Reminder Dek Poh could not shut out his wife's relentless
grumbling anymore. He was tired of hearing her launch into a tirade
against him, frustrated by her vitriolic outbursts about what a
lousy husband he was. Wai Leng was never satisfied with anything
that he did. If he brought home $4,000, she would taunt him with
stories of how much her colleagues' husbands earned. If he had
bought her flowers, she would still invariably grumble about how
other people received diamonds instead. She was impossible to
please.He decided to take a walk along the tranquil banks of the
reservoir. It was always a balm to his frazzled nerves after an
encounter with his wife. As he walked towards the bus stop, he
mulled over his life. Sometimes, he wondered at the insanity that
must have possessed him when he married Wai Leng. Perhaps, they had
been happy in the early days, but those days were definitely behind
them now.As he approached the shelter, he spotted a white bundle on
the seat. Curiosity crept in, he walked closer to take a look. To
his surprise, it was a baby all wrapped up in a rough white towel.
As he reached out to touch the baby, it suddenly stretched out to
try to grab his fingers. Dek Poh was tickled. As he laughed with
happiness at the angelic face of the baby, waves of tenderness
washed over him. What a beautiful baby it was! He wondered who
could have the heart to abandon such a bundle of joy.Suddenly, in a
rare show of decisiveness, Dek Poh picked up the bundle and strode
quickly to the police post just some distance away. He reported
finding the baby and, when it was revealed that no one had come to
report a missing baby, he was asked to have temporary custody of
it. Although initially sceptical, the policeman soon gave in to Dek
Poh's obvious sincerity. Somehow, Dek Poh knew that Wai Leng would
welcome this baby into their childless marriage.True enough, she
got over her initial grumblings and chastisements and started
cooing over the baby. The days with the baby in the house were the
most glorious ones in their lives. The halcyon days of playing with
and taking care of the baby somehow repaired the couple's rocky
marriage. As he watched her fussing over the baby, Dek Poh finally
remembered what he had loved so much about Wai Leng - her
tenderness and capacity for love.Even though the baby was returned
to its parents weeks later, Dek Poh and Wai Leng knew what was
missing in their lives. It was not so much having a baby, but
rather, allowing the love in them to come out and wash all the bad
feelings away. Dek Poh never had to go to the reservoir again.
vitriolic hurtful frazzled weary halcyon peacefulIntentions The day
dawned bright and sunny, with a slight wind blowing in from the
coast. Everyone was in high spirits, especially the four new
volunteers who had arrived the night before. The locals were
impressed by the way these youngsters worked - all four exhibited
dedication to their task with such fervor that the locals had to
tell them several times to rest or risk heatstroke. But it was a
sip of water and then back to work for them. The locals were
impressed by the selflessness of the young men.Suresh was really
determined to distinguish himself as a good worker. The supervisor
on this project would be coming round any time now, and Tom wanted
him to see how diligent he was. After all, he had not wasted his
holiday on some silly project for nothing. Whether the villagers
were able to cross the river was of no concern to him except that
it would give him a good report that would come in handy for his
bid to win a place on the Students' Council in school. He wondered
when the supervisor would appear.Soon Hock was oblivious to the
heat beating down on his back. He relished the freedom that he
finally felt after years of being in an oppressive family. He was
tired of being told what to do and how to do it. He was not stupid
and slow, as his family was always making him out to be. He would
show them that he could do something good without their unbearably
dictatorial instructions. He would go back a new person, a proven
hero. He had to, if he hoped to escape from his family.Melvin
glanced around the site. He could see the grateful looks of the
locals who were overjoyed that the bridge across the river would
finally be built. They would not have to go around the river
anymore. He felt so happy that he was finally bringing a smile to
someone's face. Melvin was extremely unpopular in school, the
reason for which still remained unknown to him. He wanted to come
on this volunteer mission to feel part of something, to bask in the
significance of something else. He was glad he had come. He felt
better about himself by the minute.Akmal hated supervising such
missions. He always ended up dirty and hot, with inadequate food
and drinks to make up for the backwardness of the village. Had it
not been for the fact that he needed some community service to be
shown on his application form for the 'Outstanding Teacher of the
Year' award, he would never deign to come to such a godforsaken
place. He would be spending his holiday in some picturesque country
where there would be exotic cuisine to be savored. Here, he could
only taste the salty sweat trickling down his face. It was
disgusting.The villagers decided to hold a cookout that night. They
wanted to reward the young men for being so selfless with their
time and effort. Only the truly kind-hearted would help them like
they were doing, or so they thought. fervor enthusiasm bask in
enjoy deign stoopExploit Siew looked at the lady in gratitude.
Finally, someone was going to help her obtain medical help for her
father. she may only be ten years old, but Siew understood how much
money $40,000 was. It was way beyond her ability to ever earn such
a large amount of money. No matter how many cardboard pieces she
picked up to sell to the rag-and-bone man, she would never earn
even a quarter of that amount. Her beloved father lay on the rough
bedding of old newspapers and other 'castaways' salvaged from the
rubbish dumps. His fever was raging as high as ever, with the
infection slowly but surely spreading in his body.The woman smiled
at the little girl. What a Siewt little thing, she thought. It was
really such a waste, sending her on such a dangerous mission. But
she had no choice. Someone had to plant the bomb, and sacrifices in
the course of the revolution were inevitable. The lady clasped
Siew's hands in her well-manicured ones and solemnly agreed to get
her father the best treatment possible if she succeeded in
delivering the package safely. Siew was only too happy to agree.The
next morning, Siew was handed a large parcel. Her job was to place
it by the first table in the popular restaurant downtown. After
that, the lady promised that she would send her father to the best
hospital where he would be treated for his infection. Siew skipped
almost gaily to the destination. She thought about her kind father
who had struggled to bring her up in a manner that was dignified
and proper. He never let her beg or do so himself. All that they
earned came from hard work. Tears collected in her eyes as she
thought of how much she loved him. With renewed determination, she
trudged quickly to the restaurant.Her presence in the restaurant
was not noticed by anyone. After all, she was too small to catch
the attention of the busy waiters. She left the parcel and then ran
quickly back to the shelter where her father was. Siew was so
excited that she had managed to earn the money to save her father.
She would tell him proudly when he awoke that she did not beg for
it. Sitting by her father as he groaned in his semi-conscious
state, she waited patiently.Night came and then morning approached,
but still the lady did not show up. Siew went outside to see if she
was coming. She tried to tell herself that perhaps the lady could
not remember where the shelter was. But it was of no use. She had
to face what she had refused to acknowledge. It was obvious that
the lady had never intended to keep her promise. Finally, Siew's
forced optimism crumbled and she sat down on the gutter outside the
shelter, her sobs mixing with her father's groans to form sad music
in the still of the night. salvaged picked up gaily happily gutter
drainGreen light His fingers were numb from waiting to detonate the
bomb. As the sounds of gunfire and shouting whirled in a cacophony
around him, insidious fear crept slowly into him. He felt like he
had been waiting for an eternity, when it had only been twenty
minutes since the last skirmish erupted. He held the lives of his
comrades literally in his hands, as his role was to detonate the
bomb that would blow up the enemies' escape back into the dense
jungle. But the signal had still not come.All around him, the
strangled cries of men forced themselves into his unwilling
consciousness. He wondered how long it would be before it all
finally died down. But it was unlikely that he would see that end;
he knew that the war had only just started. As he thought about all
that he had to leave behind to defend his country, hot tears rolled
down his cheeks.He remembered the warm and loving faces of his
family and those halcyon days that were now so far away as he
ploughed deeper into the smoke and death that was undeniably war.
When he had gone home one day, full of resolution and enthusiasm to
join the war, his parents were stunned. After all, he was only
fourteen, an age when boys were still exploring the hills and caves
behind the village. But he was adamant. He had gone to listen to
the stirring speech by the war recruitment officer, who had won
over the hearts of the young men and boys with his speech about the
valor of men and the honor of being in a war. Nothing was going to
stand between him and his maturity into a real man; he had decided
there and then.The day he left the village to board the rickety
truck which would bring them to the barracks dawned bright and
fine. What a good omen, he had thought then, trying hard to ignore
the tear-stained faces of his family. He had felt a pang of fear
and regret, suddenly realizing that he did not really know what he
was getting himself into. But he was determined to keep up a brave
front.Even now, he found himself having to maintain a stoical
front. The war had none of the romance that he had thought it
entailed. There was nothing even remotely resembling the beauty of
camaraderie, the songs around the campfire, the triumph of the
human spirit or even the glory of victory. It had only been an
extended experience of brutality, fear, death and fatigue.Now, when
the enemies pressed on to capture the town, many comrades were
dropping like flies. He wondered why the signal had still not come.
Taking the risk to peer out of his reinforced position, he looked
for the captain who was to give the signal. A sharp intake of
breath froze him. The sandbags that protected the captain's
position had been blown to bits, with the torn body of the captain
slumped all over. The fear that he had managed to dam now rushed
forward unabated. What was he to do now? The signal was never going
to come. He stared with irresolution at the detonator. Finally, he
made a decision. Grinning for the first time since he stepped onto
this battlefield, he put his hands on the lever. Suddenly, he felt
the first heat of explosion from a grenade that had landed mere
centimeters from him. cacophony disharmony halcyon peaceful stoical
uncomplainingWatch out He was not sure if he could really do it
again. He had defied them once, and to even contemplate doing so
again sent shivers of fear up and down his spine. But they would be
there, waiting as they did every other day, except that it would be
with a terrible vengeance this time. After all, Weng had actually
had the audacity to report the gang's attempts to extort money from
him to the teachers. Weng hugged his bag closer to him, trying to
ride out the hours after school when the gang would congregate
outside the school gates. He knew that escape would not be easy
now.Weng had grown up with the gang's activities all around him.
They were always extorting 'protection' money from the hawkers and
terrorizing the neighborhood children into joining them. Gang
clashes with other groups were also a common sight. Yet, his puny
and unimpressive frame had always escaped the notice of the gang
until this year when he became the only person holding out against
the gang. Everyone else he knew had capitulated to the gang's
bullying.When they had approached him for two dollars per week,
Weng was determined not to give in. He did not believe that the
school authorities were ineffective against the gang. With great
courage, he told the teachers what was happening and they duly
reported the matter to the police. But when the police came, none
of the other students dared to come forward to corroborate Weng's
story. Without their input, there was little the police could do.
In the end, they stopped their investigations and the teachers
merely told him that they would keep a lookout for his safety.Weng
knew that this was their way of trying to gloss over their
ineptitude. He was well aware that he had become the target of the
gang now, and that each day they waited at the school gates for him
to appear after school. Yet, each time he had been lucky for they
got tired of waiting fruitlessly for him and left. But such luck
would run out, Weng knew. He only hoped that when the time came,
his legs would carry him to safety. Even then, he did not see
himself as being that unfortunate.Suddenly, Weng felt a hand on
him. He turned around to see the teacher looking at him
suspiciously. She questioned him as to why he had not gone home, so
Weng told her that he needed to avoid the gang. With a smile that
carried doubts about his concerns, the teacher gently nudged him in
the direction of the school gate. Left with no choice, Weng crept
out of the school gate.He did not manage to complete his tenth step
when he felt a blow from a blunt object on his head. The
vulgarities shouted out at him by the gang and their relentless
raining of blows on him all merged to become one great experience
of pain, as he slowly sank down onto the ground. audacity boldness
capitulated gave in ineptitude incompetenceRunning away Aminah was
sad. This was not uncommon. She was sad every day. Her mother had
run off with a man she met at her workplace last year. Her father
was depressed. He seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Many a night he would come back crying out, "Why, why did she leave
me?" At times, when he spied her cowering in a corner, he would lay
his hands on her. Soon, her body was covered with welts and
bruises.Aminah's school grades deteriorated. It was unfortunate
that the teachers were only interested in her test results. They
nagged at her about her work as her school was in the top 20 based
on national school rankings. She felt that her teachers were not
the ones whom she could confide in about her plans.One day, her
patience gave way and her will to see the miserable day through
wavered. She decided there and then to leave home. "Where?" she
wondered. She did not know. All she knew was that she had to get
away from it all: a horrible father and school.Packing some
necessary documents and a few precious personal belongings, she
fled. She would leave her future to the gods.The next few days
passed in a blur. There was confusion, uncertainty and suffering.
In her heart, she knew that running away would not solve her
problems, but she had to do something. The first night saw her
sleeping in the void deck of an unnamed block of flat near her
home. Curiously enough, she did not feel hungry. Perhaps, she was
keeping a wary eye on the strange surroundings. In addition, she
was feeling too miserable herself. Fortunately, she passed the
night undisturbed.The second day, however, brought fully the
realization of her decision to run away. After a skimpy breakfast
as she had to stinge on her scant savings, she was still hungry. In
the afternoon, she walked about aimlessly in shopping centers to
pass the time. By nightfall, she had actually begun to long for the
familiar surroundings of her home. However, passing the second
night peacefully in the void deck she had spent the previous night
was something to be thankful for.Meanwhile, Mr Ahmad, Aminah's
father, had realized her absence. After checking with teachers,
friends and relatives, his initial anger subsided. It now turned to
panic and then to remorse and worry. She was after all his own
flesh and blood. She was merely an innocent victim of his hatred
towards her mother. The police and media were alerted. The once
depressed and inebriated man had become fully aware of his past and
present actions.On the fourth day of her running away and after a
sleepless night, he awoke to a heavy knocking on his door and
excited shouts from his neighbor,Ali. "Wake up! Wake up! Ahmad!
Your daughter has been found." With trembling hands and a pounding
heart, he reached out for the newspaper his friend had thrust out
to him. The title of the article read: "Missing girl found after
narrowly escaping would-be rapists." The article related that
Aminah had spent her third night washing up in a toilet near Ikan
Bus Station. There, she had befriended some illegal workers who had
invited her to their shack. However, just past midnight, they made
an attempt to capture her. One man held her while the other
attempted to rape her. Fortunately, her screams unsettled them. In
a moment of inattention from them, she escaped their clutches and
fled from the shack. A chase ensued around Ikan Bus
Station.Fortunately, her cries for help were heard by a group of
passers-by. They gave chase. Her pursuers fled but were apprehended
later by the passers-by and police. Aminah was then held in police
custody.Mr Ahmad rushed to the police station where his daughter
was held. There and then, he understood why the police had not
attempted to contact him. His daughter had told the police her sad
story of his abuse. What followed was a very touching scene. Both
father and daughter were allowed a meeting before the latter was
taken away. In that meeting, Mr Ahmad knelt before his daughter and
asked for her forgiveness. She shed tears uncontrollably and
nodded. welts marks stinge to act stingily inebriated
intoxicatedDumbfounded Ahmad was a weakling. He was all skin and
bones. To add to his woes, he had a severe acne problem on his
face. It was no surprise that he was not a hit with the girls in
class. Added to his problems wasthe fact that he stuttered when he
was shy or nervous.There was one advantage Ahmad had however. He
had a beautiful voice. It was a clear, high and steady tenor.
However, none of his friends knew about it as he practiced singing
only in the bathroom. Once, he was caught unawares singing in the
corridor by his classmates. The moment he saw them, he denied that
the beautiful song they had heard was sung by him. They were
convinced when his voice went to a characteristic stutter. "I
...I...real-lly did-didn't s-sing.... "One day, the class of
Secondary 4B, which Ahmad was in, heard about a singing competition
that was to be held in the nearby community centre. A prize would
be awarded for the best student singer. It was a well-known yearly
competition and many students support All, their classmate. He had
a nice baritone voice and good showmanship. So it was really a
surprise for the students to see Ahmad's name besides Ali's on the
notice board, which announced the auditions on 15 May."You can
sing, Ahmad? Get real! Don't make me laugh !" was the essence of
the unkind remarks directed at him when they saw Ahmad before he
entered the audition room. Ahmad felt awkward and sad. It was
enough that they did not support him but ridiculing him was too
much.When the results were announced, class 4B could not believe
their ears. Ali had of course qualified but so did Ahmad for the
finals. How on earth did the stutterer do it, they wondered.A few
of All's friends accosted Ahmad in the toilet. They forced him to
sing a favorite song. Of course, under such disbelieving eyes and
prejudice from his classmates, poor Ahmad could not sing. He could
only stutter!"I will show them like I did at the audition," Ahmad
vowed to himself. In the week before the finals, he was fortunate
to have the services of his father's friend, a former singing
instructor who polished up his delivery and improved on his
showmanship.The finals of the singing competition finally arrived.
Ali's supporters were out in full force. Mr Mok, the principal, and
some teachers caused quite a stir among the students when they
turned up to support the two finalists from their school.Ali sang
to the crowd's delight. It looked like he was the clear favorite.
His resonant and modulated voice, together with his good
showmanship, endeared him to the audience.Ahmad was next. There was
a hushed silence before he began. The claps were few, coming from
the principal, teachers and his only friend. Some subdued boos came
from a few disbelieving schoolmates of his who felt that he was not
fit to be a finalist. Quite a number of the audience had heard of
his stuttering defect and came to see for themselves whether the
judges had made a wrong decision to admit Ahmad in the finals.When
Ahmad mounted the stairs to get on the stage, he was determined to
prove them wrong. Mr Chan, his singing instructor, had told him to
focus on himself and the song. To the encouraging smile of his
instructor, he sang his heart out. His song was 'Climb Every
Mountain'. He adapted his tone and expression to the lyrics, and
his voice hit the right notes and pitch. His delivery was clear and
his voice never wavered. "Where was the stutter?" his detractors
wondered. But what amazed everyone, including the principal and
teachers, was Ahmad's delivery and showmanship. He executed the
song well and his movements were appropriate and well
coordinated.When he finished singing, there were very few dry eyes.
Then there was tense anticipation from the audience as the judges
decided on the winner. In spite of Ahmad's outstanding performance,
almost everyone felt that All would be the winner. They were wrong.
When Mr Tan, the chief judge announced Ahmad as the winner by a
narrow margin, the audience sat in stunned silence. Suddenly,
everyone cheered and rose to give him a standing ovation. The
winner had finally dared to 'climb his own mountain' and in the end
tasted the sweet spoils of victory. baritone a man's singing voice
between tenor and bass accosted confronted ovation
applauseInheritance Mr and Mrs Othello were elated. They just
received news that they had inherited a house in the Delli Culta
district, one of the prime locations in Lahore. Less welcome was
the news that Mr Othello's father had died and they had to conduct
the proper funeral rites for him. In addition, they had to handle
all the details concerning his demise before they could inherit the
house. This was revealed by the lawyer in charge of the late Mr
Othello's will. An observer would not be wrong in surmising that
the son was not close to his father.The young Othello was the only
son of the late Othello. He had a fierce row with his father when
he wanted to marry his present wife, Dean, a pretty Australian and
settle down with her in her homeland. The result was that his
father had withdrawn all financial support and severed all ties
with him. It was therefore a surprise for Alvin, the younger
Othello, when he received news of the surprise windfall. "The old
man must have forgiven me," he thought to himself gleefully.
Because he was not doing well in Australia, this was an opportune
time to settle in Lahore.Alvin dealt with all the necessary work to
do with his father's death. Filial-wise, he appeared the dutiful
son, shedding crocodile tears. A week after the funeral, the title
deeds and keys to his father's house were handed over to him. With
two young children in tow, the Othellos moved their scanty
belongings from their hotel room to No. 11, Genggi Heights on a
Sunday morning. On entering the driveway of the house, however,
they started having serious misgivings. It looked rather seedy,
neglected and ghost-like. The elder Othello had lived in rented
quarters since the row with his son.Alvin cautiously approached the
entrance. The set of keys was in the envelope but to his horror, he
saw a bunch of keys. "Which one was the key to the front door?" he
thought annoyingly. The next half an hour saw an increasingly
irritable and frustrating time for the couple. Key after key was
tried but none could fit the front door. Meanwhile, the kids were
running wild in the garden. An angry Alvin decided to call Mr
Lawrence, the lawyer. Finally, he managed to locate him. Mr
Lawrence did not believe that the keys could not fit. He asked
Alvin to try again.Alvin did try again but in vain. When Mr
Lawrence received a phone call from Alvin again, it was to listen
to an angry tirade of shouts and curses. "Calm down, Alvin," Mr
Lawrence said. "I'll come by with an expert locksmith."When Mr
Lawrence arrived with John, the locksmith, the latter got down to
work. After examining the lock mechanism and the keyhole on the
door, John said that the keys given would not fit. After another
few minutes of examination, John said that the lock required a
special brand of keys. This key was out of stock. Even if he could
locate the brand of keys, it would take half a day to file them
exactly to fit into the lock mechanism. The impatient Othellos
conferred briefly and decided to break down the door. Then, an
embarrassed Alvin approached Mr Lawrence. "Could you pay for the
services of breaking down the door first, Mr Lawrence?" he asked.
Mr Lawrence saw that Alvin was down in his finances. Even if he
refused this irresponsible couple, the whining, hungry children had
to be pitied."Let's go back to town to summon some help and to have
lunch," he kindly suggested. After lunch was over, the party
returned to 11, Genggi Heights with some laborers who promptly
hacked down the front door. However, when the doors were down, the
Othellos were in for a big shock. Big, strong, sturdy metal bars
barred the entrance. It looked like the elder Othello was out to
play a nasty joke on his son.The Othellos spent a miserable night
at a budget hotel. In the morning, they returned with laborers to
prise open and get rid of the bars. However, a more nasty sight
greeted the couple. Alvin spied a musty note below the entrance. It
read 'Welcome to your new home. May my spirit haunt this place.
This is my revenge for your unfilial conduct. Your departed
father.'With sinking hearts, dismay and anger, the Othellos looked
around. What they saw further dismayed them. The walls were
blackened, as if from a fire. There were cobwebs, insects and
vermin everywhere. Alvin realized with a sinking heart that it
would take a fortune for him to restore the place. Even then, it
would be difficult to sell it. "The old man really had the last
word," he thought grimly. surmising guessing musty moldy vermin
pestsA partnership Jackson was a bitter man. He swore he would
never trust another woman or marry again after his wife left him
for another man.Mariah was a blind woman. She had been busking in
an underpass for a year. This passage led from Jackson's office
building to the nearby rail transit station. Daily, Jackson would
see her singing in her sweet, angelic voice when he wearily headed
for home at 7 p.m.Their characters could not be more contrasting.
Jackson was sociable, talkative and blunt in his speech. Mariah,
however, was the retiring type. One day, Jackson, unable to contain
himself, uttered when he saw Mariah, "Why are you cheapening your
talents in public by busking?"Timidly, Mariah replied, "I have a
handicapped mother and myself to support. This is all I can do to
make a living. Besides, I'm grateful for this work as I have been
unemployed for a long time." For once, Jackson was speechless.
Then, he felt pity and compassion.From then on, Jackson tried to
ease her burden. Other than donating some money to her daily, he
would also wait for her in the morning to set up her 'stage' and
equipment. He would then pack up for her in the evening.Mariah
appreciated Jackson's help. She had always been popular with the
pedestrians as she had a sweet and patient nature. Moreover, she
was a good singer. Her gentleness was like a balm to Jackson's
disillusioned nature. She encouraged and calmed him as he poured
out his woes and regrets over his past mistakes.Their relationship
blossomed. Jackson found himself spending all his spare time
promoting Mariah in the subway. She was having an increasing
following. Word had it that there was a very good blind singer in
Timmin South subway.One day, a talent scout heard Mariah singing.
He spoke to Jackson about her potential. One thing led to another
and from that day onwards, Jackson became her agent. Six months
later, Mariah released her first album which became an instant hit.
Jackson resigned from his job and devoted himself to promoting her
talent.Mariah became famous overnight. Her shy, good-natured
personality and mellifluous voice captured the hearts of many fans.
However, she was not good at handling all the media attention and
business details. This was where Jackson's capability as an agent
complemented her.Friends and business associates began to remark on
their contrasting characters and yet noted how well they
complemented each other while working.Jackson and Mariah discovered
a growing fondness for each other. Very soon after, they announced
to the media that they were an item. They sealed their business and
love relationship by marrying on the anniversary of the occasion
when they first spoke to each other.The unexpected partnership had
turned out to be a successful one. busking to play music or sing in
a public place so that the people who are there will give money
disillusioned disheartened mellifluous melodiousSlip Mr Tai, the
teacher in charge of athletics at SUKK Temarah, was getting on in
years. He had just celebrated his 58th birthday -- an age which
many would think seriously of retiring. However, it was not so with
Mr Tai. He had an illustrious record of athletic achievements in
the school sports scene. Some of the students he had coached had
become national runners or even coaches themselves. The School
Board concurred with his sentiments of not retiring as they did not
want to lose the services of someone who had successfully led the
school athletics team to reach the finals of the National Athletics
Competition.In the year before, however, the school team did not
garner as many medals in the National Athletics Championship as
expected. To make up for this disappointment, Mr Tai was determined
to have his runners bring as much glory as they could in this
year's National Athletics Championship. His hopes were fired with
enthusiasm this year by two promising star athletics, Farid and
Hassan, who happened to be twins.In the Annual School Sports, Farid
broke the school's twenty-year record for the 100 meters event. His
brother, Hassan, was just a fraction of a second behind. Since
Hassan had a recurring ankle injury, Mr Tai decided to submit only
Farid's name to the finals of the National Athletics Championship.
On the day he submitted the results of the best runner in the
school, he mistakenly wrote Hassan' name instead.When Mr Tai
received the list of the finalists in the 100-metre event in the
National Athletics Championships, he realized his mistake. However,
it was too late to inform the sports secretariat. Pride also did
not allow him to admit his mistake to Farid. He decided to inform
his brother, Hassan, and start grooming him in the final
preparations for this prestigious event.When Farid learnt that he
was not a finalist, he could not believe his ears. Even though he
was glad that his brother had qualified, he was bitterly
disappointed. To make matters worse, Mr Tai did not give him any
reasons for his exclusion in the finals. It was a bitter pill to
swallow for Farid as he realized that his hopes for athletic glory
were dashed.His moroseness was further compounded when he heard
that his fellow athletes had believed a rumor that he had been
dropped from the list because of discipline problems. Depressed, he
lost interest in his athletic practices and withdrew from his
friends. His studies also suffered as his listlessness affected his
academic performance.One day, his best friend, Wen Yi, pulled him
aside to have a talk. Hassan poured out his grievances and sadness
to Wen Yi who then encouraged him to arrange a meeting with Mr Tai.
However, Mr Tai tried to avoid meeting Hassan. The teacher did not
want to admit his mistake. When Hassan finally managed to confront
Mr Tai, the latter consoled Hassan superficially and tried to make
him accept that his brother was the better choice.Farid did not do
well in the National Finals. His old ankle injury cropped up at the
last minute and he came in last. The school's athletics performance
was at its worst that year. Mr Tai was not appointed the athletics
coach the following year.As for Farid, he withdrew from pursuing a
promising athletics career. He did well enough to qualify for
college and joined the Cadets. However prestigious his heart
remained with running and throughout his life, he was embittered
for he knew that Mr Tai had made a mistake and did not stand up to
him. illustrious recognized prestigious important moroseness
sullennessImprudence John and Jack were identical twins. When they
were born, they were so like each other that even their mother
could not tell them apart.When they grew up, they were therefore
the butt of everyone's jokes. People wondered whether they thought
alike, or went to the bathroom at the same time. The brothers were
sometimes perturbed and irritated by these jokes but overall, they
took it in their stride.Beyond the physical side, however, the
resemblance ended. As they grew older, both began to differ more in
character. Jack was always the extrovert one. He liked sports and
was known as a ladies' man.On one fine day, Jack approached John
for a favor. He had been in a relationship with a pretty college
belle, Jessica, for some time. However, now, he wanted out of the
relationship but despite the ample hints, Jessica did not seem to
understand what he had been driving at. Jack asked John to stand in
for him whenever Jessica wanted to go out with him. Jack and John
were studying in different private colleges, so Jessica was not
aware of a twin brother.The first meeting between John and Jessica
was a success. Jessica was pleasantly surprised with John's
attentiveness. She felt that Jack behaved like a gentleman on that
date. Of course, she was puzzled at some point; he had coffee
instead of tea and he was not swearing like he usually did. John
found Jessica interesting. He was attracted to her beauty,
intelligence and honesty.Meanwhile, Jack was getting enamored with
another popular college girl, Merry. Merry, however, hinted to Jack
that she would welcome his attention only if he gave up his
relationship with Jessica. Although John was the one going on dates
with Jessica, Jack still had to hang out with Jessica on
campus.Jack asked John to end his relationship with Jessica.
However, a shocked Jessica could not believe that Jack wanted to
end the relationship. She also refused to believe that it was John
who had been going out with her.Jack now knew that things were
going too far now. He scheduled a meeting with his twin brother to
try to reason with Jessica. Jessica brought along her brother,
Thomas. At the meeting, Jack apologized for misleading Jessica.
Jessica, however, refused to believe that John had been posing as
Jack, even though the twin brothers stood before her. She had
fallen in love with Jack and she believed that he was the one who
was courting her all the while. Even though John gave her certain
details of their dates which would conclusively prove that he was
with her, she refused to listen and practically shut her ears."I
have been dating Jack and it is Jack I want to marry. If he is
trying to get out now because he wants to go out with Merry, I will
pursue him to his death," she asserted angrily.Thomas then dropped
the bombshell to the shocked twins. Jessica was pregnant. She
believed she was carrying Jack's child as he had been intimate with
her. If Jack persisted in denying his responsibility, the matter
would be handled by their parents and the school authorities.Jack
pleaded and argued with Jessica and Thomas but to no avail. Jessica
insisted that Jack bore the responsibility for her pregnancy. She
wanted to be married as soon as possible.Desperate, Jack turned to
his brother, John, for help. John tried to persuade Jessica to
change her mind. He argued that even if they were to be married to
each other, Jack was no longer in love with her. It would be
meaningless. John also reminded Jessica how they got along so well
together. Jessica, however, refused to listen. It was Jack all
along, she insisted vehemently, who had been dating her.By now,
Thomas was feeling rather annoyed. He argued that Jack had to bear
the responsibility as the baby was his - Jack was the one she had
been intimate with. Moreover, everyone had thought that Jessica and
Jack were a couple. He also stated that his parents were old and
could not take the blow if Jack did not marry her. As for Jack
getting John to pose as him, he was uncertain about the truth. All
he was certain was that Jack must face up to the fact that he was
responsible for. When Jack protested again, Thomas silenced him
with these angry words, "A man must be responsible for his actions.
You do not have a choice."The impact of these words sank into Jack.
He was stricken with guilt. A week later, he finally apologized and
asked for Jessica's forgiveness. Then he held his future wife's
hands as they went to their respective parents to explain the
situation to them. He was determined to make things right, for
Jessica, for their child. perturbed bothered enamored smitten
stricken sufferingA holiday that turned out wrong It was the eve of
National Day in Singapore. My family decided to break the usual
routine of watching the national celebrations in Singapore but to
visit Batam on National Day. Batam is an island a mere half hour
ferry ride from Singapore. On that day, we woke up, all fresh and
keyed up to enjoy ourselves.However, we got off to a disappointing
start. No taxis could be hailed within sight and the few taxi
drivers who pulled over were not too keen to bring us to Tanah
Merah Ferry Terminal. They explained that the terminal was a
distance accessible by a deserted side road. The authorities did
not allow them to impose an extra charge, unlike the allowance at
the airport. Moreover, it might be ages before they could pick up a
passenger for the return journey. Unbelievably, we were rather
sympathetic. After a long wait, a taxi driver finally agreed to
take us.Upon reaching the terminal, we rushed in, all flustered and
worried about missing the ferry. We were relieved to find out that
the departure time had been delayed. However, our relief was
short-lived. There was a long frustrating queue as the immigration
staff could not cope with the unexpected crowd.There was a mad
scramble for seats when we finally boarded our vessel. The mild
weather had changed and the day became unbearably hot. It was
stuffy in the ferry. Many were seasick and vomited. The queue
outside the toilets was a sad and disheartening sight.Upon arrival,
we waited for our coach. However, once on board the coach, another
disappointment awaited us. Groans from the passengers greeted the
guide's announcement that the watersports centre we were scheduled
to visit was burned down the day before. We would visit a Go-Kart
centre instead. This place was in the middle of nowhere and we
spent a mindless two hours watching the kids queuing and then
squealing in delight at the limited turns they get.My family and I
were not Go-kart enthusiasts, so Dad offered to pay for any
souvenirs we wanted. But these were outrageously priced at the
shops we visited.Lunch was the only bright spot in the journey. The
seafood dishes were varied and delicious. We tried sucking edible
snail meat from the famous 'kong kong' snails. It was a nice
change. We finally relaxed amid the breezy and tranquil seaside
surroundings.Batam city was dirty and rather squalid. It had just
rained and there were mud puddles everywhere. We had to walk
through the mud just to get to the few shopping centers. They
invariably sold the same souvenirs. The unenthusiastic, bored
salesgirls and beggars outside these tourist spots made us realize
how comfortable an experience shopping in Singapore was!We had not
dared to try eating the many interesting roadside snacks or
colorful syrupy drinks sold by vendors because of the constant
presence of flies. Fear of dengue fever also reduced us to paranoid
tourists slapping at mosquitoes.Our tour guide blithely ignored our
requests to visit a popular shopping centre. We learnt later that
the place would not pay him a commission for bringing us there.
Instead, the brazen man kept pushing us to buy his homemade
cookies.Thankfully, there was no wait for ferries on the journey
back. We arrived safely but realized to our dismay that we were at
the Harbour Front Centre, a considerable distance from our
home.There were no taxis in sight. It seemed that the roads leading
to Harbour Front Centre were closed due to the National Day Parade.
We whiled away our time at a coffee shop and waited restlessly for
the roads to be opened.However, it was a relief to be back in dear
old Singapore! Never again, I vowed, would I celebrate a public
holiday Day abroad! squealing yelling squalid filthy blithely
casuallyWrite about an incident in which you were a victim of
unfairness It was one of those sunny mornings when merely breathing
seemed to be an event worth celebrating. I was in a particularly
good mood as my mother had just given me RM400 for my daily
expenses during the week that she would be away with my father in
China to visit her ailing grandaunt. I was in seventh heaven just
contemplating the things I could do with the RM400. If I survived
on bread and butter the whole week, I would have a little windfall
of RM300 to buy the latest computer games! It was certainly a great
way to begin the day.The physical education lesson was, as usual, a
gruelling session of endless running and weight training. I could
hardly catch my breath as I trudged back wearily to the classroom.
As I neared the classroom, I heard a loud commotion coming from it
and quickly rushed in. My classmates were gathered around Tommy's
table as the latter ransacked through books, stationery as well as
some personal effects in obvious distress. Tommy had always been a
popular boy in class. Not only was he bright and well-mannered, he
also came from a wealthy family that provided him with all he could
ask for. Yet, he chose to share everything he had with us, never
minding the fact that he always provided while we received.As such,
I rushed immediately to his side when I saw his anxiety. My
classmates quickly told me that Tommy had lost the money that he
had brought as a donation to the welfare home that we were supposed
to visit that afternoon. Understanding the situation, I proposed
that we organise a search around the classroom and inform the class
teacher as soon as possible. Taking my suggestions seriously, the
classimmediately took action. In no time at all, Miss Soh rushed to
the classroom to take control of the situation. She decided to run
a search through everyone's bag. We quickly stood by our tables and
emptied the contents of our bags onto the table. When it came to my
turn, I diligently took out all my possessions for inspection. My
wallet was the last item to be checked and as Miss Soh took out the
RM400 from it, the class fell into a hushed shock.Up till then, I
had no idea that the amount lost was exactly RM400. Had I not been
aware of my own innocence, even I would have agreed that the
evidence was incriminating enough to indict me. Everyone stared at
me in horror. Miss Soh was triumphant - pleased that her efforts at
flushing out the thief had borne fruit. In a loud and harsh voice,
she demanded to know where the money had come from. I told her the
truth, which obviously fell on deaf ears. She appeared not to have
heard anything that I had said, choosing instead to dwell on the
'facts' of the matter. She proclaimed loudly that I had been caught
red-handed, dismissing my story as ludicrous in view of the fact
that my family was not well-off and could not possibly afford to
give me RM400. She also went on to elaborate on the evils of envy,
implying that I had stolen from Tommy because I was envious of him.
All this while, I was struck dumb by her convincing words, amazed
at the conjectures that she had come up with based on the RM400
found in my wallet. The situation was worsened by the unfortunate
fact that my parents could not come forward to corroborate my
story.By this time, the whole class was shaking their heads
mournfully at me, obviously in full accord with the teacher's
allegations. I was appalled and terrified. I could feel the jaws of
misguided justice closing around my neck and struggled against it.
I kept protesting my innocence, trying to drown out their
accusations with the sheer volume of my voice. But it was to no
avail.The principal was called in to handle the situation. He
promptly decided that the evidence against me was damning enough to
warrant an immediate suspension or expulsion once my parents
returned from their trip. I was devastated. How could they decide
on my guilt without even checking out my story? Even a phone call
to my parents was considered too much trouble for the school.
Instead, they chose to concentrate on consoling Tommy and placating
his parents. I knew then that my average background was the reason
why my words carried less weight than Tommy's distress. It was a
sobering experience, educating me in the realities of life.The
entire week was spent in a state of confusion. I kept to myself a
lot, choosing not to leave the house at all. I lost a great deal of
weight, since I was subsisting only on bread and butter. The RM400
had been confiscated by the school as 'evidence', leaving me only
the loose change around the house to buy things with. Humiliation
and anger were my constant companions during that week. None of my
classmates telephoned me, not even those who were my buddies.
Obviously, the stink of being a thief was more potent than that of
friendship.My parents finally returned. They rushed down to clarify
matters once they realised what had happened. The school
authorities, instead of feeling apologetic, chose instead to place
the blame squarely on what they called my "inability to put across
clearly the situation". My parents were infuriated. They wrote a
long complaint against the school and transferred me to a different
school. The matter was finally resolved when the principal and Miss
Soh were chastised for their mishandling of the situation and I was
officially cleared of all charges. But to this day, it still hurts
to know that to certain people, wealth spoke louder than truth.
incriminating implicating ludicrous absurd corroborate back upWrite
a story based on this line : "By evening, she was running a high
fever ... " Far up in the mountains of Canada, there is an old
abandoned log cabin. Once it was occupied by a young couple who
wanted to distance themselves from the chaos of this modern world.
Here they were miles away from the nearest town. Bob, the husband,
made the occasional trip into town to buy supplies whereas Jan, his
wife, spent her free time by the fire, sewing. Their life was
simply idyllic.Then, one midwinter's day, Jan woke up from bed with
a strange ache in her bones. Putting it down to overwork, Bob
shooed her to bed and made sure she rested. Though Jan was
impatient to get to her chores, Bob soothed her, "Relax, Sugar.
You're overdoing things. All these chores will be here when you
recover."However, Jan seemed to be getting worse instead of
recovering. By evening, she was running a high fever and in greater
pain. In spite of his best efforts, Bob could not manage to ease
her suffering. And then suddenly, she started to lapse into
unconsciousness.It was then obvious that she was seriously ill.
What could Bob do? He had no experience in treating the sick and
Jan was getting worse by the minute. He knew that there was an old
doctor in town but he lived three miles away, downhill. Pot-bellied
and obese, there was no way the doctor could make it up to their
cabin.Something had to be done quickly! Bob racked his brains but
to no avail. The only thing left to do was to go to the doctor. In
Jan's condition, she could never walk that far in the waist-deep
snow. Bob would have to carry her!Bob searched his mind for a way
to move poor, sick Jan. Then, he remembered. He had once made a
sledge so that they could ride together over the mountain. They
never got around to using it though, because the whole mountain was
thickly covered with rocks and trees. He had never found a safe way
down, not even once."Well," he thought, "looks like I'm going to
have to try it anyhow," as he dug out the sledge from the
storeroom. "Jan may die unless I get her to the doctor, and life
means nothing to me without her." With this thought in mind, Bob
gently tucked Jan into the sledge, got in the front, and with a
short prayer for safety, pushed off.How they got through that ride
alive, Bob has never figured out. As trees loomed up in front of
him and just as quickly whizzed by his side, close enough to touch,
he felt relieved that Jan was not awake to experience the ride. It
was all he could do not to scream as collision seemed imminent,
time and again, with only inches to spare.At last, bursting from
the mountainside, the town came into view. Barely slowing down,
they sped through the icy streets, only losing speed as they neared
the doctor's house. The sledge, battered through the journey,
collapsed in the left ski as it came to a halt, spilling out its
occupants. Bob picked up his Jan and made his way into the doctor's
house.After what seemed to be a long winter, Jan recovered fully
from her illness but Bob never recovered from his fright. They
moved into the little town so as to be near help in times of
crisis, and have lived there ever since. idyllic simple and
carefree rack one's brains strain to find a solution batter to
damage as by heavy wear
