马六甲公教中学

I could still remember when I was in primary school, I had to take a bus home every day as my parents were busy with their work. One day, as usual after the school dismissal, I went to the bus stop with Edison, my classmate.

Edison, dark-haired and eleven, and younger than me, glanced at his watch. About half an hour later, there were only Edison and me at the bus stop. Then a bus was rumbling towards us. Suddenly, the bus driver twisted the wheel and jammed on the brakes. The bus screeched to a halt but the passengers on the bus were not injured anyway. I wiped my forehead with my handkerchief and Edison was pale, undoubtedly in great shock. Anyway, Edison boarded the bus home but I could not as Edison and I lived at two different locations. I saw Edison having his palms clasped when he settled onto one of the seats of the rear, praying hard that he would have a safe journey home.

After Edison had gone back, I waited at the bus stop patiently. I caught sight of a stranger walking around the bus stop but initially I was not aware of the danger that I might be facing. The stranger had a sharp and intelligent face. Then, he sat up at the bus stop and gave me a weak grin. I took a deep breath. He started to talk to me but I did not respond. My mother always told me not to walk with strangers and I remembered it.

I felt uncomfortable with the stranger’s appearance and I tried to leave the bus stop. There was nobody else near the bus stop except the stranger and me. Suddenly, he gave me a sly wink and tried to tell me something. Realising the danger that I might be facing, I quickly ran for my life. I was afraid to be a victim of a road rage attack. But, he seemed to move faster than me and managed to grab my two hands tightly. I struggled furiously but it was useless because he was stronger than me. I wondered what the man wanted from me. Before I could scream, he reached his hand to give me something. I was surprised when I caught sight of what he was holding. There were my books. Now, I realised that he was trying to give me back my books that I had absent-mindedly left on the bench. He had no intention to kidnap me. I felt ashamed for my reaction and I returned him a weak grin. The stranger, Nicholas and I then talked with each other until the bus came.

It was how I got to know Nicholas. He was my best friend since then and it was indeed an unusual way to make friends though that a person whom I suspected to be a kidnapper had turned out to be an important person in my life. Nicholas had not only helped me solve all my problems but he had also share lots of his experiences with me, enlightening me a great deal on my friends and developing me into a stronger and courageous character that I never thought I would be.

By : Sum Kah Kin

The sky, which had been bright and sunny during the morning, had turned ominously grey in the west and a chilly wind began to dissipate the late April heat. I suddenly felt cool and the chill made me reminisce what happened 8 years ago.

My father’s throat was sore. Immediately he thought that it was only a normal infection. But after a long time, the sore didn’t seem to heal. So, he went to the clinic to seek medical treatment. Still, his throat didn’t seem to recover after a long time. His friend recommended him to get a check up from a professional doctor which he did after much hesitation.

After a month, the report was out. My father was told that he had throat cancer. His eyes grew wide in amazement when he received the news from the doctor. Upon receiving the appalling news, my father bolted out of the door and dashed into his car. He took the wheel and sped off. Soon he halted his car in front of our drive way, contemplating whether to break the news to us, especially me — the only son in the family.

Back home, he took a deep breath before he finally spread the news to us. He must have mustered all his strength to tell us the piece of bad news. Our jaws dropped open in amazement when we heard what he had to tell us. With trembling hands, I tried very hard not to burst into tears in front of my father. We had a little family conference then and we finally came to a conclusion that it was fate my beloved father had contracted this incurable disease. We had to accept the reality that it was his destiny to suffer this tragedy. Father eventually agreed to accept the medical treatment from the doctor every day for a few months. Deep in my heart, I prayed that he would recover soon but he didn’t. He didn’t recover at all, in fact.

After a few months, his throat cancer was getting worse and he passed away in a chilly evening. Before he breathed his last, he gave me his last advice. He pleaded me to study hard and take good care of my mother. Glancing over at father whose eyes were shut tight, I said, “Father, I will not let you down! I promise I won’t.”

Soon after father’s death, I studied tremendously hard to get good results to make his dream come true even though I couldn’t help but grieved and mourned over his death every now and then. I knew that he wanted me to be a person of great use in the society. With this goal in mind, I tried and I had indeed tried very hard to pursue my dreams, not forgetting the promise I had given to my father.

Dusk had settled down and the lights from the neighbours houses illuminated their pebbled driveways. I looked out of my window and stared for a brief moment. I cocked my ears to listen. There was not a sound. How I wished there was! How I wished my father’s car would approach the driveway of our house once again, casting band of yellow light on the marble stairs leading to our front door. How I wished I could welcome him once again after a long day’s work. How I wished ……….

Father, rest in peace.

By : Chiew Zy Qing

I was very angry with my father. It was because he was very stubborn. He did not want us to come back to Malacca to start anew.

I was born in Malacca. When I was studying in the kindergarten, my parents were divorced. My father was very unhappy living in Malacca. When I was in secondary 2, he took me to Johor Bahru and we stayed with my aunt. I stayed in Johor Bahru for two years.

When I had finished my PMR in secondary 3, I felt very bored staying with my aunt. It was because my father did not give me the freedom that I wanted. Whenever I wanted to go out with my friends my father would not allow me to do so. I was imprisoned at home.

I was 16 years old. Why couldn’t I go out with my friends? I kept asking myself. Every time I pleaded my father to let me go out, he would say no with a stern face which sent cold chill down my spine. I was scared of him. But at the age of 16, I was rebellious. I was going to stand strong and not going to waver under his cold look. I was waiting for opportunity.

One day, my father came back whistling a happy melody. He was in good mood I knew. The opportunity came, I thought. Still I was nervous deep in my heart. I took a deep breath and mustered my courage to stand in front of him. I cleared my throat and told him I wanted to go back to Malacca to stay with my mother. When my father heard what I said, his pink face darkened until he looked like a red balloon. He lost his temper immediately and scolded me at the top his voice. He rumbled like thunder. He said that if I went back to Malacca, he would break my legs. He made my knees tremble.

The next day at daybreak, I hailed a taxi to the bus station. I finally bought a bus ticket back to Malacca. In Malacca, I managed to stay with my best friend, Flora temporarily. I was scared that my father would come back to catch me to Johor Bahru if I stayed with my mother. Most of all I would not want him to confront my mother. He did not know who Flora was and he had no way to find me here. I would see my mother later when everything had settled down.

Every day I was in fear that my father would come to find me. I had nightmares dreaming of him breaking my legs. But my father did not appear at all. He must have given me up, I thought. So, that was why I was studying in Malacca till now. I was glad I had come back to Malacca but deep in my heart I knew I had broken my father’s heart. I knew I had. Forgive me, father.

By : Goh Tiong Leng