Selected Compositions (Upper Primary)

https://www.bigideaz.sg/blog/ 

https://www.thinking-factory.com/p5-english-tuition/p5-english-composition/p5-english-composition-an-act-of-honesty/

http://mschie.weebly.com/p6-composition.html

Contented

There she goes, again. Pale and overcome with nausea, my mother lay on the edge of the bed with her hands clasping clumps of tissue…

3.02 p.m., 6^th July 2012. Rachel was born.

Daddy patted my shoulder and told me that we had to go home very soon. Disappointed, I insisted on staying in the hospital and kicked up a hissy fit. My father had to drag me out of the hospital and into the car.

Looks like I will not be sleeping with Mummy tonight, I thought to myself as Daddy cradled me to sleep.

“Mummy, can you read me a story now?” I asked hopefully. “Sorry Rebecca, my water bag just broke. Oh no… your Daddy’s off to buy new furniture for the baby room.” Mummy clutched her womb, then rubbed it tenderly. “I know! Your aunt could take me to the hospital. Darling, call her for me. Please.”

Dejected, I shuffled my feet and did as I was told.

11.54 a.m., 14^th April 2014. Isaac finally arrived.

“Give that back, you little monkey!” I screamed in anger. My little brother, Isaac, had taken my homework and was drawing on it. I had been reprimanded by my teacher before for the same reason, and did not want it to happen again. I snatched my homework back and went to the study room. There, my little sister, Rachel, was singing to herself again. I told her nicely to stop singing but she refused. In fact, she sang even louder. “The wheels on the bus GO ROUND AND ROUND, ALL THROUGH THE TOWN!” Filled with frustration, I reached out and pinched her hard on her pudgy arms. She shrieked and started wailing like a baby.

“What’s happening?” my mother shouted from the kitchen as she marched over. Still sobbing, Rachel stretched out her arms without a word. “You’re in trouble, Rebecca!” my mother bellowed. She sent us off to the altar to kneel and reflect. Twenty Hail Marys could calm me down but were not enough to assuage my anger.

The next day on the drive to school, I decided to ask my father a question. “Daddy, don’t you have a friend who helps to put children up for adoption?” “Yes, Uncle John. Why do you ask?” my father queried with his eyes fixed on the road. “Can we put Rachel and Isaac up for adoption?” I blurted out my secret wish without hesitation. “Why would you want to do that?” my father probed. “Rachel and Isaac have been annoying me a lot lately,” I answered indignantly as I stepped out of the car.

As I made my way to the courtyard, the bully from my Mother Tongue class, Camille, came up to me and started calling me names. In a flash, she snatched my glasses from my face and drew on it. I screamed at her to stop and seized my glasses. Camille glared at me and sniggered as I swiftly walked away to the courtyard – speechless, miserable. I hardly heard a word throughout my lessons for the rest of the day.

When I reached home, I dumped my school bag on the floor. I tried to forget what had happened in school but simply could not. While I was having my dinner, my parents realised that I was unusually reticent and asked about my day. I burst into tears and my agony came spilling out of my mouth. That night, I went to bed, feeling immensely tired. As a family, we gathered for our usual night prayers. “I pray that Jie Jie Becca will not get bullied in school anymore,” Rachel gazed out of the window and whispered her prayer.

When it was Isaac’s turn, he surprised me by praying that God would protect me from bullies. I went to bed, feeling comforted by my family’s prayers.

 I fell asleep quickly and had a dream. Uncle John, my father’s friend, came to our home. My father and Uncle John had a muffled discussion. Moments later, Rachel and Isaac left the house with Uncle John. They tugged at their luggage – Rachel with her Barbie Doll bag, and Isaac with his Captain America one. Desperate, I ran towards them and called out their names. They turned and glanced at me sadly, but continued walking. It was then that I realised how dear my brother and sister were to me. I started to weep bitterly and felt my heart ache.

I eventually woke up in a cold sweat and looked around the bedroom. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that my brother and sister were still fast asleep in their beds, and still in my life. Above everything else, I realised I needed to make more room in my heart for my loved ones and to be contented.

Rebecca Lim

Amethyst 4

 A Disappointment

Mika flipped through an old photo album. A photo caught her eye. She smiled as fond memories of the days when she could still talk to her best friend, Clelie, face to face, filled her mind. The photo in the photo album showed a picture of Clelie and Mika hugging each other tightly, grinning broadly at the camera. It was one of the very last photographs they had taken together before Clelie moved to Luxembourg…

 “I have some bad news for you,” Clelie spoke devastatingly. The moment Mika heard this, she braced herself, dreading the terrible news her best friend had to tell her. “I…I… I’m moving to Luxembourg in July,” Clelie stammered, her eyes cast at the floor, afraid to see the expression Mika had on her face. “Are you serious? Then what am I going to do?  I have no friends in school other than you!” Mika cried aloud, about to burst into tears. Her shoulders slumped in despair. She never thought that Clelie would leave Singapore and move to another country. She was shocked, appalled and immensely disappointed when she received the bad news from Clelie. “I know. I’m so sorry. I wish I could stay in Singapore, but I’m not even a Singaporean! I must move to Luxembourg with my family. I have no choice,” Clelie apologised profusely, looking sombre. “Let’s enjoy the rest of the time we have together.” “All right,” Mika muttered. She did not want to end their friendship on a bad note. There was an awkward silence between the two girls as they went back up to class.

In the blink of an eye, it was July. When Mika arrived in school, Clelie was no longer there. During recess, she sat on a bench, hugging her knees tightly, wishing Clelie were sitting next to her. Mika felt so lonely without her best friend talking non-stop or cracking jokes. She felt as if a part of herself was gone. She felt empty. Mika looked at the rest of her schoolmates. Everyone had friends except her. Nobody wanted to be her friend. Her heart ached to see Clelie again.

About a month later, Mika’s mother received a text message from Clelie’s mother. Mika read the message aloud. “Dear Mika’s mother, I am asking for your home address. Clelie wants to be pen pals with Mika. She misses Mika terribly and wishes Mika were here in Luxembourg. Our address will be in Clelie’s letter to Mika. Please reply. Yours sincerely, Clelie’s mother.” The moment Mika read the message, she squealed with delight! “Mother, can you send Clelie’s mother a reply quickly? Clelie wants our home address so we can be pen-pals!” Mika shrieked, on cloud nine. “Of course!” Mika’s mother exclaimed. “I’ll do it right now!” She immediately picked up her phone and started to type hurriedly. Before Mika knew it, Clelie had received her home address and was already writing her a letter.

A few days later, Mika received her very first letter from Clelie! She ripped it open with delight. After reading it, she immediately wrote back as fast as her fingers could go. She wrote, “Dear Clelie, I miss you so much! I know we’ll always be the best of friends no matter how far apart we are from each other. Write back soon!” She wrote Clelie’s address on the envelope, sealed it, added a stamp and finally posted it. Once Mika sent the letter, she heaved a sigh of relief. She knew that she would always be best friends with Clelie, no matter what.

Since then, Mika learnt that no matter how disappointed she was, things would always get better. Mika and Clelie remained best friends, even though they were apart. Closing the photo album, Mika smiled, remembering all the wonderful moments with her best friend, Clelie.

Juliette Lee

Amethyst 4

                                                  A Memorable Day

It was a glorious, sunny day. The birds chirped merrily, signalling the start of a new day. Melissa woke up with a huge grin plastered on her face.  She quickly got ready as she was attending a farewell picnic at the beach for her best friend, Nicole, who was transferring to another school.

She hopped into her father’s car and they drove to the beach. Within minutes, they arrived at their destination. They parked their car and saw Nicole’s family from a distance. Melissa jumped out of the car and ran to hug Nicole. Without wasting time, the two girls chatted excitedly as they trudged through the sandy shore of the beach. A cool breeze ruffled their hair. Then, they decided to build sandcastles. They took their pails and spades and started building.

Time flew by quickly. “Girls, it’s time to eat!” Melissa’s mother’s shrill voice filled the air. The girls ran to their parents, their stomachs growling. Nicole’s father laid out the picnic mat and Melissa’s mother spread out the food. A tantalising aroma of food wafted in the air. The best friends gobbled the food up in minutes, as they were famished. After a while, the girls decided to go for a swim in the crystal blue sea. They were told to stay near the shore while swimming. The duo splashed and played in the sea happily.

Soon, the sun began to set. Melissa’s parents packed the food and rolled up the picnic mat. Nicole’s mother went to get the girls. When they heard it was time to go, both girls felt a wave of sadness wash over them. Melissa enveloped Nicole in a tearful and tight hug. Nicole took out a beautiful bracelet from her bag. The words “Best Friends Forever’ were strung on it. Melissa’s eyes twinkled with happiness when she saw the bracelet. “Every moment of our friendship is precious to me. The bracelet is a sign of our closely-knit friendship. I truly had an enjoyable time and receiving this beautiful bracelet made it a truly memorable day for me. I will always cherish our friendship,” Melissa said lovingly as tears trickled down her cheeks. The girls hugged each other tightly and bid each other farewell.

The girls stayed in touch despite studying in different schools. They chatted daily on WhatsApp and met up often during the weekends. Their friendship remains as strong as a rock!

Kylie Yeong

Burgandy 4

Helping a Friend

“Oh no, not again,” Ben muttered disappointedly as he glanced at his marks. “This is the second time you’ve failed, young man,” Ms Lim sighed and walked away. 

Ben had just received his recent Mathematics test paper back. Mathematics had never been his strongest subject. He dreaded going home, as he would receive an earful from his parents. With sadness written all over his face, he walked towards the school garden. He sat, in a hunch, on a bench and stared at the pond aimlessly. “Why do I always fail? Am I useless?  Why am I always disappointing my parents?” These thoughts whirled in his mind as tears welled up in his eyes. 

Just then, Lily, the smartest girl in his Mathematics class, spotted Ben in his miserable state. She approached him and asked him why he was feeling down. He related to her about his low marks in his test. “If I don’t pass the next test, I will not be allowed to attend the Summer Camp during the March holidays. This is one event I have been looking forward to,” he said while sobbing. Lily flashed a smile and volunteered to tutor Ben. His red, swollen eyes brightened upon hearing Lily’s comforting and reassuring words.  He thanked Lily for agreeing to help him and both of them headed for their next class.

Ring! The dismissal bell rang, signalling the end of the school day.  Ben dashed home as he was eager to start his class with Lily. He showered, had his lunch and prepared his books for his study session with Lily. Ding-dong! The bell rang. With a spring in his feet, he opened the door to greet Lily.  She grinned from ear to ear and immediately, they started studying. “Is it 24 times 37?” Ben asked in a confused voice. “No, Ben.  It’s 24 times 73!” Lily replied, burying her face in her hands. Lily was determined to help Ben despite him making numerous mistakes. She patiently explained concept after concept. Ring! Lily’s  

 phone rang. She was startled as it was already 7 o’clock. She bade farewell to Ben and returned home. Lily came over several times in the week to coach Ben. As the days passed, Ben showed marked improvement. He also burnt the midnight oil after Lily left, completing assessment books on his own.  Over those two weeks, Linda and Ben became both study buddies and good friends.

Two weeks passed quickly. It was time for Ben to sit for his most dreaded Mathematics test. He had butterflies in his stomach and was feeling very anxious. Lily walked towards him and reassured him that everything would be fine.  “Good luck Ben. Do your best for this test!” she said with a crooked smile. Ben smiled when he heard Lily’s comforting words. During the test, Ben’s anxiety turned into relief. He managed to solve most of the questions confidently. At the end of the paper, he had a wide smile plastered on his face. 

The next day, Ms Lim returned the Mathematics paper. When Ben received his paper, he crossed his fingers and peeped slowly at the marks.  When he saw his marks, his eyes twinkled with happiness. He felt a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders. He ran at the speed of lightning towards Lily and showed her his marks. Lily’s eyes widened like saucers. “You got 85 out of 100. That’s a tremendous improvement. I’m so proud of you, Ben,” she said while embracing Ben. “Thank you, Lily. I passed this test because of your coaching.  You are truly an amazing friend. I’m extremely grateful for your help,” he said as tears of happiness rolled down his cheeks. Lily and Ben exchanged smiles. “Come, let me buy you an ice-cream for all the help you’ve rendered,” exclaimed Ben. Both of them went to the canteen and enjoyed their sweet treat.

Kaitlin Miu

Burgandy 4

A Memorable Day

              “Hallelujah, praise the lord!” Mike yelled as he danced around the house. Mike was very excited as his parents had just told him that they were going to a circus later that afternoon. “Mike, please-” his mother tried to say. “When are we going? What kind of acts are there? Where are we sitting? Can I eat candy floss?” Mike asked as he tried to do a handstand. His father was greatly annoyed by this. “Mike!” his father shouted sternly, “Behave yourself or we will not be going to the circus!”

Mike immediately pulled out a chair and sat up straight, behaving like the perfect child. “Now, it is twelve thirty, we will leave at one o’clock sharp. Am I clear?” his father said. Mike quickly nodded. He wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Later that afternoon, Mike and his family were getting ready to leave. “Come on, Ma! Come on, Pa! Let’s go!” Mike exclaimed. On the way there, Mike could barely contain his excitement and kept asking if they had arrived yet. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the circus. Mike was overcome with joy. As they found their seats and settled down, the announcer said, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the Circus of the Sun!” A loud round of applause sounded throughout the circus tent. Mike’s parents had to hold him down to prevent him from jumping up and dancing.

About halfway through the show, it was Mike’s favourite act, the tightrope! There was a long piece of rope, and a big safety net underneath, to catch the performers in case they fell. To make the act more interesting, the performer was twirling a baton with fire on each side of it. The audience was watching with bated breath, except for Mike, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat and bouncing up and down on his seat. The performer was but halfway across the rope when Mike jumped up and shouted, “You can do it!”

 

 Unfortunately, his shouting distracted the performer, and she dropped the baton! Everyone watched in horror as the baton dropped onto the net and it burst into flames. “Fire! Help!” someone cried and everyone started to panic. The announcer, who was standing next to the fire extinguisher, quickly picked it up and tried to put out the fire but his attempts were futile. Mike’s mother immediately dialled 995 on her mobile phone, her voice quivering as she relayed the necessary information to the dispatch officer. Minutes later, the fire brigade arrived and put out the fire and led the rest of the frightened audience out of the tent. They also used a ladder to get the terrified performer down from the tightrope. 

“It was terrible!” the performer cried as they interviewed her on the news. “I was doing my part in the performance when I heard someone yell, making me drop the baton! I was so afraid when I saw the net engulfed in flames!” As Mike’s family watched the breaking news the following day, his father said, “I will always remember what happened yesterday!” “Well, I am glad that we are all safe!” his mother said as she breathed a prayer of thanks and shut her eyes in relief.

“I want to go to another circus again!” Mike said. His parents shook their heads in disbelief. They could not believe their son wanted to go again after all the trouble he had caused. Both parents sighed in unison. It truly was a memorable day, even if it was for all the wrong reasons.

Lauren Lee

Cerise 4

Contented

As I saw a photo of my family and me taken six years ago while sorting some photographs, memories washed over me. I sighed and shook my head, not believing how I could have been so discontented.

Six years ago, I was obstinate, discontented, and I never listened to anyone’s advice. My family was wealthy. Being an only child, my parents gave me everything I requested for and pampered me. Gradually, I took everything for granted, developing a bad habit of asking for unnecessary items. Still, I never felt that my wants were satisfied. Often, we had to throw away boxes of unused items. Sometimes, my mother would tell me that I should not buy things that I did not need. In reply, I would either stomp off angrily or shout vulgarities and throw a tantrum. She would end up giving in to me. In school, I would always choose the most expensive food option and buy the latest stationery from the bookshop.

My father, on the other hand, frequently persuaded my mother to leave me alone. He thought that making me happy was giving me everything I desired. Once, when my mother refused to buy an expensive necklace for me, explaining that I already had many at home, I threw a tantrum. Fearing for his reputation, as we were in public and eyes were staring at us, my father acceded to my request quickly. My family and I being humiliated in public was not rare since I thought my father would definitely give in to me as long as I threw a tantrum. I never knew that the money was hard earned by my parents. They often had to work till late at night and went to bed late too.

When we went on holidays, we would stay in luxurious hotels or resorts, and I would be given a whole room to myself. Taking the luxurious stays and vacations for granted, I looked down on my classmates who were not as fortunate. I was never grateful for those things that I had, until one day when an incident happened which made me turn over a new leaf.

During one school holiday, instead of going to an affluent country, my parents took me to Cambodia. Upon arrival, I noticed that everyone was dressed in torn, dirty clothes. The place was also completely different from what I had imagined. Everywhere we went, a putrid smell of human waste would linger in the air. I was disgusted by it. Wondering why my parents had decided to bring me here, I asked them. My mother calmly answered, “You will find out later.” My curiosity was aroused and I wondered what they were up to. As the van we were in went past the village, I frowned. The place was littered with both unkempt beggars and villagers with crooked teeth, and everywhere was filled with garbage. I was not comfortable at all. However, I felt pity towards the people.

On the last day of our stay, my family and I visited a school. I was shocked when I saw children studying in such poor conditions. Their lessons were conducted outdoors, and they only had a standard meal of a small portion of rice and vegetables. My heart ached as I thought about how I could enjoy scrumptious meals, and how I could study in proper classrooms but was still never contented.

Since that trip, I was always careful to spend money wisely and my family and I often donated to the poor and the less fortunate. I started to settle into a less wealthy lifestyle - we did not stay in luxurious hotels during our overseas trips, and I gave myself a weekly budget to limit my spending. Nevertheless, I am still grateful for my family and my friends, good food and clean water whenever I need. I am now more appreciative of the clean air that I am able to breathe in every day and the clean clothes that I get to wear. I am also grateful that my family does not live in poverty, and the fact that I live in a country with clean and safe streets.

I still regret being wasteful and obstinate back then, when my mother always tried to explain how I should be more grateful for whatever I had. My family and I were glad that I had finally managed to turn over a new leaf and become a better person. After the experience in the poor country, I became more contented with everything that I had.

With a sense of pride and regret, I put the photograph aside and continued sorting through the other photographs. Deep in my heart, I knew I owed it to my parents for teaching me to be contented.

Wong Xin Yun

Cerise 4

A Kind Act

       Gemma was walking home from school when she saw a little girl crouching in a corner and crying. Before she could comfort her, another girl ran to her side. Gemma could only catch a few words, but once she heard them, her heart melted with happiness as Gemma remembered that she had encountered something like that when she was in primary school.

 “It’s all your fault,” Gemma’s best friend, Carrie, shouted furiously at Gemma. “Why on earth did you invite that dork over for recess? I thought we were best friends!” Gemma spoke up, “Carrie, nothing can break our friendship even though I invited Melody for recess. Anyway, what’s the big deal?” Carrie rolled her eyes, gave a look of disgust while her voice broke into a deadly whisper, “I will get you back for this,” she hissed. Gemma sighed in hurt and tears rolled down her cheeks. She could feel a big lump in her throat, as she swallowed her anger.

Suddenly, she heard a voice shout her name. Gemma turned around only to see Melody running towards her. Gemma broke into a run heading for the Science Garden. She jumped behind a wall hoping that Melody would not find her crying like a baby. However, Melody was agile on her feet and could keep up with Gemma. She found herself in a two-way passage. She decided to go for the passage on the right. Luckily, it was the route that Gemma was hiding in.

Melody sat down beside Gemma and comforted her. Melody asked Gemma, “What’s wrong, Gemma? Why did you run away when I called your name?” Gemma sniffed and mumbled, “Carrie and I just got into a fight just now. She asked me why I had to invite you for recess. I think she does not like you.” “Do you want me to talk to her?” Melody asked. Gemma shook her head and told Melody that Carrie would end up arguing with her… again. “I would much rather be friends with you than Carrie.”

Melody smiled, took Gemma’s hand and they walked back to class. Once they entered their classroom, the two girls hurriedly rushed to the two front seats to sit down together. “First class seats!” said Melody to Gemma as they giggled away gaily. Carrie saw the two friends giggling away in their seats and immediately felt jealous, but she chose to ignore them.

Gemma slowly returned from her reverie and she continued walking home. Gemma thought about what being a good friend meant. She was glad Melody treated her well and she vowed to treat others the same way she would like to be treated.

Natalie Tan

Emerald 4

An Unkind Act

It was a scorching hot day. I was burning up under my thick fur coat. As I scampered across the void deck, the warm tiles singed my paws. Ouch! I thought to myself as I licked my paws and bit my lip in pain. I made my way to a pink condominium where a nice boy called Joshua was waiting for me. “Here’s your breakfast, old pal,” Joshua said as he pushed a small metal dish towards me that was filled to the brim with tuna. I meowed my thanks and started eating as he went off.

Suddenly, someone lifted me off my paws by my fluffy tail. I felt a cold, sinking fear gripping me as I came face to face with a smirking, triumphant face. Feeling like my tail was about to be detached from my body, I yelped in pain, thrashing wildly. “Why hello, kitty cat! You look like you want a swing.” Upon saying this, the boy lifted me even higher and started swinging me back and forth. Just when I thought I could not bear it any longer, Joshua came running towards me, his eyes flashing with fire. “Hey, you! Stop swinging the cat! You have no right to do that, Greg!” Greg? The boy every human ran away from?

Just when I thought things were getting better, it made a turn for the worse as the two boys started fighting. Unkind words were exchanged between them. I knew I had to do something to stop the fight. Raising my head, I meowed as the top of my lungs. Soon, a police officer approached the boys. “What is going on here?” Officer Lim, the neighbourhood police officer on duty, demanded. Joshua took the opportunity to tell Officer Lim about Greg’s unkind act towards me.

Officer Lim turned to Greg who took a step back and accidentally stepped on my gorgeous, fluffy tail! I meowed loudly, jumping up and down in pain. I looked at Officer Lim with an expression that said- ‘Why aren’t you telling him off? Just look at my tail!’ Sure enough, Officer Lim took one glance at my tail and said, “Do you know that you can be charged with animal abuse?” he said sternly. Joshua silently nodded his head in agreement as he picked me up and stroked me. He looked at me with eyes full of pity and set me down in front of a small puddle. I stared at the water in shock. I had bald patches where bits of fur had fallen off. My tail looked like a disaster and I was a hot mess. Once more, I meowed as loudly as I could. Joshua stroked my back, telling me it was going to be fine. Meanwhile, Officer Lim reprimanded Greg severely and warned him never to repeat the same mistake ever again and advised him to turn over a new leaf.

Anne Chia

Jonquil 4

An Accident

The clock in the living room slowly ticked. It was almost 8a.m.! “Oh no!” Kevin exclaimed frantically, “I am going to be late for work!” He immediately slipped on a pair of brown shoes and hurried out the door. Kevin checked his black watch repeatedly as he dashed out of his house as fast as his legs could carry him. However, just as he reached the traffic junction, the traffic light turned red. “Urgh…” Kevin muttered under his breath, picking up a pebble from the ground and throwing it in frustration. Just then, an idea struck him. “I am going to jaywalk,” he thought. Little did he know that instead of reaching work early, he would be extremely late.

            Suddenly, a shiny red car skidded across the road. The driver, John, drove like a Formula One Grand Prix racer! He was obsessed with his mobile phone and his eyes were glued to the screen as he composed a text message to his friend. John had his eyes off the road as his car accelerated. Suddenly, John looked up from the screen and spotted Kevin jaywalking dangerously in front of him. “Ahhh!” John shrieked as he screeched to a halt. Unfortunately, it was too late. Bang! Kevin fell to the ground with a loud thud. Horrified, John immediately got out of the car. He was struck dumb and stood rooted to the ground.

“Oh no! What have I done?” John cried regretfully at the horrible sight of his victim lying on the road. “I should not have been so careless! Why was I speeding in the first place? I am so sorry!” John cried. “Oww… it hurts!” Kevin groaned in agony as he clutched his left knee, which was bleeding profusely. “How could you be so careless?” he shouted at John who was apologising profusely to him. However, as Kevin scolded John, John’s anger began to build up. “Hey! You were jaywalking! Why do I get all the blame? You are also in the wrong!” John shouted back. Just then, a group of teenage girls walked past. They immediately called for an ambulance. Suddenly, Kevin lost consciousness and collapsed.

Thankfully, the ambulance arrived at the scene of the accident in the nick of time. The paramedics immediately took a bottle of water and gave it to the still horrified driver. Kevin sustained some injuries and the paramedics attended to him. He was taken to the hospital for a thorough check-up.

The next morning, Kevin woke up to find himself lying on a hospital bed. He realised that his left leg was fractured and he groaned in agony. A doctor walked in and told him about the extent of his injuries. Kevin had fractured his left leg and right arm. He would have to stay in the hospital for a week. “What happened to the driver?” Kevin asked, looking at the doctor. “I heard the police confiscated his mobile phone and that his driver’s licence has been suspended,” the doctor replied. Kevin stared at the cast his leg was in and vowed to always obey all traffic rules. He did not want to be in another accident again.

Sophie Khoo

Jonquil 4

 

 

A Pleasant Surprise

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping joyfully outside my window. I pulled the curtains open, letting the sunlight stream into my room. It was my birthday and my parents were throwing a party to celebrate it. However, I was feeling a little unwell and had a stomach ache. Still, I hopped out of bed and skipped over to the breakfast table.           

My head was throbbing when I reached the table and I was feeling slightly giddy. I sat down on the couch and let my head clear. Suddenly, I felt like I was going to vomit and before I could stop myself, I vomited onto the floor. Upon hearing my groans, my parents rushed out of their bedroom and saw the mess that I had made. Oops, I thought, feeling embarrassed.

Father made me rest in bed while Mother cleaned up the vomit. I lay in bed, feeling terrible until Mother came in to check on me. She took my temperature and realised that I had a high fever. “I think we need to cancel the party,” she said. I shook my head. I had been looking forward to the celebration all week. “If you don’t rest, you won’t get better,” Mother warned me. I opened my mouth to argue but Mother stuck a spoon full of medicine into it instead. Then, she left the room before I could say another word.

I sobbed quietly, feeling sorry for myself as the minutes crawled by. When I finally fell asleep, I dreamt of my birthday party. My friends all gathered around me, singing the birthday song. I watched the candle flames dance on the most delicious-looking cake. Unfortunately, my eyes started to open. I quickly closed them, wanting the dream to continue. I could still hear the chattering and cheering of my friends – until I realised that they were real.

My eyes flew open and I saw my friends in my room. My face lit up when I noticed the ‘Happy Birthday’ and ‘Get Well Soon’ banners. “Look! She’s awake!” one of them exclaimed. Everyone fought for a space next to my bed and started shoving presents in front of me. There was a large cake on the table with icing letters that read ‘Happy Birthday, Emma!’ My parents stood next to it, beaming at me. I grinned and walked over to hug them. My friends had insisted on coming over to celebrate my birthday and I was grateful to everyone for their care and concern. This was indeed a wonderful and pleasant surprise when I thought I was going to be miserable.  

Eryn Moo,

Mocha 4/2019

A Dishonest Act

It was a sweltering Saturday morning. “Wake up, Annie! I need you to buy some groceries from the nearby supermarket! I have the grocery list right here!” her mother shouted. Annie eventually dragged herself out of bed and started getting ready to go out. She reluctantly opened the door and walked out.

She was on her way to the supermarket when something by the side of the pavement caught her eye. When Annie walked towards it trying to figure out what it was, she realised that it was a wallet! She picked the wallet up and opened it. As soon as she saw the money, her eyes twinkled in delight. She was about to become rich! Although she was tempted to take the wallet home, she knew it would be a dishonest thing to do. However, if caught, she would just explain that she was about to hand it over to the police. After deciding to keep the wallet, she wanted to use the money to pay for the groceries. Annie then skipped merrily to the supermarket and once she had bought the things, she took the same route back home.

She went home and blurted out the story of how she had found the wallet to her mother, thinking that she would be very pleased. “How could you have done that? Didn’t we just have a conversation about dishonesty a few days ago?” Annie’s mother scolded her. Annie was taken aback. She lowered her head and apologised to her mother. After accepting Annie’s apology, her mother raised her voice once more to tell her to go to the nearby police station to return the wallet.

Annie walked with her head still lowered and tears streamed down her face. What had she done? When she reached the police station, she entered with her face tear-stained. She handed the wallet to a policeman. Although he was disappointed with Annie when she related how she had actually spent some of the money in it, he still thanked her for finally doing the right thing.

From this incident, Annie learnt not only to be honest but also to be responsible. She hoped that the person who had lost his wallet would forgive her and allow her time to return the money she had used.

Alexandria Ng

Amethyst 5

An Unwelcomed Guest

The mouth-watering aroma greeted my family as we strolled into the hawker centre. We had decided to go to the nearby hawker centre for lunch and as we stared at the huge variety of food, we did not regret our decision.

I wanted to quickly buy my food but my parents insisted that we should find a place to sit down first. However, finding an available table was easier said than done. When we finally found an unoccupied table in the corner of the hawker centre, I noticed a little girl sitting at a dirty greasy table chatting animatedly with her parents who were smiling and listening to her in a very loving way. After deciding what to eat, I went to buy my favourite fishball noodles. I had to line up in the long snaking queue to buy it because it was a popular stall.

When I returned to my seat with my piping hot bowl of noodles, my parents were already back. They were already digging into their food. While savouring my fishball noodles, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something black, small and hairy dropping from the ceiling down to the little girl’s table. Then, I heard an ear-piercing scream. I quickly whipped my head around to face the culprit of the scream. It was the little girl. The thing that had dropped from the ceiling was none other than a rat and it was fearlessly eating the girl’s food with great gusto. The little girl was frozen in fear and her parents’ eyes were glued to the rat in shock! Everyone around them was staring at the rat with their mouths open. The rat was oblivious to the attention it had caused and continued to eat.

Looking at the unwelcomed guest on the table with extreme disgust, I whipped out my phone and quickly called the National Environment Agency for help. Not long after, the team arrived. They tried to catch it with a net but failed. The rat was just too fast. The rat scurried away as fast as lightning and tried to run into a hole, but it was too fat to fit into it! Soon, the rat was cornered and they expertly caught it. After clearing up the mess, the agency praised me for being alert and not panicking. The little girl’s parents were very grateful and thanked me. However, the most thankful person was the little girl herself. She shyly came up to me and thanked me profusely for helping. I told her that all I did was what any helpful person would have done. After that, my parents and I left.

That rat was indeed an unwelcomed guest and I hope I will never come across one ever again.

Kaylene Ting

Amethyst 5

A Dishonest Act

“Class, it is now half-past eight. You may begin your examination,” our teacher, Mrs Tan, told us. Immediately, everyone flipped over the cover page. “Ha!” I thought to myself, looking at the first few questions. “This is so easy!” I knew I did not need to study. As usual, I would get the highest marks. After I had answered the first few questions, I flipped to the next page. At that moment, my heart sank.

I was shocked. It was the topic I was unsure of. I thought it would not be tested! Looking around, I noticed that everyone was writing furiously. I had been overconfident. My mind was a blank. Fear gripped my heart as I wondered how I was ever going to get the highest mark again.  At that moment, I turned to my best friend who was very smart. I could see all her answers from where I sat. Without thinking, I copied as many answers as I could. As I was copying the last question I was unsure of, I heard Mrs Tan’s booming voice.

“Michelle Lim, stand up now!” she thundered. Realisation hit me like a bucket of ice-cold water. I had been caught red-handed! Trembling with fear and with crossed fingers, I stood up. All eyes were on me as Mrs Tan reprimanded me severely. Frozen with fear, I tried not to cry in front of everyone. “Go see the principal now!” she barked. I had no choice. Quivering with fear, I dragged my feet to the principal’s office.

I was chided severely by the principal. Regret and guilt flooded me. I regretted cheating and not studying. From that day onwards, I studied for all my examinations and learnt not to be over-confident. I learnt that having the right attitude and character were more important than marks!

Andriana Tay

Burgundy 5

A Dishonest Act

Bam! The thick wooden door slammed shut. I had just reached home after school and was immediately ordered to clean my room by my mother. Reluctantly, I picked up the broom and the dustpan she had given me and started cleaning. While cleaning around my study table, the thick wooden frame of a familiar-looking photograph sticking out caught my eye. I put down the broom and took a closer look at the photograph. It was the picture of me and Mr. Tan smiling in front of his house. Immediately, memories began flowing like a river from a broken dam. The photograph was nostalgic to me and I stared into space as I journeyed down memory lane.

It was in the afternoon and I was on my way home from school. Along the roadside, I found a brown leather wallet with wads of notes sticking out. My spirits soared at the sight of money, already thinking of what I was going to do with it. As I glanced around to check if the surrounding was clear, an identification card sticking out caught my eye. I pulled it out slightly to reveal the name of the careless person. Even before the words were fully revealed, I recognised the name. It was Mr. Tan, my neighbour.

I took the wallet and ran home as fast as lightning. I locked myself in my room and paced around, biting my nails as I thought, should I give the wallet back? It was ages since I last saw him as he had gone to stay with his children for two years in Europe. He would not even recognise me by now.  If I admitted to taking it, he might reprimand me. If I did not give the wallet back to its rightful owner, Mr. Tan, I could buy the many toys and games on my wish list.  Just as I had happily come to terms with the idea, my conscience pricked me. How could I think of such an outrageous idea? Our teacher had always taught us that honesty is the best policy. My guilt hit me like an avalanche. There and then, I decided to return the wallet to Mr. Tan. I walked briskly to his house and rang the doorbell. When Mr. Tan answered, I could hardly recognize him anymore. His eyes were puffy from crying and he blew his nose into a piece of tissue. I could not imagine how panic-stricken he was. I stood rooted to the ground and squirmed uneasily as I braced myself for a scolding. Instead, Mr. Tan hugged me and thanked me profusely when I returned the wallet to him.

“Alex, it is time for dinner!” Mum shouted. I snapped out of my daydream and went down the stairs. As I walked towards the dining table, I thought of what a selfless act I had done. I silently vowed under my breath never to think of being dishonest again. 

Alyssa Toh

Burgundy 5

A Disappointment

 “Happy birthday to me … happy birthday to me,” I sang merrily as I sauntered out of my bedroom. The day that I had been waiting for was finally here – My eleventh birthday! I hummed a jaunty tune to myself as I wondered what surprises were in store for me. “Will I get a fluffy soft toy, my favourite comic book or maybe …” 

“Happy birthday, Big Sis!” my younger sister, Claire, squealed as she ran towards me, crushing me in a bear hug. I kissed her on her forehead as my heartbeat accelerated with excitement. I wondered what my father and my sister would give me for my birthday.

My father stood up as my younger sister, who was all smiles, took my hand and led me into the living room that was decorated with balloons and streamers of all colours. “My darling daughter, happy birthday!” my father said with a big smile on his face.

As if right on cue, my sister carried in a big box brightly painted with flowers containing my presents. I looked up at my father grinning. My smile faltered upon seeing my father’s worry lines creasing his face. Ever since my mother had passed on, my father became the sole breadwinner, shouldering the responsibilities of both a father and a mother. He had to work from dawn to dusk and even burned midnight oil doing odd jobs. However, as it was my birthday, he had taken leave to celebrate it with me.

My first present was a box of chocolates from my younger sister in the shape of a heart. Finally, I felt something hard which was given by my father. Excitement surged through my veins as I tore open the wrapper …

To my dismay and utter disappointment, it was a pathetic hardcover book. Worse still, the pages were torn and had gone yellowish. My ebullience evaporated as I stared at my father dumbfounded and disappointed. He opened his mouth to say something but I dashed into my room blinking my tears back furiously. Hot tears blurred my vision. I was thoroughly disappointed but I refused to succumb to the tears pricking at my eyes. What kind of father was he? How could he not care about my feelings and give me a present he knew I would not like. Burying my face in my pillow, millions of questions whirled in my mind in turmoil. Then to my surprise and curiosity, I saw a letter drop out of the book. It was in my father’s neat handwriting.

Curiosity piqued, I read the letter. I realised that my father had recently lost his job and had to tighten his belt. I was kept in the dark as I was sitting for my Semestral Assessment 2 examinations.  He hoped that I would be able to understand the situation and accept the book as a gift. It had been his personal favourite when he was a child. 

With trembling hands, I put the letter down and ran down the stairs to the living room. Filled with shame and guilt, I shambled towards my father as I mumbled an apology, unable to meet his eyes. “It is all right, Darling. I am glad you understand,” he said gently. I gazed at my father as tears filled my eyes. My father had worked very hard to take care of my sister and me, and he had never once complained. Sensing my gaze on him, he gave me a smile full of fatherly love. I realised that my father was all the gift I needed. I did not need another.

Valerie Tan

Cerise 5

A Disappointment

The sky was an expanse of sapphire blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds. The radiant rays of the sun shone brightly. “Catch me if you can!” I shouted mischievously as I held my elder brother’s present up high. He was chasing me from behind. “Come back here!” he yelled. Upon seeing him closing the distance between us, I ran faster around the vast garden at my backyard, feeling the cool morning breeze brush gently on my face.

It was clearly the best day ever, because it was Children’s Day. Each year, on this special day, my parents would get both my brother and me Children’s Day presents. We were both overjoyed with our presents this year as we got what we wanted. I got a storybook with lovely designs on its cover page while my brother got the latest and newest board game. Being a mischievous child, I decided to prank my brother by sneakily taking his board game away while he was not noticing.

I grabbed his present swiftly and ran towards the garden at the backyard. As I ran further and faster, I accidentally tripped over a small stone and fell to the ground. “Ouch!” I groaned in pain and slowly tried to get up. After some struggles, I finally managed to sit up on the ground. Then, I realised that my brother was beside me. There was a huge frown on his face as he bent to pick up pieces of his board game set, which had scattered all over the place. My eyes widened in horror as I realised what had happened. Some of the pieces appeared to be damaged. I wished that I had not snatched my brother’s gift.  I was dead meat.

“What have you done?” my brother bellowed. Terror rose up to my throat upon seeing my brother’s angry expression. He continued to yell at me furiously.  I was scared stiff. The fury seething in him had turned him into a nose-flaring monster that was breathing fire. His sunken cheeks were blazing red and his eyes emitted indignation. Upon hearing his harsh remarks and nasty insults, I was terrified. I did not dare to utter a word for I knew that I was in the wrong. Tears slipped from my eyes unguarded. 

“I hate you!” my brother exclaimed. Then he stood up and turned around, marching towards the house. Coincidentally, my mother opened the door and caught his words. “What is going on over here?” she asked sternly, her arms akimbo. My brother explained everything that had just happened to her. After my brother had finished pouring out his frustration, my mother then chided him and told him to apologise to me. She said that I was just being playful and what happened was an accident. After hearing what Mother had said, my brother calmed down. Then he turned to me. Taking a deep breath, he said, “I’m sorry.”

That day, I was very disappointed with myself. I should not have been so mischievous. If I had not taken his game set, I would not have damaged it. I really regretted my actions. I vowed to save up my pocket-money to buy my brother a new game set to make up for my mistake. Sigh… That was a lesson learnt. I also vowed never to be mischievous again!

Isabel Gabrielle Wee

Cerise 5

A Dishonest Act

Ding, dong, ding, dong! The recess bell sounded. I jumped out of my chair and picked up my lunch bag. I was so happy. After two hours of being lectured on nouns and verbs, I could finally relax. “Yvonne, could you help me bring down the STELLAR worksheets?” my English teacher, Mrs Tan, asked. Oh no! I was too scared to say no as Mrs Tan was really strict.  What else could I do? I picked up the worksheets and made my way to the staff room.

I plopped the worksheets on the table. That was when I saw it- the Semestral Assessment 2 examination answers. I had not studied for the examination yet and here were the answers, staring me in the face! I looked left, I looked right. Nobody was there! I grabbed the answers and stuffed them into my lunch bag. As I left the staff room, the guilt of what I had done sank in. I knew it was wrong, but I had never aced a test in my life, and here was my chance! 

That night, I stayed up late memorising the answers. “A, C, D, B, C…” I recited. But there were too many answers. Suddenly, a brilliant idea popped into my head. I unwound my correction tape and wrote the answers on it. Then, I rewound the correction tape. I was ready.  However, I still could not sleep. My stomach was in knots and my conscience told me I was being dishonest, but I finally fell asleep.

The next day, I barely looked at my question paper. I unwound my correction tape and started shading the OAS. I finished the paper in twenty minutes. I pretended to check my paper while I waited. I knew I was going to ace the examination. 

A week later, we got back our papers. When the teacher announced I had gotten full marks, I smiled from ear to ear. However, inside I was feeling extremely guilty, and I felt even worse when the whole class clapped for me. The teacher gave me a sweet but when I chewed on it, it tasted bitter.

Later that day, when we were getting ready to go home, I could not control my guilt any longer. I rushed to the toilet and threw up. As I cleaned myself up, I heard the end-of-day bell ring. I rushed to the staff room where my teacher was marking worksheets and confessed. The words tumbled out of my mouth. When I finished, I was close to tears, and a lump had formed in my throat. 

“Yvonne,” my teacher said, “I am glad you owned up. I am very angry with you for cheating, but I know that you are very sorry for your deed. You will retake the test and if you try your best, I won’t bring this up to the principal.” I was so relieved and I thanked her profusely. I rushed home feeling as light as a feather. I would never cheat again.

Yvonne Inglin

Emerald 5

An Unwelcomed Guest

“Both of you! Go to bed now!” screamed Mrs. Allen for the fourth time. Dawn and Michella were still playing in their bedroom until their mother had to scream at them for four times to go to sleep. To stop their mother from raging like an angry bull, Dawn asked Michella to switch off their room lights while she slammed the door and screamed, “We are going to sleep now, okay?” With that, the both of them lumbered onto the king-sized deluxe bed that they shared.

All too soon, loud snores filled the Allen family’s house. The neighbourhood streets were pitch-dark and the only sources of light were the street lamp posts. Everyone in the neighbourhood had locked their windows and house gates for fear that their house might be broken into by the infamous burglar, Mr. Fox. Mr. Fox had been long-wanted by the government for breaking into the President’s house. Now, Mr. Fox, who had a shabby face, was wearing a cap, a white and black striped shirt and long track pants with a pair of black sneakers. He gave a wicked smile as he picked a house to rob in the neighbourhood.

Unfortunately, Mr. Allen had forgotten to lock his house gate when he returned from work. Mr. Fox tried to open the Allens’ house gate and to his surprise, it opened! ‘Today is my lucky day,’ thought Mr. Fox. He crept into the house, making sure not to make a single sound. Glancing around the living room, Mr. Fox saw two laptops stacked neatly in a corner and an IPad that was still charging. He picked up the laptops, removed the charger from the IPad and placed it inside his ‘loot’ bag that was slung over his shoulders.

Dawn, who was in deep sleep, suddenly had the urge to use the bathroom. She climbed down the bed and went out to the bathroom. As she was about to reach for the bathroom door handle, Dawn thought she had seen a faint shadow of a man. Dawn froze. ‘Who could it be?’ She thought shakily as the sudden idea of a burglar holding a deadly-looking knife in front of her flooded into her mind. Taking a few steps forward, she then realised, to her horror, that an unknown man had entered her house! Dawn rushed to her parents’ room as quietly as possible and woke them up. She then told them what she thought she might have seen. Mr. Allen, who had read about the infamous burglar, suspected that it was none other than Mr. Fox and swiftly used his mobile phone to call the neighbourhood police.

Luckily, the police arrived in the blink of an eye to apprehend Mr. Fox just as he was about to make his escape. By then, the noise of the sirens from the police vehicles had awoken almost everyone in the neighbourhood and a huge crowd soon began to form outside the Allens’ house gate. As Mr. Fox was escorted into the police car, he shot one last menacing look at the Allens. Dawn was praised for her quick thinking. She caught Michella’s wink at her and grinned widely. Dawn, Michella and Mrs. Allen then chided Mr. Allen for being  careless and forgetful. He had definitely learnt his lesson after this incident!

Celeste Chee

Jonquil 5

 

 

 

An Unwelcomed Guest

 “Carol, could you be a dear and set up the trap for the rat?” my mother asked me nicely. As my house had rat infestation problems, every night before I slept, we had to set up a few rat traps around the house. For the rat’s bait, we used cuttlefish for the traps we placed at the front of the house and cheese for the ones we placed at the back of the house.

When I was done, I felt very tired and went upstairs to wash up before sleeping. In the middle of the night, I heard a rat running around near me. The stench of its body woke me up. When I saw it, my face turned as pale as a ghost and my jaw dropped. The rat had big front teeth and its body was bigger than the size of a normal rat. I was rooted to the spot and refused to move. I thought to myself, “I remember setting up traps for those sneaky rats before coming up to wash up. Wow! This rat must be very smart to avoid the traps.’’

I yelled for my mother to help get the trap. She ran downstairs to get the trap and placed it gently behind the rat. The rat started to sniff for food. The cage door shut instantly when the rat tugged on the bait and we were overjoyed to catch another rat.

The next morning, my mother boiled a pot of hot water to pour on the rat. As we were pouring the water on the rat, its eyes started to shut slowly. At that moment, we said a quick prayer for it and used a plastic bag to wrap it and throw it into the bin outside my house. My mother and I wondered if its family would miss it.

Carolyn Puah

Jonquil 5

A Kind Stranger

“If I run, I just might make it in time!” I muttered to myself as I made a beeline for the bus stop on the other side of the road. I was about to be late for tuition and was trying to get there in time.

I ascended the stairs of the overhead bridge at the speed of light. However, as I swiftly descended, I missed a step and slipped. It all seemed to happen in slow-motion. I wildly flailed my arms as I skidded down onto the ground, landing at an awkward angle with my ankle twisted underneath the rest of my body.

At first, I felt fine, just a little dizzy. However, when I tried to stand up, a flare of pain shot up from my ankle to the rest of my body. I dropped to the ground again, writhing with agony. Despite trying to put on a brave front, I could not stop the tears of pain from flowing freely down my face. The excruciating pain was making my head spin. If this was a dream, I thought, please wake me up now! Sadly the pain was as real as could be, and soon enough, I blacked out.

“Kid, you okay?” I was awoken from my ‘slumber’ by a middle-aged man wearing a three-piece suit and carrying a briefcase. I tried to sit up but collapsed in a heap. He gave me his hand and I took it, struggling to stand up. Once I did, I tried to walk but crumpled back down when I put my weight on my right foot. I weakly raised my hand and checked my watch. Seven o’clock! I had to get home soon or my mother would be worried.

Meanwhile, the man made a phone call and after hanging up, he told me, “Our cab should be here soon.” Soon enough, it arrived. The man helped me into the back seat with much difficulty, but in the end, it was done. “Tell the driver your address, kid,” he instructed. After doing so, I said, “Thank you, Mr…?” “Just call me Max,” he said with a smile.

Upon reaching home, Max helped me alight from the taxi and walked me up to my flat. I explained to my mother the whole situation and how Max had helped me. “Thank you so much, Max! What could we possibly do to repay you?” my mother asked, already reaching for her wallet. Seeing what she was trying to do, he laughed and replied, “No, that’s not it! There is only one way you can repay me. That is, to help the next person you see who is in need. Don’t let the chain of kindness end with you!”

When my sprained ankle finally healed, I reached out to those in need. After I helped them, they would often ask how I would like to be repaid. I would laugh and reply, “Don’t let the chain of kindness end with you!” Who would have thought, all it took was a kind stranger to change my life forever.

Meghan Nim

Mocha 5

 

 

Making a Stand

“Take that, you nerd!” Tom, the head prefect, hollered as he delivered yet another punch to Damon’s face as he whimpered in pain, begging Tom to stop. Crimson red blood oozed out from Damon’s wound. I really felt sorry for him when I saw the sorry state that he was in. Damon had just transferred from another secondary school three weeks ago and Tom had been picking on him ever since. This was because Damon was such a well-behaved student that the teachers had all taken a liking to him even though he was a new student and Tom was jealous of him.

Guilt swallowed me whole as I stood in a corner, watching the whole scene, too afraid to do anything as Tom would always act innocent in front of teachers. However, in reality, he was not afraid to do anything to anybody who would take his place as the teachers’ favourite student. If only the teachers could see Tom’s true colours. A million thoughts raced through my mind. Should I help Damon? Would anyone believe me if I told them about what Tom had been doing? What would Tom do to me if I reported him to the teachers? Just then, I was hit with a sickening sense of nausea as memories of my primary school days flooded my mind like a tidal wave.

            “Give me all of your pocket money, Skinny Bones!” Marcus berated, stretching out his palm, staring daggers at me. If looks could kill, I would have withered there and then. Without hesitation, I immediately whipped out a $5 note from my pocket and handed the note to Marcus while shivering in fear. This was the third time this week that he had taken my pocket money! Satisfied, Marcus let out a smirk and left. Being a small and scrawny boy, I was an easy target for older boys like Marcus. I sighed. With no more money left, I was going to go hungry yet again. Letting out another sigh, I was just about to leave the canteen with an empty stomach when my classmate, James, who had witnessed the incident, approached me.

            “Dylan, you cannot just let the matter slide. You need to make a stand for yourself. We have to report Marcus to a teacher before he chooses his next victim,” James told me, his voice filled with determination. Till this day, I still cannot forget the tone of his voice as he said those words.

            The very next day, James accompanied me to see our form teacher, Ms Lee, to report to her about what Marcus had been doing to me for the past few weeks. Concern was written all over her face as she listened to how Marcus had been forcing me to give him all of my pocket money.

            “Dylan, I am very sorry that you have to go through all of this. Rest assured, I will deal with Marcus now,” Ms Lee said in a gentle voice as she placed a hand on my shoulder. Fortunately, from that day onwards, Marcus stopped taunting me after his one-week suspension from school.

            Damon groaned as Tom kicked him in the stomach. It jolted me out of my flashback and back to reality. I knew what I had to do. I needed to make a stand for Damon! Racing to the principal’s office as fast as my legs could carry me, I felt as if my heart could pounce out of my chest at any moment. The second I reached Mr Chan’s office, I told him everything and took him to the scene immediately.

            “Tom Goh! What do you think you are doing?” Mr Chan berated him at the top of his lungs when we reached the scene. Upon hearing the principal’s voice, Tom stood rooted to the ground, too afraid to even move an inch. A wave of relief swept over Damon as he saw me standing next to Mr Chan. As Tom was being led away by Mr Chan, I grinned. He was finally getting what he deserved. After they had left, Damon thanked me profusely and told me that he would not have known what to do without me. Those words touched me greatly.

            That fateful day, I learnt we should not hesitate to make a stand for others, just like how James had stood up for me all those years ago. Even though I have fallen out of touch with James, I will forever be grateful for what he had done for me. The memory of making a stand for Damon will be etched in my mind for as long as I shall live.

Ashley Minyi

Amethyst 6

Being Successful

All my life, I had never really been successful in anything I did—be it academics, playing the piano or playing my favourite sport, netball. I had been chosen for the school team in Primary 1 only due to my height, and although I had always struggled to keep up with the game, eventually, five years later, I succeeded in making my team proud.

Due to my constant failures, my self-confidence was low. It was the reason I was on tenterhooks on the day of our team’s netball match against St Hilda’s Primary School for the National Competition. I entered the court with trembling hands and shaky knees. Will we be able to win? Will I let the team down again? Nervous thoughts plagued my mind, and I tried unsuccessfully to shake them off.

 I could still remember the condescending glare I had received from one of the team’s coaches, Ms Ng, as our team walked out of the court after a disappointing loss the last match, which was the semi-finals we had worked so hard for. Yet, we had lost by five goals due to a couple of careless mistakes I had made, and as I looked around at my teammates, I saw not only slumped shoulders of bitter defeat but also the pure disappointment in my friends’ eyes. It was written on everyone’s faces clear as day – I had let my team down.

 When I returned home that fateful day, my steps were heavy as I dragged my feet across the floor. I was resentful towards myself and I hated how it had been, of all people, me again to let everyone down. All I could think was- What could I have done better? That question haunted me for days, and I had no answer.

 Then it struck me. I remembered seeing the confidence in my teammates’ eyes before the match, and I remembered how the blazing, fiery passion that had burned in their eyes had been so incandescent. That was my problem, I had no self-confidence. Every time I asked myself if I could win the match, my answer had been clouded with uncertainty. But not any more. I thought of the disappointed expressions my teammates had after our defeat, and suddenly, a fiery determination was kindled in the depths of my heart. Can you do this? Can you win the next match? I asked myself. I felt a sudden burst of confidence and said aloud to myself, “Yes, I can.” I practised hard in the weeks leading up to the National Competition, and soon, the day came.

 The loud whistle signalling the start of the match rang in my ears and I, startled, was brought back to the present. Stop daydreaming, I scolded myself as I watched. We had taken the first pass in and the ball was steadily moving towards our goal, when suddenly, the opposing Goal keeper intercepted the ball swiftly. I wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts and took a few steps forward and backward to ease the tension that stiffened my limbs. You can do it, I thought. There it was – the ball, flying in a graceful arc towards the Goal Attack. Before I could decide whether or not to go for the ball, I was already in the air to intercept it, my subconscious having made the decision for me. The thud of my feet echoed in my ears, and I swung the ball high up into the air so it landed in my teammate’s hands perfectly. A strangely proud, gleeful sensation crept into my chest, and I found that my lips were curved in a wide grin. I had done it! Although it was only one pass, it gave me the confidence to carry on playing well. My pass had enabled the team to score a goal, and deep inside, I felt a surge of confidence rush through me.

            In a flash, it was already the last quarter. Our team was one up on the number of goals scored. My heart palpitated wildly as I watched the opposing team take the first pass. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I watched the nearing ball with much anticipation. Just then, the opposing Goal Shooter ran out to grab the ball, and I found myself tripping over her leg and falling over. I felt my ankle twist and a sharp zing of pain coursed through my ankle in a flash. I bit my tongue to keep myself from crying out. When the umpire asked if I was all right, I gave a smile through the pain and showed her a thumbs-up. Although I knew my ankle was injured, I knew I had to go on playing in order to win the match. My newfound confidence had taken a plunge and I tried my best to recover it so we could win.

            As the ball had reached the opposing Goal Shooter’s hands, she took the shot and the ball plunged through the hoop. My heart plunged too. There were five minutes left and if I did not work hard to intercept the ball, our scores would be neck-to-neck, and that was not nearly enough. We had to win.

            Thank goodness we scored another goal in the next two minutes. However, due to how I had missed the ball and fell, I was uncertain if I would be able to do what I had been doing for the last three quarters. I could feel my fingers beginning to tremble again and I inhaled deeply to calm myself. The ball neared. Incredibly nervous and unconfident, I glanced over to the coaches for reassurance. I saw one of them smile reassuringly and give me a thumbs-up. In that moment, I felt time stand still around me and my confidence surged. Ignore your injury, I thought. You can do this.

 With a battle cry, I leapt upwards, so high that the ball flew perfectly into my hands. I ignored the burning pain in my ankle and landed on the ground, lobbing the ball in a high, perfectly-calculated arch right above the opposing Goal Attack’s head… and directly into the hands of our team’s Goal Defence.

 I felt a rising ecstasy bloom in my chest. I could do it, and because I believed I could, I had done it. As the ball passed through the hands of our team’s players and soared beautifully into the net, the world went silent around me as I gaped, stunned that we had managed to get another shot. My heart stopped as the whistle signalling the end of the match rang out, the only sound echoing in my ears.

 We had scored another goal. We had… won.

 All sound rushed back into my ears as I heard the coaches scream in utter happiness. Our team jumped for joy and euphoria overwhelmed me as I hugged my teammates excitedly. “We won! We won!” I yelled in pure glee. After our initial excitement died down, we thanked the umpires and opposing team, and I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and saw it was Ms Yeo. “Well done!” she beamed. “Your playing was excellent.”

            As we received our medals, I could feel another bright grin creep up onto my face. I had not only earned a medal but a valuable lesson – to always have confidence in myself. I vowed to myself to never lose confidence in myself again. Success had never tasted so sweet.

Chin Yit Ting Charis

AM6

An Unforgettable Experience

          I closed my eyes as I pictured Ginger’s round fair-skinned face. She was so fierce yet so kind, and would always do anything to stop others from bullying me. She had long, straight hair that was always tied up in a neat ponytail. We were best friends and I always thought that we would stick together forever but I was wrong. The news about my one and only best friend migrating pained me as much as it surprised me. Ever since that fateful day when Ginger left, I was never the same.

             I jolted back to reality when I remembered I was at the playground, the place Ginger and I met and the same place where she told me she was leaving. However, she had told me that she would come back. Her exact words were- ‘Don’t worry! I’ll come back one day, I promise’. Those words gave me a glimmer of hope. Ever since then, I waited at the playground slide, hoping Ginger would just magically pop out of nowhere, but my wishes never came true.

I sighed as I got up to leave the slide after waiting for an hour. I was just about to go when a mailman came and handed me an envelope. I pointed to myself, signalling my question if the envelope was mine. With a quick nod, the mailman left. What is this? I wondered. As curious as a cat, I opened the envelope. Inside, was a ‘secret’ code. “COME TO THE PARK BENCH!” was written in newspaper scraps. Is this a prank? Should I continue doing the puzzle? What should I do? A million questions zoomed through my head while I made my way to the park bench. Soon I reached the park bench. Sitting there, was a man slouched, covering his face with his hands. Soon, I realised that he was actually my father! I bombarded him with questions but to my dismay, he only gave me a treasure map. Respecting his decision not to help me, I looked at the treasure map and went on my way.

             The map took me to a restaurant and I got another clue, leading me to another place. Just like that, I kept getting clue after clue, going round and round the neighbourhood. The destinations had no link whatsoever, except for the fact that I went to all these places with Ginger. Slowly but surely, the clues became harder and harder to understand, the puzzles were becoming more difficult to solve, and the destinations were becoming further and further away, making me even more tired. Soon, much to my delight, it was the last clue. It was a Mathematics problem and I had to go to a house. The clue clearly stated the street name, and all I needed was the house number. Adding up the final numbers, my face turned red as I looked at the answer. “Oh I’m going to kill my brother!” I exclaimed, jumping to conclusions and thinking that it was my brother’s prank. It was my house number!

             I marched up to the front door and tried to open it as angrily as I could. I was fuming mad. My brother had just wasted my time! Just then, before I could start ranting, I saw someone familiar. It was Ginger! I burst into tears as I rushed over and hugged her. “I missed you so much!” I shrieked as I embraced her. What an unexpected surprise!

Kirsten Seah 

Burgundy 6

 

Teamwork

            This is a story about how people can work together, despite their differences, to achieve common goals.

            Greta and Janet were two girls in my class I could never see eye to eye with. They were the mean girls in my school and went around bullying those weaker than them. They took pleasure in hurting others with their abusive words. What I especially did not like about them was how they would spread rumours about people. That was why I tried to steer clear from them in my class. But fate had other plans.

            It was the second term of the school year, and we were being briefed on the most important project that we would be doing as Primary Six students. We were expected to complete the assignment in groups of three students. However, as fate would have it, I was teamed up with Greta and Janet. I could not believe my ‘luck’. During our first meeting held in the computer lab, we disagreed over everything. Greta would criticise every idea I suggested, while Janet would just roll her eyes at me. I felt frustrated that our team was not making any progress, whereas the other teams were way ahead of us. I could not understand why they kept putting down my ideas, without contributing any themselves. Something had to be done to get us on the right track.

            I thought, enough is enough. I decided to face the situation head on. I told Greta and Janet that despite our differences, we could all agree that we all wanted to get a good grade on the project. I told them that we had to put aside our petty squabbles in order to complete the assignment. Greta and Janet finally came to their senses and realised that we had to work together to achieve our goal as a team. We started to listen to each other’s ideas and started giving constructive feedback to one another. It was to no surprise that with our newfound attitude, we managed to complete the project earlier than expected. We were very proud of ourselves and the effort we had put in.

            It was through experience that I realised how important teamwork is. Even though we all have our differences, we can still come together to work as a team. One of the most important lessons I learnt was the power of communicating, and how it can positively affect the way we work with others.

Haley Ashlyn Chan  

Burgundy 6

 

Making a Stand

“You’re such a loser! Give me your money!” I yelled loudly, slamming my fist on the canteen table. Timid Jonah cowered before me, shaking in fear. Tears ran down his cheeks as he quickly took out all his money and gave it to me. “STOP RIGHT THERE!” A booming voice seemingly pierced through the air. Smiling in satisfaction, I happily walked to the general office with the Discipline Mistress, Mrs Toh.

If looks could kill, I would have withered there and then. My mother glared at me, pacing around in the walkway of the general office. “Why must you be so ill-disciplined? You’re such a disgrace,” my mother castigated me fiercely. Wincing as I heard her words, I said softly, “It’s the only way I get to see you… You and Dad have never visited me!” My mother’s expression softened as soon as I uttered those words. Sighing, she ran her hands through her neatly-combed hair. “I’m sorry, but Dad and I have to work hard to support ourselves. How else can we afford to buy you your favourite toys and go on a holiday every single year? Anyway, I have a meeting to attend.” With that, she walked away briskly. The sound of her heels clicking on the floor was the most disappointing sound I had ever heard. Burying my face in my hands, I angrily sobbed.

Stomping out the general office, I furiously kicked a wall. How could my parents treat me this way? Rage boiled inside of me, raw and unadulterated. Suddenly, I spotted my ‘Victim Jonah’, quietly sitting down on a bench. Without a second thought, fury took over me and I lunged over to him, ready to throw a punch at his face. “NO!” he unexpectedly shouted. I was shocked. Jonah? Standing up for himself? At that point, my rage was slowly disappearing and turning into the crushing feeling of sadness. “Don’t hit me!” Jonah warned again. I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. Was the cowardly Jonah making a stand for himself? Sinking down on the bench, tears ran down my face uncontrollably.

“Are you all right?” Jonah asked, sitting down beside me. Shaking my head, I recounted the incident. To my surprise, Jonah told me that he had overheard the conversation between my mother and I. “Look, you have to stand up to your parents just like how I stood up to you!” he urged. Raising my head, I thanked him profusely and apologised for my past actions. From that day on, we became close friends and I never bullied others again.

Even though my parents did not quit their job, they visited me more regularly after I made a stand. I was eternally grateful for Jonah standing up against me that day. He taught me that I should stand up for what I believed was right - and that was what I did.

Alexis Ng

Cerise 6

 

Being Successful

I gripped onto the sides of my chair, my palms sweating, anxiously waiting for Mrs. Tan, my teacher, to call out my name. Drumming my fingers on the table, I stared at my classmates walking up to collect their examination paper. “Max,” Mrs. Tan called out. I jumped out of my seat and rushed up to the front of the class. “Work harder next time, Max,” Mrs. Tan told me, handing me my examination paper. Disappointment coursed through my veins. My eyes darted down to my paper, looking at my marks. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach and I held back the tears threatening to roll down my face. The number ‘47’ was written on my paper. Slowly, I walked back to my desk, my head bowed.

“Max, how did you do for the examination?” Mother called out from the kitchen when I reached home from school. “Um…I did okay, I guess,” I responded nervously, not wanting to tell her my marks. At that moment, Mother walked out of the kitchen, carrying a big pot of porridge. “Let me see your examination paper,” she said as she put the pot of porridge on the dining table. My eyes widened. Oh no! Mother will kill me when she sees my marks, I thought. Hesitantly, I rummaged through my bag and pulled it out. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as I handed my paper to her. Immediately, I averted my gaze, scared of what her response would be. Upon seeing my paper, Mother pursed her lips. She yelled, her arms akimbo, “Max, what is this? How could you fail your examinations again?” I hung my head in shame. “I’ll give you one more chance. If you fail your next examination, I’ll ban you from spending time with your friends,” Mother stated sternly. My head snapped up, a look of horror on my face. I valued my time with my friends and did not want to be banned from that.

As I lay in bed that night, I decided to work hard from that day onwards. I resolved to spend some time revising my work instead of playing all day. During lessons, I asked questions when I did not understand some concepts. My teachers and classmates were impressed at my dedication to doing well in my examinations and praised me for that. Their words spurred me on when I was feeling down. Mother was pleasantly surprised and told me that she was proud of me for working hard. Finally, the day of the examination arrived and for the first time, I was prepared.

I waited for Mrs. Tan to call out my name anxiously a week after the examinations. Rubbing my sweaty palms on my thighs, I prayed hard that I had done well enough to please Mother. I did not want to be banned from playing with my friends. “Max,” a voice called out, snapping me out of my torpor. I scrambled to the front of the classroom, my heart racing. I awaited Mrs. Tan’s remarks on my performance on the examination. “Well done, Max! You have improved a lot,” she exclaimed, giving me a pat on my back. I gasped and a smile stretched across my face. Eagerly, I took my paper from Mrs. Tan’s grasp and looked at it. A ‘72’! Who knew that I was capable of achieving that score? I walked back to my desk with a spring in my step. After giving everyone their examination paper, Mrs. Tan announced that I had the greatest improvement in the class. My classmates cheered for me, giving me a big thumbs up. I beamed with pride. Finally, I was successful in achieving my goal.                                                                                                 

Felicia Lim

Cerise 6

A Secret

I heaved a sigh of relief as I tried to hold back the tears which were welling up in my eyes. I had betrayed my boss, Mr Goh. I had exposed his secret. However, I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I did not feel remorseful at all.

           It all started last week. Mr Goh had called me into his office. No, not more work again! I stepped into his office and closed the door, plastering a fake smile on my face. To my surprise, he asked something totally unrelated to work.

            “Do you have friends from other companies?” he asked softly.

            I started to smell a rat. Why would he be asking me such a thing? I shook my head vigorously, still puzzled by what he had just asked. I then left his office without a word. What was Mr Goh up to? However, that train of thoughts slowly left my mind as time flew by.

            The next week, Mr Goh called me into his office again. Now what? I really did not want to waste time with his weird questions again! However, I was wrong. This time round, something about him made me frightened. He stood up from his seat and walked towards me, passing me a sealed, white envelope. What was this? I seriously had no time to waste! I was desperate to finish my write-up!

            “I need you to do me a big favour. You are to go down to the carpark and meet me at the lobby after work with this envelope. Don’t open it or show it to anyone,” Mr Goh whispered directly into my ear.

            He then stared into my eyes, waiting for my approval. I nodded hesitantly and immediately left his office. Something was definitely not right!

            I finished my work and as I would always do so, I looked into my bag to make sure that everything had been packed. Then, I saw the envelope. Right, I had to see him. Mustering my courage, I bravely went down the lift to the carpark. I saw him leaning against his shiny, black car and he smiled when he saw me. He told me to get into his car and I did so reluctantly. He sat in the driver’s seat and looked around, making sure that no one was watching.

            “I need you to get into one of the Shin Hwa’s company’s employee’s account. Don’t worry as his username and password are in that envelope. Then, I need you to go to ‘File 2’ and enter the password that I have written. Copy all the folders into the thumbdrive in the envelope and pass it to me on Wednesday, 12p.m.,” he whispered.

            My heart was beating very fast and my hands were trembling. I quickly left his car and ran towards mine, panting as beads of perspiration trickled down my face. No, I could not do this. I had to call the police.

            Wednesday passed by in a jiffy. I had already alerted the police and was waiting for them in the cafeteria. Soon, they arrived and we went up to Mr Goh’s office together. I took a deep breath as I held the door, then pushed it open. I could do this. This secret can never be kept. I stepped into his office with the envelope clutched in my hand. I heard the sounds of a commotion. He stood up in disbelief and an officer walked towards him, handcuffing him. His face turned red and he yelled at me in anger. I passed the envelope to one of the officers, heaving a sigh of relief. I tried to hold back my tears, but some of them just rolled down. This secret was never meant to be kept. I am glad I did the right thing.

Natasha Lim

Emerald 6

Being Successful

            Splash! The ice-cold water splashed in my face as I dived into the pool. Taking a deep breath, I swam all the way to the end of the pool and back again. While others usually dreaded the cold plunge into the water, I embraced it. Swimming was my way of escaping reality.

            It was five-thirty on a Monday morning. “It is not fair that I have to be the one who has to take her for swimming!” my sister grumbled, “I would much rather be in my cosy bed, dreaming away, than take this failure to the pool to chase a dream that will never see success.” My insides twisted upon hearing her. I was grateful that there was no one else at the pool. No unusual looks, hushed whispers, awkward questions and no one to listen to my sister’s constant complaints. After half an hour, I reluctantly got out of the pool to get ready for school. I groped around for my towel and walking stick while my sister offered no help at all. “Hurry up Sophie! You are going to make me late for school again!” my self-centred sister whined. She seemed to be oblivious to my handicap.

            Being visually-impaired was not easy. Everything seemed to be a mass of tiny dots in a blanket of darkness and I hated depending on my sense of hearing all the time. I trudged wearily to the car. I dreaded going to school.  However, there was one silver lining. The moment I reached school, I was immediately wrapped in a giant hug. “Hi, Sophie!” a familiar voice squealed. It was Alice, my one true friend. Her presence was the only thing that made coming to school bearable. Contrary to the way my sister treated me, Alice was always supportive. I heard the rustling of paper as she fished something out of her bag. She began to read off a crumpled poster in her hands. It was about a swimming competition for girls in my age category. Alice rattled on about the rules and regulations but I barely listened to her. I imagined myself standing on a podium with a shiny trophy in my hands. “Sophie, Sophie, Sophie!” the crowd would cheer.

“Sophie, Sophie?” Alice had been calling my name repeatedly to get my attention. Motivated by the thought of winning, I told myself that I could do it and registered for the competition. My weekly swimming sessions turned into daily ones. Every day, I would train by swimming laps at the pool both before and after school. By the end of each day, I was exhausted. Nevertheless, every bead of perspiration was worth it. I was determined to win the competition. Before I knew it, the day of the competition arrived.

            The stadium was packed. The noisy chattering of the spectators filled the stadium. I could feel my heart beating against my chest. In my excitement, I accidentally bumped into three girls. “Oh gosh! Beatrice, is this your sister? Honestly, I don’t think she stands a chance!” I heard my sister’s friend say to her. Although I could not see her face clearly, I am sure she wore a haughty look. I started to panic and my palms became sweaty. Beatrice’s friend was right. What was I thinking?

            Alice must have read my mind.  Laughing, she said, “Don’t worry, Sophie. You can do this. I have faith in you.” Her encouragement was all I needed to calm the butterflies in my stomach. Confidently, I made my way to the starting block. On the whistle, I dived into the water. I swam as though my life depended on it. Every muscle in my body worked together to pull me ahead with each stroke. When I emerged from the pool, the crowd was silent. A split second later, the stadium was filled with deafening cheers and applause. I was swept away and asked to step up onto the podium. I had won! I could not believe it! I bowed my head humbly as the guest-of-honour put a medal around my neck. Tears of joy glistened in my eyes as I felt a number one carved on it.

            The moment I stepped down from the podium, my family and Alice threw their arms around me. It was the happiest I had been in a long time. Amidst all the words of congratulations, I heard a familiar voice whisper, “Well done, Sophie. I’m proud of you.” Even though I could not meet my sister’s gaze, we both knew just how much that meant to me. Through my first taste of success, I knew that with perseverance, hard work, and courage, no dream was too big for me.  

Sneha Susan Thomas

Jonquil 6

Space

My world was falling to ruin. Chaos was everywhere. I dodged here and there, lest I be kicked by the running people’s flailing feet. Tongues of flame licked my flanks. Cracks appeared in the ground. There were cries of anguish and fear all around me. “It’s the end of the world!” someone yelled. “Run, run to the escape capsules!” cried another. The ground shook. Where was Laura? I stumbled as the ground shook again. The flames singed my fur. There was nothing for it. I ran. Columns of smoke billowed all around me. A familiar large building loomed over me. I ran into it. There were metal capsules everywhere. “The escape capsules,” I thought. People were rushing into them. Doors began closing. The metal capsules, one by one, took to the sky. There was only one left. Just as the door was closing, I leapt in. The door shut behind me.

The escape capsule rose shakily off the ground and continued rising, gradually gaining speed. Memories with Laura flashed through my mind. She used to take me into the incomplete escape capsules. “Someday,” she would say, frowning, “when the world ends, we will escape to a new planet in this. Not that it will be anytime soon,” then she would laugh, the sound resonating through the whole capsule. That was not more than six months ago.

A sharp jolt snapped me out of my reverie. I looked out of the window. I was so far away that the remaining buildings were merely specks in the field of disaster. As I looked down at the devastation, I worried about Laura. Was she all right? I dreaded every moment away from her. The thought of her not making it or being seriously injured was unbearable. I forced my gaze away from the window and made my way down a dimly lit corridor. A faint sound of sobbing made me stop in my tracks. I pricked up my ears and cautiously approached the direction from which the sound was coming. The corridor slowly widened into a room. I peered around the bend. There sat a young boy about Laura’s age, covering his eyes with his hands and shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly, he stopped sobbing. He slowly looked up, his tear-stained eyes watching me intently. Without knowing why, I ran over to him and licked his hand. His face broke into smile as he gently reached out and stroked me. We were not alone now.

I looked out of the window again and I could not believe my eyes. We were in space. It had a dark, eerie feeling. Everything was still. Solo stars shone bravely out of the dark, bringing some comfort to my companion and I. The worst part was that after a while, I began to feel like I had lived that way all my life, and wondered whether Earth had really existed. But Laura was real. And I would reunite with her. The boy, Aidan, although he was good company, would never be able to replace Laura in any way. We would sit on a ledge together, looking out into darkness and beyond. Life in space was very different. There were no fixed timings. If you wanted to eat, you ate. If you wanted to sleep, you slept. Once, as I looked out of a window, I noticed a bright red object gleaming furiously. I gazed at it in wonder. Aidan noticed and laughed, “That’s the sun,” he said, sitting down next to me. “We are headed nowhere”, he said, “just adrift in space”. Those last words frightened me. I had put on a brave front for the past three days, hoping that we would reach our new home soon, but the thought that we would spend the rest of our days floating about aimlessly in space was frightening. Maybe I would never see Laura again. With a heavy heart, I leaned against Aidan and fell into a troubled sleep.

Thump! I was startled awake. “Aliens!” I thought. Aidan opened the airlock. I hurried out, barking hysterically. Space, as well as fear, had driven me crazy. There was a hissing sound, and the entry airlock began to open. Fear gripped my heart. I tensed every muscle in my body, ready to spring upon anything that came through the hatch. A strangely familiar figure rose from the hatch. I sprang upon the figure. It was not an alien. It was Laura! I began licking her enthusiastically. Laura laughed merrily. My heart was bursting with joy. I leapt from her arms and ran to Aidan, and tugged his trouser leg. Smiling, he and Laura shook hands. At that moment, I knew that wherever I was, I would be glad to be there, as long as I was with these two people closest to my heart.

Megan Woo

Jonquil 6

Space Girl

          “Melody needs friends,” Mom said. I lay on my bed in the darkness, trying to hear what my parents were talking about. “It isn’t normal for girls to come home and hide in their room. She wouldn’t even eat dinner!” Despite her exasperation, I could tell she was worried. I closed my eyes as my parents walked away from my room, their conversation becoming muffled. What Mom said was true, but I had given up making friends a long time ago. Pushing away any thoughts, I finally fell asleep.

          “Look! It’s Space Girl!” As I stepped into school, the usual jeers filled the hallways. “She’s looking even lonelier!” someone giggled. I hung my head and continued walking. Space Girl. The name echoed in my head. It started as a joke back then, but now some people did not even know my real name. It was obvious how the nickname came about. Nobody wanted to come near me, probably because they did not want to befriend a poor and untidy student. Over time, the space between me and others grew, and people started calling me “Space Girl”. With a stony expression, I sat down at my desk, trying not to attract any attention. Mrs Honey strutted into class in a flamboyant pink dress. “A new student will be joining our class,” she announced, as she handed out worksheets. My heart dropped. Great, I thought, another person to make fun of me. Class eventually ended and I walked home miserably.

          “The new girl’s here!” someone yelled before school started, interrupting my reading.  I raised my head curiously and brushed the hair out of my eyes. The new girl was pretty, with her wavy brown hair tied up in a ponytail. She smiled ‘hello’ to the other students. Emotionless, I returned to my book, the space between me and others unusually large. “Hello, what’s your name?” a shadow fell across my book. I looked up. It was the new girl. Shocked, I closed my book and replied tightly, “Melody.” Nobody in school had ever been this close to me before. “I’m Violet,” she smiled warmly, holding out her hand. Over her shoulder, I saw other students whispering. I shook her hand stiffly. “Nice meeting you,” she said, and walked back to the other students. My eyes lingered on them talking in hushed voices, trying to make out what they were saying. “Space Girl?” Violet asked. Anger boiled as I grabbed my bag and headed to class. Other students avoided me as though an invisible glass separated me from them.

          “Hi Melody.” Without looking up, I immediately knew who it was. I almost choked on my chicken rice. Nervousness overtook me and I stammered without turning around, “H-hey Violet.” She sat down next to me. This was the first time my recess table had someone else other than me.  “Why are you being nice to me?” I blurted out, after I swallowed a mouthful of rice. “Well, I treat you like everyone else, and I like reading too. Friends?” she asked. I was stunned. Although I doubted her words, there was a warm feeling in my heart. Violet grinned, “Come on, Space Girl.” I felt a surge of confidence and replied without flinching, “Friends.”

        A few weeks after Violet and I had become friends, Angel, whom Violet had met in her reading club, asked me, “What’s your name again?” “Melody,” I replied, trying to crawl out of my comfort zone. Violet had invited her to come with us for recess that day. Surprisingly, people sitting close by started joining our conversation about our favourite books. I forced myself to talk and smile in the beginning but soon I was genuinely laughing. Recess ended and I could not remember saying so many goodbyes in my life.

          I waited for Violet while she packed her bag after school. “So,” she said, “There isn’t anymore Space Girl, is there?” I shrugged, “I guess not.” We walked home together and it dawned upon me- If I had opened up and had been more friendly years ago, Space Girl would never have existed. But I was glad that after all these years, I had a true friend, and “Space Girl” was a reminder of how Violet changed my life forever.

Kiera Nadine Binte Muhammad Nazri

Mocha 6

 

 

By Tze Yen, P6

Topic: A Courageous Act

Pictures given: A medal of valour, A burning house, A life buoy

 

“Help! Help!” John wanted to scream. 

However, the words just refused to come out. He kicked and thrashed in the choppy waters, but everyone else was just oblivious to the fact that a life was about to end here. He could not even open his mouth to breathe, because if he did, the water would gush in.

Finally, John realised it. He could not make it out alive. He sighed to himself. Looking at all the other people at the shore or the shallow waters, he wished more than anything that he was one of them, before he had plunged into the water, defying his parents’ instructions. However, it was too late now. He closed his eyes and gave up trying to stay afloat, letting the currents consume him.

“Keep treading water!” 

Suddenly, John heard someone holler just as he was about to deplete the last ounce of oxygen in his body. Fighting off the darkness that was beginning to encroach his field of vision, he forced himself to start kicking again. Relentlessly, he struggled until he was near the surface of the water again.

At the brief moments in which John’s head was bobbing above the water’s surface, he caught sight of a man waving frantically at him, holding a lifebuoy.

Emblazoned on his bright orange shirt was the word ‘Lifeguard’. There was hope for John!

With a grunt of effort, the lifeguard threw the lifebuoy into the water. It landed with a splash, but it was not within John’s reach. John could not reach it, although it was so tantalisingly close. John’s arms and legs were getting tired, and he knew they could not help him stay afloat much longer. He looked at the lifeguard, pinning all his hope on the man.

When the lifeguard found out that John could not reach the lifebuoy, he knew what he had to do. Sucking in a huge ball of air, he dived into the water. With powerful strokes, he swam towards the boy, gradually closing the gap between them. Silently, he prayed that John would not lose hope.

After what seemed like an eternity, the lifeguard reached John. He grasped the child’s arm and towed him toward land. Knowing that he was going to be safe soon, John closed his eyes again, and promptly lost consciousness.

When John woke up, he found himself in a strange room. As his vision focused, he could finally comprehend where he was. A hospital room. He looked around at all the worried faces looking down at him from his bedside. His parents, his friends, and finally… the man who risked his life to save him - the lifeguard. John would never forget the courage he had shown when he saved John’s life.

 

Wei Zhen, P6

Topic: An Argument

Pictures given: Two people arguing, A storm cloud with lightning, A capsule

            I had been standing here for over an hour now. It was noon and the scorching sun beat on my bare neck without any mercy. I regretted wearing this long-sleeved dress. I was literally being roasted alive in it. I could feel beads of sweat sliding down my back. Without a doubt, the back of my dress was already smeared with sweat stains. Furthermore, my stiletto heels were killing me. But I could not give up. Not just yet.

            The year was coming to an end. Thus, one of the Gucci outlets in Singapore was having a year-end sale, with everything 75% off! Upon hearing that, I wasted no time and dashed off to the nearest outlet at a speed that would have made Usain Bolt proud. Huffing and puffing, I arrived at my destination, only to find a long queue that snaked down the street. Crestfallen, I sighed at the huge turnout but obediently went to the back of the queue. There were probably a few hundred people in line ahead of me. Feeling the sun’s glare, I applied a layer of sunscreen. This was going to be a long wait!

            After two hours in queue, I felt like I was in hell. The sun was at its peak now, burning in its full glory. The queue was inching forward at the pace of a grandma snail. When I glanced back to my original spot, I was utterly horrified to find that I had only moved forward by about one metre. One metre! Two hours!

            Just then, the lady in front of me seemed to have had enough. She strode away from the queue, then disappeared around a corner. Grinning in triumph, I mentally patted myself on the back for being so resilient. As I stepped forward, I noticed a plastic bottle on the floor in front of me. I kicked the trash away and moved up the queue. Progress!

            About ten minutes later, the same lady was back again, with a cup of bubble tea. Without a word or gesture, she rudely squeezed in front of me. She then scrolled through her phone while sucking up bubble tea pearls through a fat straw, as if nothing just happened. My jaw dropped open wide at the nerve of her actions. Anger and incredulity boiled inside me. My nostrils flared and I could feel my arms

trembling with rage. Breathe, I told myself. Inhale, exhale…inhale, exhale…But it was no use. Once I felt like I was going to erupt like a volcano, I tapped her shoulder hard.

            “Excuse me, may I know why you cut my queue?” I tried to keep my voice even.

            At first, she looked at me in surprise, then she shook her head, furrowed her brows, and turned away from me again.

            “Look, please go to the back of the line if you want to queue.” I tried again.

            “I was here just now!” the lady protested.

            “But you went away!” I retorted, not caring about politeness anymore.

            “Yes, but I put my bottle here, so –’

            “That does not count. You still cut the queue,” I interrupted.

            With that, she began shouting incoherent Mandarin at me while waving her hands about. With her spittle flying in my face, I clenched my fists. Who did she think she was? A child throwing a tantrum behaved better than her! As she ranted on and I on, I became more incensed. So, she wants to argue? Well, two can play this game. I shoved my fingers in her face and started telling her off. When she did not back down, I snarled and stared her into the ground. She responded by hitting me. She rained blows after blows on me and I returned the gesture. We scratched, slapped, cursed, and tugged at each other’s hair.

            Things were about to get ugly if not for the security guard that pulled us apart. Staring at us sternly in the eyes, he ordered us to either get lost or queue at the back of the line. Ignoring the gawking from the other people in the queue, I brushed myself off, and stalked to the back of the line, seething with anger. The other lady left in a huff.

            After two more torturous hours, it was finally my turn. Sighing in relief, I smiled eagerly at the shop staff. However, before I could make my request, he cut me off.

            “I’m sorry Miss, we’re all sold out today,” he said apologetically.

            Hearing that, my heart plummeted into a dark pit.

            “Not…not even… one bag left?” I stuttered, hoping for a miracle.

            The staff just shook his head and gave me a piteous smile.

            Devastated, I slunk away. I arrived home with an aching back, sunburnt, sore feet, and no Gucci items. All because of one dumb argument.

             

Zi Qing, P6

Topic: Being Disrespectful

Pictures given: A paper plane, A boy sitting outside the principal’s office, A signboard for ‘priority seats’

 

“So, you’re the new teacher?” the principal asked as he eyed me warily.

I nodded my head enthusiastically, eager to make a positive first impression. I was quite a short lady, so the principal towered above me a bit menacingly. His eyes scanned my petite figure from head to toe again, his bushy brows forming a frown. I drew myself to my fullest height and tried to look confident. After a moment, he grunted. 

“Follow me,” he said before striding out of his office. 

Minutes later, we arrived at a classroom. On the door there was an old sign that read “Class 6E”. My new class. There was a torrent of noise pouring out from the classroom. Oh no… I could never control a rowdy class. Perhaps they are just excited, I comforted myself. However, the ruckus did not seem to faze the principal. His air of nonchalance implied that this was an everyday situation. My heart sank a little. Without any explanation, he pushed the door open and stepped into the classroom. 

Instantly, there were several shouts.

 “The baboon is here!”

The scraping of chairs against the floor filled the air. Then, silence. The principal gestured for me to come in with a lazy flick of his hand. I swallowed. Hesitantly, I shuffled meekly into the classroom. 

The moment I set foot in the class, murmurs started again. The principal rolled his eyes in exasperation and strode over to the teachers table. Without warning, he picked up a metal ruler lying on the teacher’s table and slammed it onto the table. 

Bang! 

“SILENCE! I will have silence!” the principal roared, spittle flying out of his opened mouth. 

His sudden outburst almost made me jump out of my skin in fright. But this did not have the same effect on the students. Now it was their turn to roll their eyes. “Here he goes again…” I heard a student mutter as the principal launched into a lengthy speech of how important respect was in the school. 

But it was the last line that really shocked me. 

What he said was, “Remember, all of you disrespectful rats are nothing! Nothing

at all!” 

I was moderately outraged. As an educator, all students are like precious pieces of jade waiting to be polished by me. How could the principal just insult them like that? And to think he himself was lecturing them about respect! The students were apparently used to such foul behaviour too. They responded by sending him off with a chorus of raspberries.

As soon as the principal was out of earshot, there was a visible change in the class atmosphere. Many of the students began chatting while the others whipped out their mobile phones which, of course, were not allowed in school. Paper planes cruised around the classroom. The noise level was starting to escalate. Uh oh. I had to do something fast. 

“Everyone please return to your seats,” I blurted out. 

I cringed when I realised my tiny high-pitched voice could barely be heard over the commotion the class was making. The few students who noticed looked at me defiantly. 

 “Why should we do what you say?” 

“Yeah, you’re just another oh-so-mighty teacher who knows all about respect!”

“Why should we respect you when you’re not going to treat us with any?”

As I stared open-mouthed at those rebellious pupils, a light bulb suddenly lit up in my head. Immediately, I understood why they were so defiant and rude. Perhaps the reason they were so rowdy was because they already had a reputation for being delinquents. As a result, they were always treated with less respect. Thus, they did not bother to respect other people either. Realising this, my heart ached for all these poor children. I was going to treat them with the respect they deserve no matter what! But how would I make them listen to me? Then, I had my second brilliant idea of the day. 

I strode over to the whiteboard. With my marker, I wrote these words in bold: “Learning point of the day- EVERYONE should be treated with respect.” 

The students seated in the front row took notice. Some simply turned away, but others seemed interested and alerted their friends. A spark of hope lit up in my heart. It was working! As murmurings of the statement written on the board spread through the class like ripples on water, that spark turned into a flame. Of course, nothing was perfect and there were a handful of students who still refused to acknowledge my presence. But now that I had most of the class’ attention, I could begin my lesson. 

“Good morning everyone, I’m Miss Grace, your new teacher. And today, I will talk to you all about respect. Now, do all of your teachers treat you with respect?” 

I was answered with a series of, ‘no’s; and head-shaking. My heart ached again. 

I carried on.

 “But do you think you deserve to be respected?” 

This time, silence. Seeing my students so unconfident about themselves, I could not help but feel immense pity for them. 

“Of course, you deserve respect! Everyone, no matter old or young, rich or poor, powerful or powerless… deserves respect. Most of you who are facing me, I thank you for your attention. But to the few of you who are not, I respect your choice too.” 

At this, the few students who had their backs turned towards me immediately turned around, their cheeks blushing.

Then, a student asked me, “Miss Grace, why are you so nice to us?” 

I smiled at her and replied, “Like I said, everyone deserves respect. But you must be the first one to show respect. You must first treat others like how you want to be treated.”

After my little speech, the class warmed up to me quickly. We chatted like a bunch of old friends and I found out that they were all actually really lovely children, just misunderstood. A few of them were talented in various areas too! All too soon, it was time for me to go to my next class. When I stood up to leave, everyone tried to persuade me to stay longer. Seeing their change of attitude in this short one hour really warmed my heart and I smiled at my students fondly. 

 “Thank you and goodbye Miss Grace!” they chorused, their backs straighter and voices louder than any of the ‘top classes’ that I had taught. 

As I studied every beaming face, I saw their respect for me, shining in their eyes. 

 

By Zi Qing, P6

 

 

 

 

Topic: Forgiveness

Pictures given: A family photo, A handshake, A girl crying

            “Holding grudges never works out in the end,” my late mother would always repeat those words like a broken recorder. I never understood her wisdom until then…

            “Hey punk!” 

A crowd of students parted as a haughty figure strutted forward. His blonde, sandy hair was styled up like a pop star. Ben wore a grey aviator’s jacket. His arms rippled with muscles. Anyone who saw the mischievous glint in his eyes would know that he was not the definition of ‘well-behaved’. I knew I was doomed. Ben snapped his fingers. One of his friends rushed forward and grabbed me by the collar. I did not bother to move a muscle. I knew what was going to happen. 

Ben smirked. “Time for your daily routine!”

            They dragged me to the toilet. I swore I saw some people whip out their phones. Ben and his gang pulled me into a cubicle where the familiar toilet bowl stood in front of me. I could hear the whole world laughing. 

            “So, any last words?” Ben growled. 

Anger boiled in me. Oh, that smug look on his face. One day – just one day, I will wipe it off his dirty mouth! I promised myself. I glared at him but remained silent. Splash! The cold dirty water stung my lungs as a pair of rough hands pushed my head down the toilet bowl…

Thirty years passed by in a blink of an eye...

“Good morning, everyone! Welcome back to another day of work!” the boss of the company announced. 

His deep voice seemed to shake the earth. The room fell quiet and all eyes were centred on him. There was a sense of respect that the boss had never felt before. He felt like royalty. Who was this boss? One might ask. That was me. I took a deep breath and started rattling about how everybody should be diligent while doing their best for the company and so on. Every black orb gazed at me intently as I took the spotlight.

“And…” I clapped my hands and the office trembled. “That is the end of my morning speech! Please continue with your work!”  I looked around, feeling pleased with myself.

“Wait!” a soft voice chimed out. 

Nicole’s brown, straight hair fell to her shoulders. Her warm, brown eyes twinkled. 

“We have a new-comer!” she announced.

 A small, plump man stood up. His blonde hair was straight and tidy. The newcomer wore a black business suit and long pants. He was exactly the type of person who would greet you every morning while everyone just sulked away. This man radiated friendliness like warm sunshine after a heavy rain. His grin made him look as if he was an oversized baby. I immediately liked him.

“Hello! Welcome to our company! What is your name?” I asked.

“My name is Ben!” the newcomer replied in a cheerful voice. 

My heart sank and my expression turned ice-cold. I recognised him! This was the same Ben that criticised me in school, the bully who enjoyed dumping my head into the toilet bowl. My initial warm feelings for him disappeared. Hatred burned in my eyes.

“Get out of my sight, now!” I hollered. 

Everyone in my presence jumped, fear in their eyes. Ben shook his head, but he did not look afraid, just disappointed. With his head hung low, he scrambled out of the room. Dull silence filled the room yet again.

Every single day, I tried to make Ben’s life miserable. I would holler at him over every small issue and hurled insults at him. Every time I did so, he would just look at me sadly like a pathetic puppy. The more he acted like that, the more I despised him. My grudge for that long-time bullying was an eternal flame – forever feeding off my old hurt and injustice.

One day, Ben came up to me alone. He regarded me those pitiful eyes again.

However, I was not buying that. 

“What?” I shouted at him in annoyance. 

Ben sighed, “I know you still bear a grudge against me. I would never be able to forget what I have done even if I lived for a hundred years.”

So what? I thought. I glared at him. 

“Anyway, I want to say… that I’m sorry,” he continued sincerely. “Please forgive me.”

“Just go away.” I rolled my eyes. 

Ben gave me one last glance before walking away. I swore I heard him sobbing.

Ben was actually crying? He sounded like an upset child with tears flowing down his face. Out of the blue, my mother’s voice rang in my head.

 “Holding grudges never works out in the end.” 

Oh my goodness! it has been ages since I have heard that beloved voice.

That strong yet peaceful voice... I swallowed the lump in my throat and glanced at Ben. He really has changed. Why was I being so hard on him? I caught sight of my reflection on the office window. My scowling expression took me aback. I had become a monster. I was full of bitterness, just like Ben who had preyed on the weak back then. I could not continue behaving like that. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, then I looked up.

“Hey, erm Ben?” I croaked out. 

Ben turned around. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. A strange warmth spread over my once cold heart. 

“I forgive you.”

By Gervin Tan, P6

 

Topic: An Argument

Pictures given: Two people arguing, A storm cloud with lightning, A capsule

          Regret was what my mother felt after having a heated argument with my father over their differences in their choices of my secondary school...

            On the day I received my stellar Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results, I was delirious with joy. Prancing around the auditorium with my friends who had also done well, we congratulated one another. The months of putting our noses to the grindstones and enduring weekends without computer games had finally paid off. Equally ecstatic, my proud parents beamed from ear to ear.

            The initial euphoria quickly died down. The days following the release of the results did not turn out the way I had expected. I anticipated a week of feasting, partying and lying in bed playing my iPad games. Unfortunately, none of these materialised...

            My parents had always seen eye-to-eye and rarely argued. They enjoyed a harmonious marriage as they possessed strong conflict resolution skills. However, there was no peace at home as soon as we sat down to discuss my choice of secondary school. 

            “Qing Wen’s natural choice will be Anglo Chinese School Independent ACS(I) as it is my alma mater. He will be happy in the school as he will stay within the ACS family,” assured my father who was a proud ACSian. 

            In the firmest of voices, my mother retorted, “I disagree with you. All my friends’ sons go to Raffles Institution (RI). This is the school for the cream of the crop.”

            An altercation rapidly ensued. Pointing an accusing finger at my mother, my father claimed that she made her choice for the sake of her pride and to satisfy her desire to keep up with the Joneses. 

            Raising her hands up in a fluster, she snapped, “I know what is good for my son!” 

            She went on by highlighting the fact that a two hundred and thirty-five Tscorer with affiliation could easily enrol into ACS(I). One did not need to be very brilliant to get in. That sting hit my father’s raw nerve. Refusing to drag out the spat, my father gave her the cold shoulder and stopped speaking to my mother. Deep inside me, I knew that my father wanted me to continue the tradition instead of breaking the mould. 

            The spat morphed into a cold war. Within the confines of our tiny apartment, my parents pretended that the other person was invisible. My mother was The Invisible Woman and my father was The Martian Man. There was unbearable tension in the air whenever they were at home. I felt hopelessly stuck in between them. I felt insecure even in the sanctuary of my own bedroom. My mother went on strike. When she refused to wash my father’s laundry, I had to help. When she refused to cook his meals, I had to call Deliveroo. When she refused to vacuum the floor, I had to struggle with the cumbersome Electrolux.

            As the war dragged on, it dawned on me that I had only a few days left to register for my secondary school. I knew I had to intervene... 

            Coincidentally, it was my birthday and I organised my own birthday celebration involving just my parents. The venue was at Hakumai and we had Omakase dinner. 

            After dessert was served, I broke the silence and explained earnestly to my parents, “Mummy and Daddy, I have made up my mind. I want to go to ACS(I). Most of my friends who excelled are also enrolling in this school. Mummy, please do not get mad with me. I have thought about this long and hard. I cherish the friendships that I have established over the past six years. I cannot let my efforts go to waste.”

            My mother gave a weak smile and replied with a twinge of regret, “Qing Wen, I will respect your decision. I was too iron-fisted, wanting to decide everything on your behalf, thinking that it would be the best for you.” 

            Beaming, my father gave her a tight embrace.

            In retrospect, though my parents’ argument had left me in a quandary, I should have mediated their argument much earlier than let it fester. I could have sat them down and encouraged a sensible discussion about my choice. Nonetheless, I am glad I had followed my heart and chosen ACS(I). 

The best is yet to be!

By Qing Wen

Topic: A Foolish Dare

Pictures given:  A Phone, A Cockroach, A Pair of Crutches

        An idle brain is a devil’s workshop. To this day, I still remember the foolish dare that I still curse myself for accepting out of boredom. Now, I am an absolute laughing stock because of what happened a year ago.

That day, when I was twelve and naïve, I was having lessons in my tuition centre. I hated the teacher; I hated the environment; I hated everything to do with that living hell. That very day, my tuition classmates dared me to do something about it. 

I had brought a very genuine-looking rubber cockroach, that my brother had given me, to the centre that day. When Mr Jerry, our English teacher, was drinking coffee elsewhere, I snuck to his desk and put the fake cockroach in his file. When he came back to teach the lesson, he opened his file…

It was priceless! He jumped and almost tripped over his bag. He let out a whimper so pathetic that the entire class burst into hysterical laughter. But our moment of happiness did not last long. 

Mr Jerry’s face contorted with rage as he boomed, ‘’WHO DID THIS?!’’ 

His eyes seemed to be spewing out poison as he stared accusingly at everyone of us, trying to find signs of guilt. I, as usual, made use of my pretty good acting skills, and pretended to cower in fear with the rest of the class. 

“Trisha, was it YOU?’’ he hollered. “SEE ME AFTER CLASS!’’ 

For some reason, he knew that I was the one behind all this. Lesson started as per normal, with me almost falling asleep, barely being able to keep my eyes open. I excused myself to wash my face, but when I came back, the class was full of tensed whispers.

“Hey Trisha, you’re in trouble…’’ Alyssa warned.

“You better watch out…’’ Stella said.

“Mr Jerry’s going to throw a real cockroach at you…’’ Nicole muttered.

I shrugged it all off, mustered a stoic expression, and sat down. I was chatting animatedly with my friend Alyssa when… 

“SHUT UP TRISHA!’’ Mr Jerry’s voice reverberated throughout the room. 

He threw a piece of crumpled paper in my direction. Oh no! Was the cockroach in there? The real live one? In my panic, I let out a small scream, but to my relief, when I opened the piece of paper, I found no cockroach. I laughed it off, and the class laughed with me, but Mr Jerry had more in store for me.

Another crushed piece of paper flew towards me. I laughed nonchalantly. 

“What sort of joke is this?’’ I asked, bending down to pick up the supposedly harmless piece of crushed paper. To my horror…

“Aaaaaaaahhhh!’’ I let out an ear-piercing scream for a good 30 seconds. 

A real live cockroach crawled out! I was paralysed, I stood rooted to the ground and stared at the flying cockroach while Mr Jerry flashed a wicked grin. I fainted on the spot.

When I regained my consciousness moments later, I was on the carpet of the tuition centre’s floor. Class was already over. I stood up, grabbed my phone from the table, and fled. I did not want to see Mr Jerry after class. I scrambled down the stairs, not bothering to even take the lift. 

When I checked my phone notifications later on, two thousand alerts overwhelmed me. I went to one of the links my friend had sent me. The title read:

‘One Hour of Cockroach Screaming Girl’. There was a video of me, screaming again and again, replayed for one hour, and the video was shared 10,061 times.  

Whenever I recall that incident, my face still burns with humiliation. I had been dared to play a foolish prank on Mr Jerry, but I did not expect him to play such a cruel prank back on me. He who laugh lasts, literally laughs the longest.

By Keira, P6

Topic: A Heart-Warming Experience

Pictures given: A birthday cake, A beach, A photo

        The sweat, the blazing sun, the heat... The memory of this heart-warming experience was still vivid in my mind. It happened just last weekend…

“Everyone, gather over here now!” Mr Tan demanded. 

I barely heard what Mr Tan said as something unpleasant had caught my attention. The entire beach looked like a junkyard! The shore was littered with discarded plastic, unwanted trash, and broken toys. I could not withstand the pungent odour that followed me wherever I went. I wrinkled my nose in revulsion.

“Billy! I said gather over here!” Mr Tan shouted with flared nostrils.

 I walked over to him and joined the other students. 

“Today we are at the beach to clean up the littler, and make it litter free!” Mr Tan explained. 

He split us up into four groups. 

“One group will be in charge of picking up items made of paper. The second group will pick up glass bottles, and the third will pick up anything made of metal.

Lastly, the fourth group will pick up plastic…” 

He distributed three trash bags to each group, and we all got to work.

I felt like I was being heated by a furnace. Even though I was wearing sandals, the hot sand was still burning my feet. I perspired profusely as beads of sweat trickled down my forehead. I felt a stab of jealousy watching the beach goers lying under their beach umbrellas. However, I continued to persevere and pick up as much litter on the beach as I could. 

“Keeping the beach clean is everyone’s responsibility!” I kept reminding myself. 

To motivate myself as I cleaned up the beach, I hummed a jovial tune I had heard on the radio earlier. “Save my word, save my world today…”

Before long, the other students hummed along. We supported one another and that inspired me to work even harder and it was very satisfying to see the piles of rubbish on the beach slowly disappearing. The clean-up required a lot of effort, so we took breaks in between the cleaning to quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger.

After what seemed like hours, the beach was finally transformed into a pristine stretch of land! There was not a litter in sight. I felt the buzz of achievement as my hard work had paid off! 

The sea was rise and fell with its dormant strength. The waves were undulating gently to the shore. I could hear the sea kindling its own symphony. We strolled along the beach, enjoying the grainy sand under our toes, and watching it glow with a newfound glory. Surrounded by a watery wonderland, the beach was drenched in the vibrant hues of the setting sun as an evening breeze playfully tugged at the palm trees, gently shaking their branches.

We rested in the shade as we were completely spent. However, we were filled with pride as we had completed our mission. As I look at the sparkling beach, my heart swelled as I knew that I would never forget this heart-warming experience.

By Kenneth Koh, P6

Topic: An Unexpected Friendship

Pictures: A dog, a school bus, a burger

 

“Finally school’s over!” I chirped as I lugged my heavy school bag back home. 

Just then, I noticed a filthy, scrawny, brown dog lingering outside my school gates. It looks abandoned, I thought. I immediately took pity on it and rummaged through my school bag. I fished out some leftover pieces of bread in my lunchbox and tottered towards the pathetic dog.

“Here have some!” I offered, flashing a broad grin at it. 

It seemed to have noticed my presence and opened its lifeless eyes. The dog gazed up at me with shimmering eyes for a moment before munching on the bread. I patted it and proceeded back home. 

From that day onwards, the same pug would be lying on the ground, waiting for me. Once it caught sight of me, it would wag its tail enthusiastically, jumping up and down. As the days passed, I started finding it a nuisance. Sometimes, it would even trail me back home! 

“Stop following me, stalker!” I could not control my frustration and yelled at it. 

With my fists clenched, I shot the dog a menacing glare. It licked its paws and stared at me with those sparkling innocent eyes, something I found difficult to resist. 

“Stop showing me those pitiful eyes and stop waiting for me!” 

There was a note of finality in my words. I quickened my steps and glanced back for a few times, making sure it left me alone. 

However, one afternoon, my unfriendly sentiments changed. On that fateful day, I was skipping back home merrily, glad that I had a whole weekend to rest. I was even whistling and singing to myself.

“Hey punk! Where do you think you are going?” a familiar voice called out. 

I spun around. To my utter horror, there stood the notorious bully Jack and his gang. My worst nightmare had returned to haunt me.

“Wha..What do you want? I gave you a…all my pocket money la…last week already,” I stammered. 

My heart palpitated erratically against my ribcage, as if it would pop out of my chest at any moment.

“A few pennies is not enough, you poor, pathetic kid. Give me your wallet!” he demanded, waving his fist at me threateningly. 

“I…I don’t have any mo…money. I …I told my mother a…about you, sto…stop stealing my money!” I stammered as I broke out into cold sweat.

Venom spewed from his lips as his cursed me under his breath. To my horror, Jack then grabbed me by my collar and slammed me onto the ground with a loud thud. I grimaced in agony. His entire gang started heckling and kicking at me. I rolled myself into a ball, trying not to scream in pain.

All of a sudden, the ‘stalker’ dog came rushing towards me. It took a giant leap and clamped its teeth around Jack’s left leg, savagely biting him.

“Ouch! You stupid dog!” Jack struggled to shake him free. 

The dog let go but he continued barking furiously at Jack and his gang. Jack’s gang members stepped away from Jack and me. Then like a bunch of cowards, they ran out of sight, leaving Jack alone. Jack was still shaken even after the stray dog had stopped biting him.

“You…you better watch out, I’m going to s…sue y…you!” he stammered and scurried away like a mouse.

“Thanks,” I said to the dog, still traumatised by everything that had just happened. 

My hero licked my bruised knee in a comforting manner.

“By the way, I shall name you Rusty from now onwards!” I grinned at it.

Rusty barked excitedly at its new name and pranced around. 

After saving me from the bullies, I decided to adopt Rusty. We played together and even slept in the same room, becoming as thick as thieves. Our relationship illustrated the fact that the best friendships can be formed under the most unlikely circumstances. 

 By Oh Yan Lin, P6

Topic: Being a Leader

Pictures given: A group of hands overlaying one another, A pair of hands clapping, A medal

 

            “Class! Welcome to the Interclass Team Bonding Event! You will be in groups of 5 and you have to go through a series of tough obstacles. You must learn to work together and listen to instructions well. Good luck! Now, please go to your assigned teams,” the organiser announced. 

I darted towards the cone with my team’s name stuck on to it. I prayed for teammates who were athletic. The students all searched for their respective teams while I waited in anticipation. When I saw a few students in my team whom I was unfamiliar with, I got worried as the appeared rather unfriendly. However, I remembered not to judge a book by its cover.

            I introduced myself to my teammates and encouraged everyone to introduce themselves too. I also asked some casual questions and inquired about their backgrounds. Once we warmed up to one another, they were not so hostile to me or the other teammates anymore. We tried to get ourselves energised and we took sips of water before the race. However, I realised that my team was still not motivated enough. I had to find a way to get them excited. 

Based on our casual conversations earlier, I had a feeling my team would enjoy eating pizza and ice cream. 

I turned around to face my them and said, “Come on guys! Let’s give this our best shot. I really want to win! If we win, I promise to treat the entire team to pizza and ice cream! Mark my words!”

            Their faces lit up and they nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah let’s do it!”

“We can win this race, guys!”

 Their spirits were lifted. I turned around and focused my attention on the obstacle course in front of me. I could feel the tension in the air. 

Bang! 

The starter gun went off. All 10 teams rushed forward in a flurry of activity. Everyone was running, swinging, and dodging. In one of the obstacles, we had to leap over make-shift rocks. I lost my footing and slipped. I landed hard on the ground and a burst of pain shot through my leg. 

“Argh!” I cried out.

One of my teammates, Josh, hoisted me up to my feet as the rest continued down the course, trying to pull ahead.

            Josh and I darted after them, closing the gap. When we caught up, they all checked if I was fine before continuing. Then, there was an obstacle in front which had one of our teammates, Brandon, frozen to the spot. 

We had to swim across a small stream to get to the other side. Brandon had a phobia of water. The rest of us tried reassuring him that it would be alright, and that nothing would go wrong. I told the rest to go on first as I comforted Brandon. I offered to go with him and help him to cross the stream. He took a deep breath before nodding in agreement. I grabbed his hand while we waded and swam across the stream. Josh and one of the teammates pulled us out from the other bank. We breezed through the rest of the obstacles without a hitch.

            As we raced to the finish line, we were neck and neck with a strong competitor 

“Come on! We’re almost there!” I urged my teammates to sprint faster. 

All of us crossed the finish line a second before the other team, winning by a hair’s breadth. We were on the top of the world! I collapsed onto the ground, breathless. We grinned from ear to ear as we received our trophies to a resounding applause. True to my words, I treated the entire group to pizza and ice cream. 

            “Rhysand, you are definitely a born leader!” the entire group exclaimed.

            “No guys, it was a team effort.” I shrugged off the compliment and smiled.

             

Inez Chua, P6

Topic: Learning a New Skill

Pictures given: A computer, A frying pan, A boy learning martial arts

 

“Today, I will be teaching you how to use PowerPoint on a computer so that all of you will be able to work on your projects and present them to the class,” my teacher, Mrs Tan, said. Animated chatter filled the air.

       “Does she think we are in primary one? It’s obvious that we already know how to use PowerPoint!” my best friend, Mabel, muttered to me. 

All my classmates started complaining about how they already knew how to construct a PowerPoint presentation. However, I looked down, trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone. It seemed like I was the only one who did not know how to use PowerPoint. Although our teachers had briefly taught us the basic skills in Primary One, I did not manage to understand anything and ended up relying on my friends to help me finish the work. For three years, I had no further exposure on how to use PowerPoint to make a presentation. After all, I was not interested in acquiring such a skill.

         “First of all, I want everyone to log in to your computers,” Mrs Tan told the class. 

I took what felt like an eternity to type in my username and password, just so that I could log into the computer. By then, most of my classmates had already logged in and were tinkering with the software.

       “Class, look at the screen. Click on this button over here and choose a layout you want by clicking the next button here,” Mrs Tan said as she demonstrated the steps to the class. 

I did as I was told but I was confounded by the myriad of layouts I could choose from. Mrs Tan then taught us how to insert a new slide. I had a hard time trying to figure out where the buttons were. I was also struggling to hold the mouse properly. Before I could even insert the new slide, Mrs Tan proceeded to tell us how we could type in words. Trying my best to keep up, I clicked on the first slide according to her instructions. She told us to click on the text box twice before deleting the standard text and adding our own text. She also told us that we could change the colour and fonts of our texts simply by clicking some buttons on the toolbar. Again, I struggled to keep up. I stared dumbly at the large number of options to choose from.

          Snapping out of my stupor, my fingers fumbled on the keyboard as I typed some words into PowerPoint. After that, I was able to change colour and font. How cool!

            “Are you actually following what Mrs Tan is saying?” Mabel whispered to me upon seeing me trying out some PowerPoint features.

             I nodded in embarrassment before glancing at her screen. She was already on Google, promptly researching on the project topic. 

Mabel looked back at me and said, “I’ll teach you instead.” 

I nodded gratefully and thanked her. 

         She explained to me how PowerPoint worked in detail. Mabel taught me how to navigate my presentation, create a beautiful PowerPoint template, and preview my presentation slides. In addition, she also taught me how to add transitions between the slides as well as the pictures. I thanked her for the umpteenth time after she gave me that short crash course on PowerPoint. Mabel beamed brightly. 

She asked patiently, “Shall we work on the project now?”

          “We should,” I replied confidently before proceeding to help with researching the project.

 I was grateful to have Mabel as a friend. If not for her, I would not have learnt how to use PowerPoint on the computer! Due to Mabel’s guidance, I have become competent at using the software and even enjoyed creating presentations. Both of us had our eyes glued on our computer screens, fingers typing away as Mrs Tan droned on like a broken record. 

            That was how I gained a valuable skill that would help me in the future!