe this is going to be better than what I had thought it would be.’ I thought. In that instant, I was on cloud 9. I skipped into the kitchen.
“Woa! So much food, you’re gonna eat them all?” I joked.
Mum rolled her eye, “there’s another surprise actually.” I lifted an eyebrow.
“Ding Dong…..Ding Dong!” The alarm jingled melodiously. I went to get the door, Before I even opened the door, the guess had already budged in.
“Jenny?” I asked, bewildered
“Duh….it’s me!” She sniggered and cheekily smiled. “The time no one’s at home is worth it, man.” I thought and laughed.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Composition by Devesh (unedited) - The Fallen Tree
"Woohoo!" the children in the school bus shouted as another blast of water erupted from the bus. It was a rainy Thursday and we were going home from school. I could not wait to get home as the new "Bakugan Battle Brawlers" season's first episode was airing on Okto and I was a very big fan of the Japanese anime series.
I glanced out the window to see how far I was from home -- and got a huge shock.
There was a huge tree lying horizontally on the road, blocking it. I deduced that the tree had blown from its place by the strong winds that always come with a rain. Fortunately for us, the alert bus driver quickly jammed on the brakes. The bus went into a skid and we were lurched forward, but our seatbelts saved us from crashing headfirst into the seats in front of us.
The bus stopped about 100 metres short of the tree. The driver called the school to inform them of the road blockage. While other students were celebrating this as an excuse to not do their homework (like they would do it anyway), I was afraid that I would miss my TV show! My jaws could not move fast enough to mimic the superspeed nail-biting action depicted in cartoons, so I had no choice but to be content with imagining myself doing that (it would be the same either way).
The rain showed no signs of abating, and the busy road was now filled with cars, trucks, and even a few lorries. This went on for a while until a crane was finally sighted. It removed the the tree fairly quickly, and we could finally move again. As we started travelling, I caught sight of a car which was slightly grazed by the tree being towed away.
By the time the bus reached my HDB flat, the rain had been reduced to a drizzle. "Stupid weather," I cursed as I dashed to my house. I took off my shoes, hurriedly said hello to my mother, and turned on the set-top box. A notification appeared on my screen, saying "Now Playing: Club M.A.G.I.C/Yr 3/Ep 5/Local on 108 okto". "Darn it!" I shouted, as I had missed the show I had wanted to watch. But then, another notification appeared on the screen, saying "New Smart TV Record Entry: Bakugan Battle Brawlers/Sr 2/Ep 1 on 108 okto". I was confused. I did not set my set-top box cum DVR to record the show! Then, I heard my mother say, "The school called all parents of children taking the school bus to inform us about the fallen tree, so I recorded the show for you." I smiled and thanked my mother.
Composition by Bhairavi (unedited) - Suitable Title, any suggestions?
"Aaaa.." I moaned as I stretched and yawned. It was a Saturday afternoon and I had just woken up from my uninterrupted and peaceful nap. It was an unusual afternoon, to be exact as neither my annoying elder brother nor mum had woken me up from my sleep. Still heavy with sleep, I searched room by room for my family members only to find none of them at home. I was aware that Father had gone to work but Mother, my brother and my maid had to be home.Suddenly, I felt wide awake.
I had heard friends about maids kidnapping or harming their employers.I ,however, tried to shake that thought off. My maid had always been good to my family and I. or was all part of an act she had put up to harm my family? I shuddered at that thought.So, immediately without any hesitation, I tried contacting my parents and brothers through the telephone but, as I had expected, to no avail. None of them had answered to even one of my numerous phone calls. How unbelievable!
Reporting my family's disappearance to the police was one of the solutions I had thought about while I was scanning through my X-Ray eyes my neighbourhood.I was really worried and panicked by them. Even my neighbours were not at home. Even if they were, what possible good would it have done? I was confident that the first question that would escape their mouth was, "Then why didn't your maid kidnap you?". Would they even have believed a seven-year-old's story of her family being kidnapped by their maid without any evidence to probe so? How much worse could my day get? In the end, I decided to sit on the couch with my sweaty jelly-like legs over each other and wait patiently for my mother and brother to return home. The clock ticked and ticked by but they did not return home.
Finally when I heard the sound of the door being unlocked, I jumped out of my feet.When the familiar scent of my mother's and brother's body spray morphed together filled my nostrils, I raced to the door in time to embrace my mother's waist. I immediately questioned them on where they had gone to and what took them so long. My mother explained to me that since my maid had gone back to her hometown for a short period of time(How despicable that I could forget such a thing!), my brother and her had to get the groceries themselves. And as I was sleeping soundly, they decided not to disturb me.They also did not answer my phone calls as they were carrying many bags of vegetables and meat. Mother apologised for scarring the wits out of me and my brother teased me for getting frightened easily. I shot him a disgusted look for expecting an angelic seven-year-old to be independent and matured. At the end of the day, however, I learnt not to forget important things such as forgetting that my maid had returned to her hometown, not to jump to conclusions or misjudge others.
I had heard friends about maids kidnapping or harming their employers.I ,however, tried to shake that thought off. My maid had always been good to my family and I. or was all part of an act she had put up to harm my family? I shuddered at that thought.So, immediately without any hesitation, I tried contacting my parents and brothers through the telephone but, as I had expected, to no avail. None of them had answered to even one of my numerous phone calls. How unbelievable!
Reporting my family's disappearance to the police was one of the solutions I had thought about while I was scanning through my X-Ray eyes my neighbourhood.I was really worried and panicked by them. Even my neighbours were not at home. Even if they were, what possible good would it have done? I was confident that the first question that would escape their mouth was, "Then why didn't your maid kidnap you?". Would they even have believed a seven-year-old's story of her family being kidnapped by their maid without any evidence to probe so? How much worse could my day get? In the end, I decided to sit on the couch with my sweaty jelly-like legs over each other and wait patiently for my mother and brother to return home. The clock ticked and ticked by but they did not return home.
Finally when I heard the sound of the door being unlocked, I jumped out of my feet.When the familiar scent of my mother's and brother's body spray morphed together filled my nostrils, I raced to the door in time to embrace my mother's waist. I immediately questioned them on where they had gone to and what took them so long. My mother explained to me that since my maid had gone back to her hometown for a short period of time(How despicable that I could forget such a thing!), my brother and her had to get the groceries themselves. And as I was sleeping soundly, they decided not to disturb me.They also did not answer my phone calls as they were carrying many bags of vegetables and meat. Mother apologised for scarring the wits out of me and my brother teased me for getting frightened easily. I shot him a disgusted look for expecting an angelic seven-year-old to be independent and matured. At the end of the day, however, I learnt not to forget important things such as forgetting that my maid had returned to her hometown, not to jump to conclusions or misjudge others.
Another composition by Ahmad (unedited) - Suggest a suitable title!
“Why must it be raining after such a wonderful afternoon?” I questioned myself.
I stared out the window of the school bus, feeling both gloomy and happy. I was hugged by the girl of my dreams but also punched in the stomach by a famous bully. Both of them were in the bus with me. I turned around to look at my dream girl. She smiled back shyly. When I was trying to face the front again, I glanced upon the bully, flashing a smug. Chills ran down my spine. I shivered. Was the bully the Grim Reaper? What was with that bully? I looked at my belly and tried to ease the pain by rubbing it. I pushed the thought aside. As the bus turned right to Hougang Avenue 6, a loud thud was heard by all of the students. We faced the front and about a hundred metres ahead of the bus, a roadside tree had fallen.
All of the students including the driver and me gasped in terror. To avoid the worst case scenario, the bus driver tried turning the bus around but it skidded across the slippery road caused by the rain. Everybody started screaming wildly. My instincts told me to jump out of the windows but when I tried, my head bumped against metal bars. Ouch, that hurt! I felt so dizzy and somehow felt like vomiting.
“Brace yourselves for impact!” the bus driver exclaimed.
Upon hearing that, I dashed to my seat and tried putting my seatbelts on quickly but I was too late. The impact was so strong that I was flung to the other side of the school bus. I landed on the floor again.
“Ugh, what is happening?” I questioned aloud.
No one answered. I looked around the bus. The damage was horrible. Some people were bleeding and moaning still conscious, while the other few were out cold. My head was hurting and only then did I realise that my head was bleeding. The bus had a deep dent on the side which caused some students to fall out of their seats. Sadly, a large splinter from the tree trunk got stuck into the bully’s head. What kind of fate did he meet? A sad one. Out of the blue, someone started moaning. As I moved along the aisle, I crushed fragments from the glass windows. The moaning came from the driver’s seat. I looked to see the driver bleeding from a branch, pierced in his stomach.
“Here... use... this,” he mumbled feebly. His face was pale and he was in absolute pain. He was writhing and his eyes were closing, his lips curled. He held out a mobile phone its screen was crushed.
“Stop talking! Save yourself first!” I told him with worried expressions.
By the time I tried to shut his mouth before he started talking again, he had already died of blood loss. Holding the phone in his right hand, I grabbed it and pressed what seemed like a ‘Switch On’ button. White light appeared on the screen showing icons that were hard to see. I turned around a final time to ensure that no one else was injured. Seeing my dream girl, I approached her. She was knocked out. I pushed aside her hair to look at her face. I walked to the bully, took off my wool coat, and covered his face. For some reason, I felt upset about the fate that the bully met. It must have been because he was my classmate.
Joe Jones, a person feared for what was called ‘wedgies’, had a soft side to him. He was kind and gentle at his home. I knew that when I visited him to give him homework from the teacher when he was sick and absent from school. It seemed that he acted tough because he was always caned at home from the information told me. Jane Summerton, the beauty of my class, was admired by many boys. Although, at her condominium that I once visited, she liked to order her maids around. I turned around and went out of the bus. The pitter-patter of the droplets of rain was annoying. My white t-shirt got soaked by the rain. Soon, I was sneezing. I dialled the police office’s number.
“Hello, this is Corporal Ong. How may I help you?” the officer asked.
“I am Ahmad Tirmizi, a student of Sunshine Primary School, one of our school buses has crashed. We have a lot of casualties that the students had met and two deaths. Will you send some ambulances and help me out?” I explained the situation.
With that statement, I heard shouts of commands over the phone. The phone ran out of battery and the conversation was cut short. Now all there was to the situation was to wait. I looked to the sky, asking God why had this happened.
Composition by Ahmad (unedited) - Suitable Title, any suggestions?
I stretched my arms, feeling fresh and energetic after that afternoon nap. I rubbed my eyes to clear my vision. I put my feet on the floor and shuffled them out the door.
I was tired from having to go to tuition. Shuffling tiredly to the kitchen, I took out the milk from the refrigerator and drank it. What cool, refreshing goodness! My eyes were going to close when the suddenly opened wide. Wide-eyed, I realised that it was too silent to be true.
I started rushing up the stairs, moving from room to room, only to found no one inside of them. The penthouse was far too big for me to know if I had gone through all the doors. Why had my father bought a penthouse only for the both of us? He was a widower. My mother had died moments after I was born. Ever since then, he was the only one that took care of me. He loved me and I had to take care of him! Since I had no mother, he is the only one dear to me and I will not lose him! I dashed to the telephone and dialled my father’s handphone number but no one answered. I put the handset back in its place. I was all alone in this silent penthouse. I leaned against the wall, cornering myself and cowering in fright.
I was paralyzed in fear. Suddenly, hallucinations started appearing in my mind. My father being rammed, stabbed, shot in the head, smashed by debris. These were the odds of what happened to my father. I thought of two ideas to obtain information about my father’s location. I calmed down, breathed in deeply and grabbed the handset, dialled my aunt’s number and if she did not answer, my uncle’s number. None responded I felt disappointed that no one answered my calls. Finally, I resorted to using the last idea that I ever did not want to use. I sneaked out of the penthouse and moved to the neighbours’ next door. Knocking on the door, it creaked open and a dark figure towered above me. I had to look up to see his face.
“What do you want, Boy?” the neighbour, wearing a black shirt and boxers, frowning, asked.
“Do you know where my father is?” I replied with cowardice.
“I do not know anything, Boy,” he answered and slammed the door in my face.
Composition contributed by Jia Yun (unedited)
A suitable title for this piece will be?
opened my eyes slowly as I looked around the room. "Hmm... Where's Mom? Where's Dad? Where's Shirley?" I thought to myself as I dragged my feet towards the living room from the room I was sleeping. I went into the kitchen but there was no sign of my family. I searched from room to room and looked out of the window.
"Could they have gone out for a walk? Or could they have gone out to eat?" I thought as cold sweat started dripping down my neck. I thought of the possibility of where they could have gone. I telephoned my parents but neither of them answered. I put down the phone as my hands became sweaty and shaky.
Suddenly, the phone rang. I quickly answered the phone. "Hello?" I talked into the phone, my voice shaking a little, my hands clammy. There was silence through the other side if the phone. "Mom? Dad?" I said softly.
"Sorry, wrong number," The person replied hushly and hung up the phone.
I felt strange. "Could something have happened to my parents and Shirley?" I asked myself. I went out of my house. I began asking my neighbors if they had seen my family. No one had seen them. "Why doesn't anyone believe what I told them? Why don't they believe in me that my family might be kidnapped?" I questioned myself.
"If they were kidnapped, Why don't they kidnap you?" a voice came from behind.
I turned around and saw an old man talking to me. "That's true..." I thought, "Could it be possible for them to be going out for something important?" the old man asked me.
"He looks familiar... White hair, long beard... Oh! He was the old man my father always talks to!" I thought.
"Ya,maybe. But how about my baby sister?" I suddenly remember about her.
"You should go home to check again, Miss," the old man suggested.
I thought about it. Then I thanked the old man and ran home. As I reached my flat, I saw my parents pacing up and down the living room. When they saw me, they ran out of the house and brought me in. "Where did you go, my dear?" my mother asked me, looking concerned and worried.
I told my parents about the things I did when they were not at home and they laughed. "Silly girl, you know that we would come back," my father replied, gently.
"Sorry, Shirley was sick. So, we have to take her to the clinic. We were in the doctor's room, so we could not answer the phone," my mother explained.
After this incident, I learnt not to jump to conclusion when something happened. This made me feel bad about all the negative things I thought of. "How could my family be kidnapped?" I thought to myself as I laughed about it.
opened my eyes slowly as I looked around the room. "Hmm... Where's Mom? Where's Dad? Where's Shirley?" I thought to myself as I dragged my feet towards the living room from the room I was sleeping. I went into the kitchen but there was no sign of my family. I searched from room to room and looked out of the window.
"Could they have gone out for a walk? Or could they have gone out to eat?" I thought as cold sweat started dripping down my neck. I thought of the possibility of where they could have gone. I telephoned my parents but neither of them answered. I put down the phone as my hands became sweaty and shaky.
Suddenly, the phone rang. I quickly answered the phone. "Hello?" I talked into the phone, my voice shaking a little, my hands clammy. There was silence through the other side if the phone. "Mom? Dad?" I said softly.
"Sorry, wrong number," The person replied hushly and hung up the phone.
I felt strange. "Could something have happened to my parents and Shirley?" I asked myself. I went out of my house. I began asking my neighbors if they had seen my family. No one had seen them. "Why doesn't anyone believe what I told them? Why don't they believe in me that my family might be kidnapped?" I questioned myself.
"If they were kidnapped, Why don't they kidnap you?" a voice came from behind.
I turned around and saw an old man talking to me. "That's true..." I thought, "Could it be possible for them to be going out for something important?" the old man asked me.
"He looks familiar... White hair, long beard... Oh! He was the old man my father always talks to!" I thought.
"Ya,maybe. But how about my baby sister?" I suddenly remember about her.
"You should go home to check again, Miss," the old man suggested.
I thought about it. Then I thanked the old man and ran home. As I reached my flat, I saw my parents pacing up and down the living room. When they saw me, they ran out of the house and brought me in. "Where did you go, my dear?" my mother asked me, looking concerned and worried.
I told my parents about the things I did when they were not at home and they laughed. "Silly girl, you know that we would come back," my father replied, gently.
"Sorry, Shirley was sick. So, we have to take her to the clinic. We were in the doctor's room, so we could not answer the phone," my mother explained.
After this incident, I learnt not to jump to conclusion when something happened. This made me feel bad about all the negative things I thought of. "How could my family be kidnapped?" I thought to myself as I laughed about it.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Happy 46th Birthday Singapore!
I live in Singapore
I belong in Singapore
Singapore is where I should be
Living loving and caring for
I love my Singapore
Forever more and more
I travel here
I travel there
But I will return
to my beautiful Singapore
Singapore will always be
loving caring and generous
Teachers friends and families
together we unite
as a multi racial society
~Na Zhen~
Singapore is where my family and I spent most of our happiness at.
Singapore made my also made my birthday enjoyable.
Whenever I was feeling low or blue, Singapore was always there with me.
~Shi Min~
~Valencia~
I gazed out of the world's largest observation wheel and
saw the Esplanade. I often wander how the architect got that idea .
Being a Singaporean two months ago really change my life. back in my
old country, I lived in fear everyday. But now, I step out of my
three-room flat feeling safe and protected.
That afternoon, I really saw the beauty of Singapore- the
Merlion, the world first Night Safari and not forgetting, the world's
largest Bird Park. I felt that I had betrayed my old country, but
seriously, I had to get out of that slumdog and start a fresh in
Singapore-my homeland.
~Henny Maherah~
What's the best place in Singapore? In my opinion, I feel that my home is the best place in Singapore. Why, you may ask. Although there is not much to play here, you can spend time with your family. Its not that you cannot spend time with your family at Sentosa or at the Singapore Flyer but here, you can spend time to eat and play together for free and it gives you the feeling you are "home".
For those who are poor, they would understand because they might not have money to go and have fun somewhere they want like Sentosa. For me, my grandparents are old and cannot go out to have some time with me. The only place is at home where we can eat and watch some shows on television together. The only time we, as a family can, go out is when my grandparents are sick or during Chinese New Year to visit relatives.
I also feel that home is the only place that you can spend precious moment together everyday, forever, because if you go out, you still would have to come back home and that "fun" would have to end.
~Gregory~
Singapore
A place that I call home
A place of peace and harmony
Singapore
Although small
But great in achievements
Singapore
A place that we can call it as our homeland
Is a place of merits and value
~Si En~
What is Singapore to me?
Singapore is just like me.
Without Singapore, I will not be here right now.
Without Singapore, there will not be well-built places and tourist places to visit.
Without every one's effort, Singapore has changed and developed into such a wonderful place for all of us to live in. In the earlier years, when Singapore encountered problems, there were founding fathers to support and rely on. They did not give up hope on Singapore.
So, what does Singapore mean to me?
It means my second home. It watches me when I was a baby to a student in Punggol Primary School, from a pre-schooler to a Primary six student.
Singapore also means myself too. When people are harming the earth and polluting the air, it destroys my health and leds to me being sick so when Singapore is being well-protected, I will be safe and secure too.
In a nutshell, let's do our part in protecting Singapore!
~Qian Ling~
One of my favourite spots in Singapore is , East Coast Park. My family and I always go to East Coast when we are free. The reason that we like East Coast so much is that there are many tracks for cycling and being a fan of cycling I like to go there. When we go to East Coast not only do we cycle we would have a barbecue sometimes. We would always stay till it's 10 or 11 before we head home. The air at East Coast is very fresh, there are many facilities, resturants and some food court. I think the main reason I like East Coast park so much is because the tracks are very wide and long. It would be nice to go to East Coast every once in a while, the sea breeze gently against your face, cycling on the almost never-ending tracks. Your heart would feel as if it was soaring freely in the sky and plus, it's very clean.
~Ada~
Singapore, a clean and green country,
Serves millions of delicious food,
It probably the only country,
What is safe from all the disasters.
We should appreciate more,
About me and my Singapore!
~Jae Shin~
Me and my Singapore,
With green grass, flowers and all,
a beautiful Singapore it is,
a country you would not want to miss,
with shopping malls for shopaholics,
with fun places for people of all ages,
with nice and beautiful places you would never forget,
a place that is just so perfect,
a racial country it surely is,
with so many races living together in bliss,
this is Singapore,
truly,truly, my Singapore
~Matthias~
Singapore is the country I was born in , I like Singapore as it has many attractions like the Singapore flyer,Wild wild wet and etc… The main reason that I love Singapore is because her National Day other than being a holiday it’s a day where her celebrates her existence.
~Berwyn~
Me And My Singapore
My Singapore,
Oh, so lovely,
it makes me smile.
It brights up my day which seems dull,
Many kind people here,
Many people so very dear,
always ready to lend a listening ear,
also, so many types of food,
Singapore is really good!
~Jonathan~
Singapore is a wonderful place to live in. Without it, I have nowhere else to go and live. Singapore is the best despite the harsh weather conditions. What I like most about Singapore is the Singapore flyer as you can see many nice sceneries up in the sky.
~Ming Quan~
On that special day, Principal Chua started to tear after seeing the pride and loyalty her pupils have for their country. Looking upon the faces of the many who would one day be a contributor to the big society of Singapore, she began to reminisce the times she spent on pledging her loyalty to Singapore and to be a citizen who will eventually help to mould the next generation into a greater aspect of life.
"Still, who do I feel that I have not contributed enough?" she thought to herself. As the march pass ceased and melted into the National Anthem, Principal Chua started to recall the earlier events of the year. Be it sad or happy, citizens of Singapore must be a united people, regardless of who we are, what we are and most importantly, what we do. That is the only way as how to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress as stated in the pledge that we take.
We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language of religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progess for our nation.
It was then that Principal Chua realise that she cannot always control what the next generation do. This is part of their journey to be the very best that they can be. The journey for them is just beginning. All she can do is to guide them along the first part of their journey while they continue on the rest of their path together as a united people.
~Ivan~
I am an average P6 Singaporean girl. I go to a neighbourhood school and try to do my best for my exams. I love living in Singapore. Here are some of the reasons...
National Day
National Day is coming soon. I love this day a lot. Every year, I get to sing more national songs because more songs are made up every year. I also get to watch it on TV in HD. I like the fact that they also telecast it live on TV and have an encore telecast for others who missed the show to watch it.
Low crime rate
OK, so the number of crimes committed between last year and this year has increased and this time the crimes are more serious and the prison cells are probably crowded by now and the crimes committed are sometimes a little insane but at lease we don't find a dead body in every water tank that is up high on the roof, right?
Singapore is a safe country and I don't step on a bomb or get shot the moment I step out of the house. I don't even have to carry a gun in my pocket. I trust that the Singapore Police Force is smart enough to take care of the crimes.
Food
Ah...who can deny the taste of the succulent Chilli Crab! Food is the topic I'm talking about now! I have eaten many types of food from different country but, as far as my memory serves me right and my tongue can taste properly, Singapore's food is the best. After all, we are famous for our chilli crab :).
Entertainment
Resorts World Singapore was just launched last year but it has attracted many tourists. Especially the two casinos and Universal Studios Singapore. People are willing to pay tons just to get in. I too want to go there. 'Battlestar Galatica', a roller-coaster at the Universal Studios, is one of the most famous tourist, as well as singaporean, attractions. I wonder how it feels like to go on it...
These are some of the reasons why I love Singapore. Me and my Singapore, I was born here and I will live up to Singapore's National Anthem 'Majulah Singapura!'
~Maisarah~
Me and My Singapore
Singapore, my home, my shelter
Singapore, a place where once been will leave you in awe
My Singapore has provided me with housing and education like no other
My Singapore has provided me with great food that has left my taste buds craving for more
From a fishing village to a well-developed nation has it grown into and with a government we can’t stop being grateful to
I’m proud of my Singapore and saying this will forever be my home
~Bhairavi~
It means home, peace and a clean and green city to me.
It tells me that a small fishing village can be transformed into an independent and economically advanced country.
There is also religious and racial harmony with no riots, low crimes, and racism.
~Jia Sheng~
She, who is my homeland
where there live my family and friends
there are different races like
Chinese , Malay , Indian and
there are many more to find
I learned to speak English there
and everyone is treated fair and square
and there are lots of attractions there
but I like the Merlion most
Spitting water from its mouth
I think it got seasick
but it doesn't matter
as Singapore is clean and green
~Wen Xuan~
My parents took my sister and me to East Coast Park. We went Kangoo Jumping. It was so much fun! It is one of my favourite place in Singapore.
~Cai Leng~
Although Singapore is small,
but it has all.
Shopping malls, Cinemas,
and many more.
All year summer,
no four seasons.
But a lot of visitors
visit during their winter.
Although Singapore has no natural resources,
but has good relationship with other countries.
Singapore has the world's first Night Safari,
Largest Man-made Fountain,
one of my favourite,
and the highest Man-made Waterfall.
The Merlion is Singapore's icon,
and Vanda Miss Joaqium is Singapore's national flower
So do not think that Singapore is small and look down on us,
Singapore will surprise you with what it has.
So, "don't judge a book by its cover".
~Marianne~
I love my home, Singapore. Red and white fill up our national flag. While the national flag rises in school, we sing the national anthem. Singing the national anthem makes me proud of Singapore. So do seeing the national flag rising. Why? I'm a Singaporean and I should be proud to sing the national anthem!
~Celine~
Singapore is a home for me, my parents and my whole family tree. Without Singapore, my family tree may have stopped a long time ago. Singapore has brought happiness to my family and I believed that it has also brought happiness to other families too. So, I wish that Singapore would continue its great work and bring happiness to my further generation.SO, I WISH SINGAPORE A HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!
~Augustine~
I have been staying in Singapore since i was born
I ate different kinds of food from many races and not just corn
I eat beans and peas
I also sleep and pee
this are the things i do in Singapore!
Singapore is not a bore~
but sometimes there's some running boars~
we should, cherish our world,
now go spread the word~
this is about me and my Singapore~
~Kyan~
We were at the second story of the old supreme court at city hall during its 2 day open house.
That day we signed up for a mandarin tour around the building. At that place,you can see before your own eyes how the courtroom look like and you can sit on most of the chairs except the judges'. We even went into one of the judge's office and we learned that behing the judges seat in the court room there is a table where the jury sits and discuss the verdict.
The judge's table in his own office has special ventilation holes and we also saw the toilets. the toilets still look usuable and though it is a little yellowish, it looks fine to me. We were allowed acess into the place where the acused was kept before entering court. The toilet flushing systems were all outside of the 'cages' to prevent it from breaking the flushing systems outer plastic to try to hurt themselves. The stairs there are extremely steep especially the one for the acuse to climb up to the court room.
Outside the court room there is a huge empty space outside. The tiles were made of rubber as at that point of time singapore was having some financial difficulties. i also learned that the old sureme court building was once a hotel but later was taken over by the government as the hotel was having some financial difficulties.
There was also a library, it had two levers but we were only allowed the first level. there were some really old television sets and the carpets look very old too.
At the lobby, there is an incription on the floor. It was believed that a man from Britan laid that stone. Under it, was said to be a few sets of old english news paper and they told the then uthorities that they wanted the newspapers to b kept there till 500 years has passed. I felt that it was really amazing to be stepping on some really old paper and thinking that 500 years later that pieces of paper is going on the headlines.after all those we went to the old government building.
Behind this two old buildings, there was the supreme court. It was shaped like a saucer. We had to walk in front of it to get to the accused quarters where there was a gate to block people fm entering.
There were lots of things that we could do and play. All that games and activities really bonded us closer as a family. If I have a chance to go there again, I would.
~Xin Hui~
I live in Singapore,
I love my Singapore,
Singapore is a wonderful place to live in,
A clean and green country,
It makes me smile,
A place that I call home,
I'm a Singaporean and I should be proud to be one~
~Marcus~
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Surprise or no Surprise (unedited) - contributed by Ivan
I like this piece, warms the hearts of the readers. What do you think?
Sunlight entered through the windows and the rays of golden light shone on my face, as if telling me to get out of my daily afternoon nap. Yawning as I stumbled through the room of my HDB flat, I wondered if anyone would remember my birthday.
Hopes and doubts about my birthday vanished when I saw that my sister was not in her room. That was when I was snapped awake and raced to my parents’ room. They were not there either.
Pacing around the room, I desperately kept thinking about every single place that they could have gone. “The shopping mall? The swimming complex? Where are they?” I thought to myself.
Then, a light bulb flashed in my head like the Wright Brothers. I snatched the house phone and dialed the numbers of their mobile phones. “Surely they have to pick up and answer my calls ,” I chuckled to myself.
As it turned out, there was no need for that. Mom, Dad and Lily had arrived home, lugging along huge paper bags filled with branded clothes.
“You guys bought all these…… and didn’t get any for me!” I asked with my voice trembling with anger as fires of betrayal burned fiercely while they danced around my irises.
They just ignored me and unloaded everything in their rooms. “Didn’t you get me presents or anything at all?” This time, my voice was pleading and every cell in my body was trying to deny the fact that they had forgotten about my birthday.
“Your birthday?” they asked in unison with a genuine hint of surprise in their voices. Then, something in me snapped like a crocodile’s mouth. I stormed to my room and slammed the door. Behind closed doors, I started to sob silently while my soft toy dog looked at me with pity.
The cold, hard truth was really too much for me to take. Dad-whom I worshipped like a hero, Mom-whom I trusted wholeheartedly and Lily-my own sister whom I doted on. “Why must they do this to me?” I shouted with all my strength in my shattered heart.
Like my heart, my hopes were shattered beyond repair and my worst doubts were reconfirmed. “I must put on a strong front!” I willed myself. Once my tears were dried and I pulled myself together, I went out and was greeted with a surprise.
“Surprise!” They cried in unison. Dad was there. Mom was there. Lily was there and everyone I knew was there.
“Wha…What’s all this?” I asked in utter disbelief. Without warning, they launched into a chorus of the Happy Birthday Song. Overcome by this scene, tears flowed but not of sadness and despair. It was of great pride and joy.
I stared at them like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. With arms akimbo, I asked them, “Did you plan all this? The pushing, the so-called forgetting my birthday?”
“Well, I can’t take the credit. It was really Lily’s idea,” Dad replied with a crooked grin.
I walked over and gave Lily a light punch on her shoulder and hugged the breath out of her. “Don’t you ever do that to me again Miss Oh!” I whispered almost inaudibly.
This incident really let me think-I can trust and rely on my family members to help me, even Lily and her wacky ideas. This really was a day of happiness and I loved Lily even more.
Sunlight entered the window as the golden rays faded to deep orange rays. There really are no words to describe this feeling.
Sunlight entered through the windows and the rays of golden light shone on my face, as if telling me to get out of my daily afternoon nap. Yawning as I stumbled through the room of my HDB flat, I wondered if anyone would remember my birthday.
Hopes and doubts about my birthday vanished when I saw that my sister was not in her room. That was when I was snapped awake and raced to my parents’ room. They were not there either.
Pacing around the room, I desperately kept thinking about every single place that they could have gone. “The shopping mall? The swimming complex? Where are they?” I thought to myself.
Then, a light bulb flashed in my head like the Wright Brothers. I snatched the house phone and dialed the numbers of their mobile phones. “Surely they have to pick up and answer my calls ,” I chuckled to myself.
As it turned out, there was no need for that. Mom, Dad and Lily had arrived home, lugging along huge paper bags filled with branded clothes.
“You guys bought all these…… and didn’t get any for me!” I asked with my voice trembling with anger as fires of betrayal burned fiercely while they danced around my irises.
They just ignored me and unloaded everything in their rooms. “Didn’t you get me presents or anything at all?” This time, my voice was pleading and every cell in my body was trying to deny the fact that they had forgotten about my birthday.
“Your birthday?” they asked in unison with a genuine hint of surprise in their voices. Then, something in me snapped like a crocodile’s mouth. I stormed to my room and slammed the door. Behind closed doors, I started to sob silently while my soft toy dog looked at me with pity.
The cold, hard truth was really too much for me to take. Dad-whom I worshipped like a hero, Mom-whom I trusted wholeheartedly and Lily-my own sister whom I doted on. “Why must they do this to me?” I shouted with all my strength in my shattered heart.
Like my heart, my hopes were shattered beyond repair and my worst doubts were reconfirmed. “I must put on a strong front!” I willed myself. Once my tears were dried and I pulled myself together, I went out and was greeted with a surprise.
“Surprise!” They cried in unison. Dad was there. Mom was there. Lily was there and everyone I knew was there.
“Wha…What’s all this?” I asked in utter disbelief. Without warning, they launched into a chorus of the Happy Birthday Song. Overcome by this scene, tears flowed but not of sadness and despair. It was of great pride and joy.
I stared at them like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. With arms akimbo, I asked them, “Did you plan all this? The pushing, the so-called forgetting my birthday?”
“Well, I can’t take the credit. It was really Lily’s idea,” Dad replied with a crooked grin.
I walked over and gave Lily a light punch on her shoulder and hugged the breath out of her. “Don’t you ever do that to me again Miss Oh!” I whispered almost inaudibly.
This incident really let me think-I can trust and rely on my family members to help me, even Lily and her wacky ideas. This really was a day of happiness and I loved Lily even more.
Sunlight entered the window as the golden rays faded to deep orange rays. There really are no words to describe this feeling.
The Fateful Ride (unedited) - Contributed by Wen Qi
What did you learn from this piece of writing? How would you apply what you learn from this piece of writing in your own writing?
Whenever I saw my school bus, I would recall the fateful ride three years ago. As I think of it, tears started to flow down as I thought of my dear friends who perished.
Taking home an examination paper with flying colours was the was the happiest end result of a year's hard work and sweat. I hoped on the school bus and saw a concoction of glum and joyful faces on my bus mates.
Five minutes later, the bus started moving and set-off to our respective dropping points. Simultaneously, gloomy dark clouds started to settle and a lightning flashed, followed by a deafening loud thunder. As soon as the thunder halted, torrential rain began to fall from the sky. The onslaught of the rain seemed never ending, giving me a uncomfortable feeling.
As the school bus was cruising along T.P.E., I saw one bolt of lightning striking a tall tree. That tree was instantly charred and slowly fell onto the tarmac. My school bus was travelling at 60km/h and it would be impossible to come to a halt within a distance of 100 metres. Every soul on board including me began to shout our lungs out. I was so terrified, I closed my eyes, thinking of my family and friends. At the same time, I could hear the tyres screeching and turn turtle on the road.
It all ended with the loudest bang I ever heard, sounding like an exploding atomic bomb. Just after that, there was an eerie silence that sent chills down my spine. Burnt bodies and unconscious friends were lying on the floor everywhere. Just as I was about to give up hope, I suddenly heard John, my friend calling with a very weak voice, " James! James! Call the ambulance now! The bus is going to blow up soon! Hurry up!" Not wasting a second, I scrambled, although limping to my school bag, to find my mobile phone in order to call for emergency help. While I was calling, the unmistakable foul smell of diesel was picked up by me, This was when my palms turned sweaty and sticky.
But to my relief, paramedics arrived in less than five minute time. The medics began evacuating and finding survivors and I was pulled to safety. I began shouting so loud that my vocal cords were vibrating ," John is still trapped in the wreckage! Hurry and save him!" My efforts only managed to capture one of the firefighter's attention.
Without and further any ado, the brave firefighter went into the thick of the action. Although the rain was still pounding on us, the firefighter was still able to find John quickly. He was in a pool of blood. Mustering courage, I assisted the firefighter by pulling away rubble. We grabbed his hands together immediately and he held onto ours for his dear life. We made it out eventually with our sheer effort and determination despite the hampering of the rain.
Moments after, John was pulled to the safety zone, a fireball engulfed the entire school bus, and the searing heat was intensifying. John was loaded onto a stretcher and was air-lifted to the hospital for treatment. I received treatment for minor burns and cuts on site. John was however not as lucky as me, he needed an operation as he had limb' fractures and excessive inhalation of toxic smoke. As a result, he had to be warded for a week.
As the rain was still pouring, I went home with a heavy heart, praying for John's blessing. True enough, my prayer was answered. John had a speedy recovery.
After this incident, the government passed a law to install seat belt on all private buses. Frankly speaking, John and I were a pair of lucky duo to survive the ordeal. Since this incident, I cherished the true values of friendship and it opened a new chapter of my life.
Whenever I saw my school bus, I would recall the fateful ride three years ago. As I think of it, tears started to flow down as I thought of my dear friends who perished.
Taking home an examination paper with flying colours was the was the happiest end result of a year's hard work and sweat. I hoped on the school bus and saw a concoction of glum and joyful faces on my bus mates.
Five minutes later, the bus started moving and set-off to our respective dropping points. Simultaneously, gloomy dark clouds started to settle and a lightning flashed, followed by a deafening loud thunder. As soon as the thunder halted, torrential rain began to fall from the sky. The onslaught of the rain seemed never ending, giving me a uncomfortable feeling.
As the school bus was cruising along T.P.E., I saw one bolt of lightning striking a tall tree. That tree was instantly charred and slowly fell onto the tarmac. My school bus was travelling at 60km/h and it would be impossible to come to a halt within a distance of 100 metres. Every soul on board including me began to shout our lungs out. I was so terrified, I closed my eyes, thinking of my family and friends. At the same time, I could hear the tyres screeching and turn turtle on the road.
It all ended with the loudest bang I ever heard, sounding like an exploding atomic bomb. Just after that, there was an eerie silence that sent chills down my spine. Burnt bodies and unconscious friends were lying on the floor everywhere. Just as I was about to give up hope, I suddenly heard John, my friend calling with a very weak voice, " James! James! Call the ambulance now! The bus is going to blow up soon! Hurry up!" Not wasting a second, I scrambled, although limping to my school bag, to find my mobile phone in order to call for emergency help. While I was calling, the unmistakable foul smell of diesel was picked up by me, This was when my palms turned sweaty and sticky.
But to my relief, paramedics arrived in less than five minute time. The medics began evacuating and finding survivors and I was pulled to safety. I began shouting so loud that my vocal cords were vibrating ," John is still trapped in the wreckage! Hurry and save him!" My efforts only managed to capture one of the firefighter's attention.
Without and further any ado, the brave firefighter went into the thick of the action. Although the rain was still pounding on us, the firefighter was still able to find John quickly. He was in a pool of blood. Mustering courage, I assisted the firefighter by pulling away rubble. We grabbed his hands together immediately and he held onto ours for his dear life. We made it out eventually with our sheer effort and determination despite the hampering of the rain.
Moments after, John was pulled to the safety zone, a fireball engulfed the entire school bus, and the searing heat was intensifying. John was loaded onto a stretcher and was air-lifted to the hospital for treatment. I received treatment for minor burns and cuts on site. John was however not as lucky as me, he needed an operation as he had limb' fractures and excessive inhalation of toxic smoke. As a result, he had to be warded for a week.
As the rain was still pouring, I went home with a heavy heart, praying for John's blessing. True enough, my prayer was answered. John had a speedy recovery.
After this incident, the government passed a law to install seat belt on all private buses. Frankly speaking, John and I were a pair of lucky duo to survive the ordeal. Since this incident, I cherished the true values of friendship and it opened a new chapter of my life.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Composition (unedited) contributed by Devesh - The Eventful Bus Ride
"Yes, I'm on the new 36 bus service that takes me to Thomson Road now, I have the documents, don't worry," I panted. It was Friday and I was on the bus going to my office to deliver some documents to one of my clients.
Being a financial advisor is a very hectic job. You don't have regular work hours and you don't have a definite pay. You also have to go many places, which was why I was applying for a driver's license, as I hated the crowded public buses and thought that taxis were just too expensive.
Anyway, back to the bus. I was clutching my documents with both hands, something I should never have done but did anyway.
Suddenly, a little boy ran across the road which we were travelling on. The driver jammed on the brakes. Unfortunately, he had depressed the brake pedal too hard, causing the wheels to 'lock' and the bus to skid. It soon stopped, however, because the driver turned the steering wheel in the direction of the skid.
I almost fell, but at the last moment, I managed to grab a handlebar to steady myself. Others around me were not so lucky, however. One boy's head hit the metal rail and his books fell down, but he was otherwise okay. One lady had accidentally dropped the plastic bag she was holding and her groceries fell to the bus floor. I rushed to help her pick them up, but a schoolgirl beat me to it. It was then that I saw one of the most touching acts of kindness and wished everyone could be the same.
I did eventually deliver my documents -- against my better judgement, I hailed a taxi. With a steely determination to make my days of taking public transport history, I completed and passed my driving test and got my license. The next day, I had to meet a client -- and instead of rushing to the bus stop or taxi stand, I rushed to my previously-bought Suzuki Swift.
Being a financial advisor is a very hectic job. You don't have regular work hours and you don't have a definite pay. You also have to go many places, which was why I was applying for a driver's license, as I hated the crowded public buses and thought that taxis were just too expensive.
Anyway, back to the bus. I was clutching my documents with both hands, something I should never have done but did anyway.
Suddenly, a little boy ran across the road which we were travelling on. The driver jammed on the brakes. Unfortunately, he had depressed the brake pedal too hard, causing the wheels to 'lock' and the bus to skid. It soon stopped, however, because the driver turned the steering wheel in the direction of the skid.
I almost fell, but at the last moment, I managed to grab a handlebar to steady myself. Others around me were not so lucky, however. One boy's head hit the metal rail and his books fell down, but he was otherwise okay. One lady had accidentally dropped the plastic bag she was holding and her groceries fell to the bus floor. I rushed to help her pick them up, but a schoolgirl beat me to it. It was then that I saw one of the most touching acts of kindness and wished everyone could be the same.
I did eventually deliver my documents -- against my better judgement, I hailed a taxi. With a steely determination to make my days of taking public transport history, I completed and passed my driving test and got my license. The next day, I had to meet a client -- and instead of rushing to the bus stop or taxi stand, I rushed to my previously-bought Suzuki Swift.
Composition (unedited) contributed by Ahmad - Read and Suggest a suitable title
“This is such a bother,” I cursed to myself. I had bought myself a car and I still had not gotten a driver’s licence.
The public transport was full and crowded with people. They were very noisy somehow, people chatting, listening to their music on full volume, people chomping down their food loudly on purpose so as to annoy others. The road was full of cars, honking at each other to move. Luckily, the bus had an alternate route to avoid the traffic. I was heading to work. Suddenly, the bus swerved, trying to avoid a speeding car.
The vehicle was tilting. Everyone was shaken by the effect of tilting. An old woman fell off her chair. An Indian woman’s baby is crying loudly. A boy from a primary school hit his head against his chair and was knocked out. Finally, the bus landed on its right side, my head bumped into one of the metal poles and started to hurt, and my whole body started aching. I did not know anything, but the last thing I heard was loud, high-pitched shrieks. When my senses settled, I saw everybody knocked out or hurt, groceries that an old lady bought were on the ground and the baby that was crying was bleeding profusely. The old lady was out cold so I helped her lean against the aisle of the bus.
There was chaos all around, like an apocalypse. I leaned against the aisle. What had happened? I reached for my phone inside a pocket, but found it crushed to pieces. Sighing, I slowly stood up, knees wobbly. I looked around, observing everybody. Most of them were losing blood rapidly and the rest are dead already. There was nothing and no one to help me. I was so depressed that I felt like tearing my hair off. To relieve myself, I took out a cigarette from a box in my pocket and started smoking. Drip, drip. What was dripping? I tilted my head and my jaw dropped. I dropped my cigarette and started running as fast as my feet could carry me. There was a pool of oil. It burned and so did the bus. BOOM! There was a big explosion. Smoke filled the air around me. As I dropped to my knees, I tried to reflect on all that has happened until now.
“It wasn’t my fault,” I whispered to myself.
I hammered the ground with my fist. Sirens were blaring a few miles away. As the blaring got louder, the police cars and fire engines got nearer. The sirens stopped blaring once the officers and firemen came out of their vehicles.
The firemen brought along their hose and used the emergency water supply to put out the large fire. A police officer held out his hand. I grabbed it and stood up. The officer’s name was Lieutenant Lenny. He questioned me on how the fire started and what exactly happened. I felt scared to tell him, I was shocked and could not explain to him.
“Tell you what, I’ll bring you back to the police post and we can question you there, alright?” Lt. Lenny asked me.
I nodded to his idea and agreed to it. He pulled me up and walked me over to the police car. I slid into the seat of the car. Now they only had to question me and I only had to answer them. The unreasonable speeding driver had to be caught but they needed my help. I calmed myself down and finally started to answer his questions. Now, to finish off this case, the only thing that was left to do was to catch the irresponsible driver!
The public transport was full and crowded with people. They were very noisy somehow, people chatting, listening to their music on full volume, people chomping down their food loudly on purpose so as to annoy others. The road was full of cars, honking at each other to move. Luckily, the bus had an alternate route to avoid the traffic. I was heading to work. Suddenly, the bus swerved, trying to avoid a speeding car.
The vehicle was tilting. Everyone was shaken by the effect of tilting. An old woman fell off her chair. An Indian woman’s baby is crying loudly. A boy from a primary school hit his head against his chair and was knocked out. Finally, the bus landed on its right side, my head bumped into one of the metal poles and started to hurt, and my whole body started aching. I did not know anything, but the last thing I heard was loud, high-pitched shrieks. When my senses settled, I saw everybody knocked out or hurt, groceries that an old lady bought were on the ground and the baby that was crying was bleeding profusely. The old lady was out cold so I helped her lean against the aisle of the bus.
There was chaos all around, like an apocalypse. I leaned against the aisle. What had happened? I reached for my phone inside a pocket, but found it crushed to pieces. Sighing, I slowly stood up, knees wobbly. I looked around, observing everybody. Most of them were losing blood rapidly and the rest are dead already. There was nothing and no one to help me. I was so depressed that I felt like tearing my hair off. To relieve myself, I took out a cigarette from a box in my pocket and started smoking. Drip, drip. What was dripping? I tilted my head and my jaw dropped. I dropped my cigarette and started running as fast as my feet could carry me. There was a pool of oil. It burned and so did the bus. BOOM! There was a big explosion. Smoke filled the air around me. As I dropped to my knees, I tried to reflect on all that has happened until now.
“It wasn’t my fault,” I whispered to myself.
I hammered the ground with my fist. Sirens were blaring a few miles away. As the blaring got louder, the police cars and fire engines got nearer. The sirens stopped blaring once the officers and firemen came out of their vehicles.
The firemen brought along their hose and used the emergency water supply to put out the large fire. A police officer held out his hand. I grabbed it and stood up. The officer’s name was Lieutenant Lenny. He questioned me on how the fire started and what exactly happened. I felt scared to tell him, I was shocked and could not explain to him.
“Tell you what, I’ll bring you back to the police post and we can question you there, alright?” Lt. Lenny asked me.
I nodded to his idea and agreed to it. He pulled me up and walked me over to the police car. I slid into the seat of the car. Now they only had to question me and I only had to answer them. The unreasonable speeding driver had to be caught but they needed my help. I calmed myself down and finally started to answer his questions. Now, to finish off this case, the only thing that was left to do was to catch the irresponsible driver!
Wen Qi's Composition - Bus Accident (Unedited)
"Sit tight!" the bus captain hollered . In an instant, the bus swerved violently to the left. Every soul on board the bus began screaming at the top of their voices.
As a reflex action, i grabbed a hand-grip above me in time. But not everyone was as lucky as me. Just beside, an elderly lady was too slow to react to the situation and was thrown onto the floor. The groceries in her bag then scattered everywhere on the floor. Next, a huge thud was heard and I saw her lying helplessly on the floor.
The incident stopped as sudden as it started. The bus went into a complete halt. At this moment, an eerie silence descended upon the bus. Everyone on board was in a state of shock.
All of a sudden, a loud cry shattered the silence. I turned my head and saw my classmate groaning in pain and the elderly lady still on the floor. Not wasting a second, I dashed towards her. I helped her by getting onto her feet and retrieving her groceries. In return, she thanked me and gave the smile i had ever seen my life.
Just then, the bus captain asked, Ïs anyone injured?". Together, everyone gave a big "No". Slowly, as the bus got back on course, I saw that the bus driver had wanted to avoid a reckless motorcyclist that was about to collide with the bus I on aboard.
About 15 minutes later, I reached my school and I heard a big sigh of relief. I was glad that I was able to escape this ordeal unscathed.
As a reflex action, i grabbed a hand-grip above me in time. But not everyone was as lucky as me. Just beside, an elderly lady was too slow to react to the situation and was thrown onto the floor. The groceries in her bag then scattered everywhere on the floor. Next, a huge thud was heard and I saw her lying helplessly on the floor.
The incident stopped as sudden as it started. The bus went into a complete halt. At this moment, an eerie silence descended upon the bus. Everyone on board was in a state of shock.
All of a sudden, a loud cry shattered the silence. I turned my head and saw my classmate groaning in pain and the elderly lady still on the floor. Not wasting a second, I dashed towards her. I helped her by getting onto her feet and retrieving her groceries. In return, she thanked me and gave the smile i had ever seen my life.
Just then, the bus captain asked, Ïs anyone injured?". Together, everyone gave a big "No". Slowly, as the bus got back on course, I saw that the bus driver had wanted to avoid a reckless motorcyclist that was about to collide with the bus I on aboard.
About 15 minutes later, I reached my school and I heard a big sigh of relief. I was glad that I was able to escape this ordeal unscathed.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Jonathan's picture composition - bus (unedited) Read and suggest a suitable title!
There I lay, slumped down in the bus seat. It was a tiring and exhausting day at school. Unfortunately, it was not a happy one too. First, I spilled coke onto my friend, next, I fell down and grazed my knee severely. What could go worse? I took out a book from my bag. I decided to read it to occupy myself in this thirty-minute bus journey.
Suddenly while being lost in my world of thoughts, the bus I was in swerved to the right without warning. Chaos broke out. The next few minutes were all spent on trying to protect myself. As I hung on to a pole for my dear life, I witnessed an old woman being thrown off her seat. She fell to the ground clutching her leg and screaming in agony.
Her plastic bags were flung around. Out flew many fruits. People all around me, of course, including me, were screaming in terror. What was this bus driver doing? Was he crazy? I also saw this Indian lady, cradling her baby. She was hurt because she tried to protect her baby. She was bleeding profusely from the head. All I could think of was my own safety. Unfortunately, it came to my turn. My head banged against the pole I was clinging on to.
Feeling dazed, my limp body dropped to the ground. Due to the excruciating pain, I could not even manage a whimper, much less a scream in pain. My vision became blur. Instinctively, I slowly touched my head. My head felt warm and wet. Looking at my hand, I became utterly shocked! I was bleeding! That was what I thought, until l realized somebody had accidentally spilled warm ‘Bundung’ on my head. This new ‘discovery’ made feel relieved. Those few minutes felt like hours.
Finally, the bus driver made a last swerve to the right. Being tossed around like a ragdoll, I felt really bruised and felt as if someone had just continually punched me in the gut. The last jerk on the bus told me that everything had finally ended. People were all whimpering and squirming on the bus floor in pain. The bus doors opened. I stepped out, only to realize the bus driver had swerved to the left and right all because he wanted to avoid a thick and long python that was crossing the road! Though I only had a few bruises and cuts, I controlled myself not to punch the bus driver. He had caused elderly and passengers in the bus to be hurt!
Seeing the state of passengers in the bus, I called the ambulance. Just then, I saw a sedan run over the python. The python immediately died. What?! It died just like that? The bus driver should have run over the python!
Waiting impatiently for the ambulance to come, I stamped my foot in exasperation, and shouted “Waah!” Although I was happy I survived, I felt angry at the bus driver. My shouts of anger echoed throughout the tunnel and bounced back to me. What an unlucky day that was for me!
Suddenly while being lost in my world of thoughts, the bus I was in swerved to the right without warning. Chaos broke out. The next few minutes were all spent on trying to protect myself. As I hung on to a pole for my dear life, I witnessed an old woman being thrown off her seat. She fell to the ground clutching her leg and screaming in agony.
Her plastic bags were flung around. Out flew many fruits. People all around me, of course, including me, were screaming in terror. What was this bus driver doing? Was he crazy? I also saw this Indian lady, cradling her baby. She was hurt because she tried to protect her baby. She was bleeding profusely from the head. All I could think of was my own safety. Unfortunately, it came to my turn. My head banged against the pole I was clinging on to.
Feeling dazed, my limp body dropped to the ground. Due to the excruciating pain, I could not even manage a whimper, much less a scream in pain. My vision became blur. Instinctively, I slowly touched my head. My head felt warm and wet. Looking at my hand, I became utterly shocked! I was bleeding! That was what I thought, until l realized somebody had accidentally spilled warm ‘Bundung’ on my head. This new ‘discovery’ made feel relieved. Those few minutes felt like hours.
Finally, the bus driver made a last swerve to the right. Being tossed around like a ragdoll, I felt really bruised and felt as if someone had just continually punched me in the gut. The last jerk on the bus told me that everything had finally ended. People were all whimpering and squirming on the bus floor in pain. The bus doors opened. I stepped out, only to realize the bus driver had swerved to the left and right all because he wanted to avoid a thick and long python that was crossing the road! Though I only had a few bruises and cuts, I controlled myself not to punch the bus driver. He had caused elderly and passengers in the bus to be hurt!
Seeing the state of passengers in the bus, I called the ambulance. Just then, I saw a sedan run over the python. The python immediately died. What?! It died just like that? The bus driver should have run over the python!
Waiting impatiently for the ambulance to come, I stamped my foot in exasperation, and shouted “Waah!” Although I was happy I survived, I felt angry at the bus driver. My shouts of anger echoed throughout the tunnel and bounced back to me. What an unlucky day that was for me!
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