A Secret
A cool breeze brushed lightly on my face. I knew that the weather was perfect. As I drank in the majestic scene, my brother nudged at me. He pulled my shirt and tried to haul me towards the registration counter to enter the both of us in the Annual Kite-flying Competition.
With great reluctance, I tore myself away from the scene and wrote my name and contact number in bold letters on the entry form. My trusty kite, whom I named Titan, was being constructed at the competition when something cropped up. The strings were worn out and that worried me. So, I got my father to help me reattach a brand new string to it.
Meantime, the young girls apprehensively approached me.
“Ca…Can you help us?” one of them stuttered unintelligibly.
“Um… with what?” I inquired with suspicion building up.
“Our kite….snagged on a tree,” the other whispered. At this line, my suspicion melted away. They did not say anything else but pointed to a big, tall tree. My mouth fell open. Since young, I always had a phobia of heights, so this tree seemed like a huge obstacle.
Not wanting to disappoint the girls, I gulped down a ball of air, put my fears aside and grabbed a branch to help me get a headstart on the tree. The smooth surface of the tree did not make it easier. “If only….some rough bark to help me climb,” I muttered.
I hugged the tree tightly and began to clamber up the tree with my arms wrapped around it. I must have looked like a fool with my back arched like a caterpillar.
“Don’t look down!” the girls cried. Of course, I looked down in spite of their cries. Sure enough, my legs turned into jelly and my arms turned into licorice. I was hanging onto the tree for my dear life!
With the girls’ encouragement however, I continued with the slow, agonizing climb. Without even realizing it, I had reached the top with new adrenline pumping in me, I grabbed the kite and threw it at one of their arms.
I slide down the tree and was laughing victoriously. I had overcome my fear of heights! By this time, my father and brother were already beckoning me to go to them. The girls whispered a thank you before skipping away.
It was then that I realized a lens in the bushes. I walked over to it and split the bushes apart. There was a camera there! It suddenly dawned on me that they were filming a new series called “Go Fish for Samaritans!”. The kites, girls and slippery tree were all just an act!
Turning beetroot red, I turned away in a show of affected indifference, knowing that I was pranked on and they scored an upper hand on me. I trudged to my father and took over the reins of Titan, which had been struggling on to go free.
Although I had won the gold medal in the competition, I was still embarrassed by the cruel fact that I made a fool of myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the innocent-looking girls playing the prank again obese man. I laughed once. I could not believe that I was so shallow!
Many other people had been pranked and they did not even know about it! The moment I got back home, I picked up the television remote control and turned the programmed to Channel 5 and waited for eight o’clock to come. I might even see myself on the programme! A secret was revealed!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Supp class this Saturday!
Dear Pupils from my class
I hope you have done your best in your EL papers today.
Keep up with the momentum for the remaining papers!
This Saturday's class is on from 0800 to 0930. Consent forms will be given to you tomorrow morning before 0715. Please get your parents to sign and return the forms to me on Friday.
Cheers
Mdm Toh
I hope you have done your best in your EL papers today.
Keep up with the momentum for the remaining papers!
This Saturday's class is on from 0800 to 0930. Consent forms will be given to you tomorrow morning before 0715. Please get your parents to sign and return the forms to me on Friday.
Cheers
Mdm Toh
Maths Problems 7 October 09 (updated)
1. In May, 40% of the people who visited a park were children and the rest were adults.
75% of the adults were women.
In June, the number of children who visited the park increased by 1/5 and there were 336 more children than adults.
The number of adults who visited the park in June remained the same as that in May but only of the adults were women.
(a) What was the ratio of the number of children to the number of men to the number of women who visited the park in May ? (1)
(b) How many people visited the park in June ? (4)
2. At 7am, a car started travelling from Town A towards Town B at an average speed of 64km/h. At 10am, a van started travelling from Town A towards Town B at an average speed of 56km/h. By then, the car had already covered 2/5 of the entire journey.
(a) What was the distance between Town A and Town B ? (2)
(b) How far from Town A had the van travelled when the car reached Town B ? (2)
3. Ali, Ben and Charles shared the cost of a present.
The ratio of the amount paid by Ali to the total amount paid by Ben and Charles was 2 : 3
Ben’s share was 20% of the total amount paid by Ali and Charles.
Given that Charles paid $84 more than Ben, how much did the present cost? (4)
4. Tom and Jerry have some stamps. If Tom gives 160 stamps to Jerry, the ratio of the number of stamps he has to the number of stamps Jerry has is 3:2. If he gives 40 stamps to Jerry, he will have 4 times as many stamps as Jerry. How many stamps does Tom have? (3)
5. John had 600 stamps in his collection of which 20% were from Malaysia.
How many Malaysian stamps must his brother give him to increase the percentage of John’s Malaysian stamps to 36%? (3)
6. A box contained some twenty-cent and ten-cent coins in the ratio 2 : 3.
When 10 twenty-cent coins were added and 5 ten-cent coins were
removed, the ratio became 6 : 7 .
Find the sum of the money in the box at first. (3)
75% of the adults were women.
In June, the number of children who visited the park increased by 1/5 and there were 336 more children than adults.
The number of adults who visited the park in June remained the same as that in May but only of the adults were women.
(a) What was the ratio of the number of children to the number of men to the number of women who visited the park in May ? (1)
(b) How many people visited the park in June ? (4)
2. At 7am, a car started travelling from Town A towards Town B at an average speed of 64km/h. At 10am, a van started travelling from Town A towards Town B at an average speed of 56km/h. By then, the car had already covered 2/5 of the entire journey.
(a) What was the distance between Town A and Town B ? (2)
(b) How far from Town A had the van travelled when the car reached Town B ? (2)
3. Ali, Ben and Charles shared the cost of a present.
The ratio of the amount paid by Ali to the total amount paid by Ben and Charles was 2 : 3
Ben’s share was 20% of the total amount paid by Ali and Charles.
Given that Charles paid $84 more than Ben, how much did the present cost? (4)
4. Tom and Jerry have some stamps. If Tom gives 160 stamps to Jerry, the ratio of the number of stamps he has to the number of stamps Jerry has is 3:2. If he gives 40 stamps to Jerry, he will have 4 times as many stamps as Jerry. How many stamps does Tom have? (3)
5. John had 600 stamps in his collection of which 20% were from Malaysia.
How many Malaysian stamps must his brother give him to increase the percentage of John’s Malaysian stamps to 36%? (3)
6. A box contained some twenty-cent and ten-cent coins in the ratio 2 : 3.
When 10 twenty-cent coins were added and 5 ten-cent coins were
removed, the ratio became 6 : 7 .
Find the sum of the money in the box at first. (3)
Monday, October 5, 2009
Maths Problems 5 October 09
1. At 9.30 a.m., Train A which was 200 m long, pulled out of Nanas Station and travelled towards Dadas Station at a uniform speed of 80 km/h. Half an hour later, Train B which was 150 m long, left Dadas Station and travelled towards Nanas Station at an uniform speed of 90 km/h.
(a) How far has Train A travelled when Train B left Dadas Station? (1m)
(b) The two trains met each other in a tunnel. Both trains took 15 minutes to be completely out of the tunnel. Calculate the length of the tunnel. (4m)
2. There were some sweets in Boxes X, Y and Z.
Box X contained 20% of the total number of sweets in Boxes X, Y and Z.
The ratio of the number of sweets in Box Y to the total number of sweets in Boxes X and Z is
2 : 1.
If there are 24 more sweets in Box Y than Box Z, find the total number of sweets in Boxes X, Y and Z. (5m)
3. John shifted the decimal point of a number twice to the left to obtain a new number. The difference between the new number and the original number was 136.62.
(a) How many times of the new number is the original number? (1m)
(b) What is the sum of the 2 numbers? (3m)
4. Mrs Kee baked some cookies and packed all the cookies in 12 small boxes and 5 big boxes.
There were equal number of cookies in each small box and equal number of cookies in each big box.
Each big box contained 14 more cookies than each small box. 18/29 of the cookies baked were packed in small boxes.
How many cookies were there in each small box? (4m)
5. Tricia has some pink, red and yellow ribbons.
1/3 of them are pink ribbons.
Four fewer than 1/3 of the remainder are red ribbons.
The remaining 24 are yellow ribbons.
How many pink ribbons does Tricia have? (3m)
6. Alice, Beth and Claire had 600 stamps altogether. After Beth had given 30 stamps to Alice, Beth had twice as many stamps as Claire and Alice had 20 stamps more than Claire. How many stamps did Claire have? (3m)
7. Last year the total age of Mr Tan and his wife is p years old.
His wife is 1 year younger than him.
What is his wife’s age 2 years from now? Express your answer in terms of p. (3m)
8. Tracy counted the number of 10-¢ coins, 20-¢ coins and 50-¢ coins in her piggy bank. The number of 10-¢ coins was 24 more than the number of 50-¢ coins. After spending 3/5 of the 10-¢ coins, 1/4 of the 20-¢ coins and 18 50-¢ coins, she had an equal number of 10-¢ and 20-¢ coins. The number of 50-¢ coins now formed 40% of the remaining number of coins
(a) How many 10-¢ coins did Tracy have at first? (3m)
(b) How much did she spend in all? (2m)
9. Ahmad and Halim together took 5 days to paint their house. If Ahmad and Halim work together for 2 days, followed by Ahmad working alone for 8 days, Halim will take 1 more day to complete the remaining work. How long will Ahmad take to paint the house all by himself? (5m)
10. Mr. Tan had 130 durians and mangosteens. After he sold 2/3 of the durians and 2/5 of the mangosteens, he had 36 more mangosteens than durians left. How many fruits had he left in all? (4m)
(a) How far has Train A travelled when Train B left Dadas Station? (1m)
(b) The two trains met each other in a tunnel. Both trains took 15 minutes to be completely out of the tunnel. Calculate the length of the tunnel. (4m)
2. There were some sweets in Boxes X, Y and Z.
Box X contained 20% of the total number of sweets in Boxes X, Y and Z.
The ratio of the number of sweets in Box Y to the total number of sweets in Boxes X and Z is
2 : 1.
If there are 24 more sweets in Box Y than Box Z, find the total number of sweets in Boxes X, Y and Z. (5m)
3. John shifted the decimal point of a number twice to the left to obtain a new number. The difference between the new number and the original number was 136.62.
(a) How many times of the new number is the original number? (1m)
(b) What is the sum of the 2 numbers? (3m)
4. Mrs Kee baked some cookies and packed all the cookies in 12 small boxes and 5 big boxes.
There were equal number of cookies in each small box and equal number of cookies in each big box.
Each big box contained 14 more cookies than each small box. 18/29 of the cookies baked were packed in small boxes.
How many cookies were there in each small box? (4m)
5. Tricia has some pink, red and yellow ribbons.
1/3 of them are pink ribbons.
Four fewer than 1/3 of the remainder are red ribbons.
The remaining 24 are yellow ribbons.
How many pink ribbons does Tricia have? (3m)
6. Alice, Beth and Claire had 600 stamps altogether. After Beth had given 30 stamps to Alice, Beth had twice as many stamps as Claire and Alice had 20 stamps more than Claire. How many stamps did Claire have? (3m)
7. Last year the total age of Mr Tan and his wife is p years old.
His wife is 1 year younger than him.
What is his wife’s age 2 years from now? Express your answer in terms of p. (3m)
8. Tracy counted the number of 10-¢ coins, 20-¢ coins and 50-¢ coins in her piggy bank. The number of 10-¢ coins was 24 more than the number of 50-¢ coins. After spending 3/5 of the 10-¢ coins, 1/4 of the 20-¢ coins and 18 50-¢ coins, she had an equal number of 10-¢ and 20-¢ coins. The number of 50-¢ coins now formed 40% of the remaining number of coins
(a) How many 10-¢ coins did Tracy have at first? (3m)
(b) How much did she spend in all? (2m)
9. Ahmad and Halim together took 5 days to paint their house. If Ahmad and Halim work together for 2 days, followed by Ahmad working alone for 8 days, Halim will take 1 more day to complete the remaining work. How long will Ahmad take to paint the house all by himself? (5m)
10. Mr. Tan had 130 durians and mangosteens. After he sold 2/3 of the durians and 2/5 of the mangosteens, he had 36 more mangosteens than durians left. How many fruits had he left in all? (4m)
CW by Jing Jie (unedited)
“Hey! There is something I need to tell you about.” My closest friend Jay whispered to me as he sat beside me in the canteen.
“What?” I asked.
Jay said, “You know about the abandoned house beside our school, right? Well… today, my classmate Jackson said he saw a shadowy figure looking at him from an open window in that house.”
I nearly choked on the minced meat noodles I was eating.
“Please do not tell me your crazy idea is to….go into that house?” I stammered, pushing away my half eaten bowl of noodles.
“Well, I was going to try…but now that you know, how about this? You come along with me into the house!” He exclaimed, a foolish grin on his face. I was dumbfounded, normally kids our age would be horrified the moment they heard about the abandoned house, but Jay was as cool as a cucumber.
“Come on, it will be fun!” He coaxed. In the end, I agreed to come along with him, not wanting to be called a coward.
The wind howled and the dead leaves rustled as we walked to the abandoned house after school. Standing at the gates towering over us, I smiled weakly “ Are you sure you want to enter, no second thoughts?”
Jay scoffed, slowly pushing the gates open. Creaking, the gates shifted, groaning with each inch it moved. The terrible sound sent shivers down my spine. Stealthily, we made our way to the front gates.
Jay took a deep breath and flung the doors open, expecting to see someone, or something, only to find an empty corridor, with piles of dust everywhere. “Hello? Is…is someone there?” Jay stammered.
There was no reply, all we heard was the soft howling of the wind in the absolute silence of the house.
After exploring the first floor, we groped our way to the second floor, fascination and fear filled our hearts. We then split up to search the rooms for any sign of the figure Jackson saw.
Slowly, I made my way to the room at the very end. To my surprise, the room was spotless, with not a speck of dust present. “Strange…it should have been as dusty as others?” I muttered.
Then, a small gleam near the window caught my attention. Walking over, I saw a small stone, one that looked like the gleaming stones on Jay’s watch.
I spun around, to see Jay, grinning at me, my eyes transfixed on Jay’s watch in horror.
One of the stones was missing. Then it hit me. I stated at him and stuttered, “you…you are not…not J…. Jay.”
Jay’s grin turned into a silent smile. His smile was the only thing I saw, and the last. As I lost consciousness, and as darkness claimed me, I could swear I thought Jay was changing his form.
“What?” I asked.
Jay said, “You know about the abandoned house beside our school, right? Well… today, my classmate Jackson said he saw a shadowy figure looking at him from an open window in that house.”
I nearly choked on the minced meat noodles I was eating.
“Please do not tell me your crazy idea is to….go into that house?” I stammered, pushing away my half eaten bowl of noodles.
“Well, I was going to try…but now that you know, how about this? You come along with me into the house!” He exclaimed, a foolish grin on his face. I was dumbfounded, normally kids our age would be horrified the moment they heard about the abandoned house, but Jay was as cool as a cucumber.
“Come on, it will be fun!” He coaxed. In the end, I agreed to come along with him, not wanting to be called a coward.
The wind howled and the dead leaves rustled as we walked to the abandoned house after school. Standing at the gates towering over us, I smiled weakly “ Are you sure you want to enter, no second thoughts?”
Jay scoffed, slowly pushing the gates open. Creaking, the gates shifted, groaning with each inch it moved. The terrible sound sent shivers down my spine. Stealthily, we made our way to the front gates.
Jay took a deep breath and flung the doors open, expecting to see someone, or something, only to find an empty corridor, with piles of dust everywhere. “Hello? Is…is someone there?” Jay stammered.
There was no reply, all we heard was the soft howling of the wind in the absolute silence of the house.
After exploring the first floor, we groped our way to the second floor, fascination and fear filled our hearts. We then split up to search the rooms for any sign of the figure Jackson saw.
Slowly, I made my way to the room at the very end. To my surprise, the room was spotless, with not a speck of dust present. “Strange…it should have been as dusty as others?” I muttered.
Then, a small gleam near the window caught my attention. Walking over, I saw a small stone, one that looked like the gleaming stones on Jay’s watch.
I spun around, to see Jay, grinning at me, my eyes transfixed on Jay’s watch in horror.
One of the stones was missing. Then it hit me. I stated at him and stuttered, “you…you are not…not J…. Jay.”
Jay’s grin turned into a silent smile. His smile was the only thing I saw, and the last. As I lost consciousness, and as darkness claimed me, I could swear I thought Jay was changing his form.
Friday, October 2, 2009
CW by Jiayi (unedited)
One day, the canteen was filled with the usual crowd from stall to stall. I was eating at the school canteen. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw May, my best friend, rushing towards me.
"Hey, June, I want to talk to you. It's urgent," May sat down beside me and said hurriedly. I gulped down my soup and asked, "Ok. What's the problem? "
May began her story, "Just after Mrs. Lim released us for recess, I went to the washroom and to my disbelief, I saw Linda smoking there. I tried to stop her and told her that smoking is bad for her health but she told me to stay away from her affairs and warned me not to tell anyone or else I'll pay for it. I've been worried about her. She hasn't been looking the best of health these few days."
Thinking back, Linda looked worn out and had been coughing non-stop for days. Sure enough, after recess, Linda walked past us and growled to May saying, "You better keep quiet!" May shot me a 'you-see' look and i finally believed May as Linda breath reeked of cigarette smells "Shouldn't we do anything to help her?" I asked May as soon as we sat down on our seats.
"Maybe we could confront her after school and advised her to stop smoking," May suggested. Thinking that it was the only choice we had, I agreed. Throughout the whole day, May and I were very unsettled, fearing that Linda might not listen to us. After what seemed like an eternity, the school bell finally rang. We bought our time by packing our bags slowly, waiting for Linda, as Mrs. Lim and the others went out. "Linda may be staying back to smoke again!"I whispered to May.
"Hey Linda wait!' May stopped Linda as she walked past her.
"What?!" Linda demanded,Linda looked at me and said,"You must have told her haven't you?"
"Linda,please! You've got to stop smoking! please!" I pleaded.
"I don't need your concerns!" Linda snapped at me.
"Linda please! What happened to you? Please stop all this madness! You could tell us! We will be there for you! We would help you in anyway we can!" I tried to talk some sense into her.
"I have no choice! All of you simply ignored me! I tried to ask you for help but you ignored me too! I have no choice but to resort to smoking to calm my nerves!" Linda finally spilled everything out .
A pang of guilt struck me. I thought to myself, feeling very sorry "What a failure friend I am!"
"Linda we are so sorry! We never know that we have been ignoring you!" May said to Linda. Linda smiled through her brimming tears showing that she forgave us. Because of this incident our bond with Linda became as strong as steel.
"Hey, June, I want to talk to you. It's urgent," May sat down beside me and said hurriedly. I gulped down my soup and asked, "Ok. What's the problem? "
May began her story, "Just after Mrs. Lim released us for recess, I went to the washroom and to my disbelief, I saw Linda smoking there. I tried to stop her and told her that smoking is bad for her health but she told me to stay away from her affairs and warned me not to tell anyone or else I'll pay for it. I've been worried about her. She hasn't been looking the best of health these few days."
Thinking back, Linda looked worn out and had been coughing non-stop for days. Sure enough, after recess, Linda walked past us and growled to May saying, "You better keep quiet!" May shot me a 'you-see' look and i finally believed May as Linda breath reeked of cigarette smells "Shouldn't we do anything to help her?" I asked May as soon as we sat down on our seats.
"Maybe we could confront her after school and advised her to stop smoking," May suggested. Thinking that it was the only choice we had, I agreed. Throughout the whole day, May and I were very unsettled, fearing that Linda might not listen to us. After what seemed like an eternity, the school bell finally rang. We bought our time by packing our bags slowly, waiting for Linda, as Mrs. Lim and the others went out. "Linda may be staying back to smoke again!"I whispered to May.
"Hey Linda wait!' May stopped Linda as she walked past her.
"What?!" Linda demanded,Linda looked at me and said,"You must have told her haven't you?"
"Linda,please! You've got to stop smoking! please!" I pleaded.
"I don't need your concerns!" Linda snapped at me.
"Linda please! What happened to you? Please stop all this madness! You could tell us! We will be there for you! We would help you in anyway we can!" I tried to talk some sense into her.
"I have no choice! All of you simply ignored me! I tried to ask you for help but you ignored me too! I have no choice but to resort to smoking to calm my nerves!" Linda finally spilled everything out .
A pang of guilt struck me. I thought to myself, feeling very sorry "What a failure friend I am!"
"Linda we are so sorry! We never know that we have been ignoring you!" May said to Linda. Linda smiled through her brimming tears showing that she forgave us. Because of this incident our bond with Linda became as strong as steel.
CW: Nadiah's Writing (unedited)
While I was munching on my biscuits during my break-time, I pondered about the behaviour of my best friend, Jamie. She was usually chirpy and enthusiastic but strangely today, she was very quiet and she looked as if she was guilty of doing something. She did not even want to sit with me during break-time. How weird!
All of a sudden, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I nearly choked on my biscuits. I swiveled my neck only to see a panic-stricken Jamie. At that moment my mind was clouded with many questions.
“I need to talk to you now,” Jamie whispered, there was a sense of urgency in her tone.
“Sure,” I replied with a quick nod.
Jamie pulled my hand and took me to the library, where not many students were. I was really puzzled. Why must Jamie talk to me in the library? Why not in the canteen?
“Bella, promise me you won’t tell anyone about this,” Jamie whispered again into my ears, sounding very anxious.
I nodded and gave Jamie a you-can-trust-me look.
“Bella, I…actually…stole…Rayner’s handphone…” Jamie stammered, her lips quivered a little.
I was too shocked that my mouth just flung open, but no words came out of it. My best friend just did something terribly wrong! What was I supposed to do?
“Are you sure you stole his handphone?” I asked again, still stunned by Jamie’s confession.
Jamie just nodded her head gently.
I could not believe my ears! I just could not come to terms that Jamie was a thief. Jamie, my one and only best friend, was a thief.
“Please help me! I know I’m in the wrong. I feel so guilty now…” Jamie pleaded with me, letting her tears flow down her cheeks.
I was in a dilemma. If I were to inform my teacher about this, Jamie would certainly be dealt with a severe punishment. But if I just ignored this matter, Jamie might not learn her lesson.
“Where is the handphone now,” I asked Jamie softly.
“In my schoolbag,” replied Jamie as she wiped her tears away.
I assured her everything would turn out alright and soon she stopped sobbing. Then, both of us ran back to class and we went straight to Jamie’s bag.
Jamie took out the shiny, blue, latest Nokia handphone out of her bag. I remembered that Jamie longed to have that handphone. Maybe, that was the reason Jamie stole it from Rayner.
“But, Bella, I don’t want to confess. I’m scared,” cried Jamie, trembling in fear.
But, confession was the only solution I could think of. I really pitied Jamie and I did not want to betray her. But what could I do?
Suddenly, an idea flashed through my vexed mind!
“I have a brilliant idea! Why don’t we put Rayner’s handphone back to his bag? In that way, after recess, he would find out that his handphone was actually in his bag all along!” I explained my plan excitedly to Jamie who was all ears.
After explaining, Jamie instantly got to her feet, her face brightened up. I was delighted to see Jamie back to her normal self.
When I was about to put Rayner’s handphone back into his bag, I heard a loud, creaking noise. I turned around only to see Jamie and no one else.
“What’s wrong?” Jamie asked completely puzzled.
“Wait here,” I instructed and I slowly walked to the back of the classroom, making at least no noise.
When I turned to my right, I saw Rayner squatting down behind the back door of the classroom! I nearly jumped out of my skin!
“Aha! I heard everything! I know what’s going on! I know Jamie is the one who stole my handphone! I’m going to tell Mrs. Jennifer now!” shouted Rayner at the top of his voice and glared at us.
Then, he sped off, leaving Jamie and me all alone in the classroom. Jamie broke into tears. I tried to console her but to no avail. I had assured Jamie everything would turn out alright, but it did not. But, whatever it is, I would always stand by you, Jamie. Always.
All of a sudden, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I nearly choked on my biscuits. I swiveled my neck only to see a panic-stricken Jamie. At that moment my mind was clouded with many questions.
“I need to talk to you now,” Jamie whispered, there was a sense of urgency in her tone.
“Sure,” I replied with a quick nod.
Jamie pulled my hand and took me to the library, where not many students were. I was really puzzled. Why must Jamie talk to me in the library? Why not in the canteen?
“Bella, promise me you won’t tell anyone about this,” Jamie whispered again into my ears, sounding very anxious.
I nodded and gave Jamie a you-can-trust-me look.
“Bella, I…actually…stole…Rayner’s handphone…” Jamie stammered, her lips quivered a little.
I was too shocked that my mouth just flung open, but no words came out of it. My best friend just did something terribly wrong! What was I supposed to do?
“Are you sure you stole his handphone?” I asked again, still stunned by Jamie’s confession.
Jamie just nodded her head gently.
I could not believe my ears! I just could not come to terms that Jamie was a thief. Jamie, my one and only best friend, was a thief.
“Please help me! I know I’m in the wrong. I feel so guilty now…” Jamie pleaded with me, letting her tears flow down her cheeks.
I was in a dilemma. If I were to inform my teacher about this, Jamie would certainly be dealt with a severe punishment. But if I just ignored this matter, Jamie might not learn her lesson.
“Where is the handphone now,” I asked Jamie softly.
“In my schoolbag,” replied Jamie as she wiped her tears away.
I assured her everything would turn out alright and soon she stopped sobbing. Then, both of us ran back to class and we went straight to Jamie’s bag.
Jamie took out the shiny, blue, latest Nokia handphone out of her bag. I remembered that Jamie longed to have that handphone. Maybe, that was the reason Jamie stole it from Rayner.
“But, Bella, I don’t want to confess. I’m scared,” cried Jamie, trembling in fear.
But, confession was the only solution I could think of. I really pitied Jamie and I did not want to betray her. But what could I do?
Suddenly, an idea flashed through my vexed mind!
“I have a brilliant idea! Why don’t we put Rayner’s handphone back to his bag? In that way, after recess, he would find out that his handphone was actually in his bag all along!” I explained my plan excitedly to Jamie who was all ears.
After explaining, Jamie instantly got to her feet, her face brightened up. I was delighted to see Jamie back to her normal self.
When I was about to put Rayner’s handphone back into his bag, I heard a loud, creaking noise. I turned around only to see Jamie and no one else.
“What’s wrong?” Jamie asked completely puzzled.
“Wait here,” I instructed and I slowly walked to the back of the classroom, making at least no noise.
When I turned to my right, I saw Rayner squatting down behind the back door of the classroom! I nearly jumped out of my skin!
“Aha! I heard everything! I know what’s going on! I know Jamie is the one who stole my handphone! I’m going to tell Mrs. Jennifer now!” shouted Rayner at the top of his voice and glared at us.
Then, he sped off, leaving Jamie and me all alone in the classroom. Jamie broke into tears. I tried to console her but to no avail. I had assured Jamie everything would turn out alright, but it did not. But, whatever it is, I would always stand by you, Jamie. Always.
Maths Problems 3 Oct / 4 Oct 09
1. A rectangular tank with dimensions 130 cm by 100 cm by 210 cm was
30% filled with water. 8 identical pails of water, completely filled,
were scooped out from it and this resulted in a drop of the water level
to 38 cm. The remaining amount of water was transferred into a
cubical tank containing 39b of water. The water was then drained
out through a tap at the bottom of the cubical tank at 13b per minute.
(a) What is the capacity of each pail? (2m)
(b) How long did it take to drain the water from the cubical tank completely? (3m)
2. At Carpark P, the number of lorries to that of vans was in the ratio 3 : 7.
At Carpark Q, the number of lorries to that of vans was in the ratio 8 : 9.
When 40% more lorries from an industrial park entered Carpark P, and
20% of the vans at Carpark Q moved to Carpark P, there were 76 fewer
lorries at Carpark P than at Carpark Q. How many vehicles were there
altogether at the two carparks finally? (5m)
3. A bullet train took 5 hours to travel from Patient Town to Honest Town while
an electric train took 4 hours longer to travel from Honest Town to Patient
Town. Both trains set off at the same time and moved towards each other.
Two hours later, they were 255 km apart. What was the speed of the electric
train? (4m)
4. Korey's allowance to Skyler's allowance was in the ratio 10 : 11. Both of
them spent an equal amount. Then Korey’s remaining allowance was 7/9
of Skyler's remaining allowance. What percentage of Skyler's allowance
did she spend? Leave your answer correct to 2 decimal places. (4m)
5. Mrs Ker had a bag of brown sugar. After she used some of the brown sugar,
she had 2/3 of the brown sugar left. Then she distributed 1/4 of what she
had left equally between her neighbours, Mrs Dee and Mrs Bheem. Finally,
Mrs Ker had 437.5 g of brown sugar more than Mrs Bheem. How much
brown sugar did Mrs Ker use? Leave your answer in g. (4m)
6. Shop A sold a party dress for $600. This was 20% more than the price of a similar dress in Shop B. During a sale, both shops offered the same percentage discount on the dress. Mrs Goh bought the dress from Shop B and found that she had paid $70 less than the discounted price in Shop A.
a) Find the price of the dress in Shop B before the sale. (2m)
b) What was the percentage discount given during the sale? (3m)
7. A fruit seller had some oranges, pears and durians. After selling some of them, there were 6 pears for every 5 oranges left and 7 oranges for every 3 durians left. He sold 168 oranges. He had 456 pears and oranges left. The number of pears sold was the same as the number of durians sold.
a) How many oranges had he at first? (2m)
b) If the number of pears was twice the number of durians at first, what was the
total number of pears and durians sold? (3m)
8. Tom and Gary ran in a race. When Gary had completed the run in 20 minutes, Tom had only run 5/8 of the distance.
Tom’s average speed for the race was 75 m/min less than Gary’s.
(a) Find the distance of the race. (2m)
(b) What was Tom’s speed in m/min? (3m)
9. After spending part of his salary on transport and 4/7 of the remainder on food, Ali saved $840.
a) If his salary was $2100, what fraction of his salary did he spend on transport? (2m)
b) If he had the same salary and he had to spend the same amount on transport, what fraction of his salary could he spend on food to save 3/5 of his salary? (2m)
10. Minghua and his sister had 25 stickers altogether at first. After their mother had given them some more stickers, Minghua had 5 times the number of stickers he had before and his sister had 3 times the number of stickers she had before. They had a total of 95 stickers in the end. How many stickers did their mother give each of them?
Ans: Minghua:________________(2m)
Sister:________________(2m)
30% filled with water. 8 identical pails of water, completely filled,
were scooped out from it and this resulted in a drop of the water level
to 38 cm. The remaining amount of water was transferred into a
cubical tank containing 39b of water. The water was then drained
out through a tap at the bottom of the cubical tank at 13b per minute.
(a) What is the capacity of each pail? (2m)
(b) How long did it take to drain the water from the cubical tank completely? (3m)
2. At Carpark P, the number of lorries to that of vans was in the ratio 3 : 7.
At Carpark Q, the number of lorries to that of vans was in the ratio 8 : 9.
When 40% more lorries from an industrial park entered Carpark P, and
20% of the vans at Carpark Q moved to Carpark P, there were 76 fewer
lorries at Carpark P than at Carpark Q. How many vehicles were there
altogether at the two carparks finally? (5m)
3. A bullet train took 5 hours to travel from Patient Town to Honest Town while
an electric train took 4 hours longer to travel from Honest Town to Patient
Town. Both trains set off at the same time and moved towards each other.
Two hours later, they were 255 km apart. What was the speed of the electric
train? (4m)
4. Korey's allowance to Skyler's allowance was in the ratio 10 : 11. Both of
them spent an equal amount. Then Korey’s remaining allowance was 7/9
of Skyler's remaining allowance. What percentage of Skyler's allowance
did she spend? Leave your answer correct to 2 decimal places. (4m)
5. Mrs Ker had a bag of brown sugar. After she used some of the brown sugar,
she had 2/3 of the brown sugar left. Then she distributed 1/4 of what she
had left equally between her neighbours, Mrs Dee and Mrs Bheem. Finally,
Mrs Ker had 437.5 g of brown sugar more than Mrs Bheem. How much
brown sugar did Mrs Ker use? Leave your answer in g. (4m)
6. Shop A sold a party dress for $600. This was 20% more than the price of a similar dress in Shop B. During a sale, both shops offered the same percentage discount on the dress. Mrs Goh bought the dress from Shop B and found that she had paid $70 less than the discounted price in Shop A.
a) Find the price of the dress in Shop B before the sale. (2m)
b) What was the percentage discount given during the sale? (3m)
7. A fruit seller had some oranges, pears and durians. After selling some of them, there were 6 pears for every 5 oranges left and 7 oranges for every 3 durians left. He sold 168 oranges. He had 456 pears and oranges left. The number of pears sold was the same as the number of durians sold.
a) How many oranges had he at first? (2m)
b) If the number of pears was twice the number of durians at first, what was the
total number of pears and durians sold? (3m)
8. Tom and Gary ran in a race. When Gary had completed the run in 20 minutes, Tom had only run 5/8 of the distance.
Tom’s average speed for the race was 75 m/min less than Gary’s.
(a) Find the distance of the race. (2m)
(b) What was Tom’s speed in m/min? (3m)
9. After spending part of his salary on transport and 4/7 of the remainder on food, Ali saved $840.
a) If his salary was $2100, what fraction of his salary did he spend on transport? (2m)
b) If he had the same salary and he had to spend the same amount on transport, what fraction of his salary could he spend on food to save 3/5 of his salary? (2m)
10. Minghua and his sister had 25 stickers altogether at first. After their mother had given them some more stickers, Minghua had 5 times the number of stickers he had before and his sister had 3 times the number of stickers she had before. They had a total of 95 stickers in the end. How many stickers did their mother give each of them?
Ans: Minghua:________________(2m)
Sister:________________(2m)
Nominating Sulin Wong for the Junior Kindness Award
I am writing in with delight to nominate Sulin Wong, a pupil of Punggol School for the Junior Kindness Award (1m).
Last Monday, 7 July 2008, which was Youth Day, a school holiday (1m), I was on Bus 851 (1m) with my mother. As it was at the peak hour at 5.30 pm (1m), the bus was very crowded (1m). At the bus-stop opposite Ganghou Mall, an elderly woman boarded the bus bound for the Punggol Interchange. On seeing the elderly's plight in getting a seat, my mother and I witnessed before us a Samaritan at work. Sulin Wong, who was also on board, readily rose from her seat and offered it to the old lady (1m).
Not only did her act of kindness touch the heart of the old lady who was generous with her praises, it also taught all who were at the scene how Singapore can be a more pleasant and gracious society through simple but selfless gestures.
Sulin Wong's act is exemplary and her kindness definitely deserves to be recognised.
Harry Tan
Passenger of Bus 851
I am writing in with delight to nominate Sulin Wong, a pupil of Punggol School for the Junior Kindness Award (1m).
Last Monday, 7 July 2008, which was Youth Day, a school holiday (1m), I was on Bus 851 (1m) with my mother. As it was at the peak hour at 5.30 pm (1m), the bus was very crowded (1m). At the bus-stop opposite Ganghou Mall, an elderly woman boarded the bus bound for the Punggol Interchange. On seeing the elderly's plight in getting a seat, my mother and I witnessed before us a Samaritan at work. Sulin Wong, who was also on board, readily rose from her seat and offered it to the old lady (1m).
Not only did her act of kindness touch the heart of the old lady who was generous with her praises, it also taught all who were at the scene how Singapore can be a more pleasant and gracious society through simple but selfless gestures.
Sulin Wong's act is exemplary and her kindness definitely deserves to be recognised.
Harry Tan
Passenger of Bus 851
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Maths Problems 1 October 09
1. Elaine’s mom gave her money to buy some markers of the same price.
If she bought 8 such markers, she would have $8 left over.
If she bought 12 such markers, she would have $6 short.
(a) How much money did Elaine’s mom give her?
(b) How many markers could she buy if her mom were to give her another $14?
2.
A librarian counted the number of adults in the library and found that 2/5 of the number of women was equal to 2 times the number of men. When another 12 men entered the library and 45 women left the library, the ratio of the number of women to the number of men became 5 : 2.
(a) What was the ratio of the number of women at first to the number of men at first? Give your answer in its simplest form.
(b) Find the number of women in the library at first.
3.
Cinema admission tickets for children were priced at $8 each. There were 20 more boys than girls in the cinema for the first movie. For the second movie, the number of boys decreased by 10% but the number of girls increased by 5%. If there were 408 children at the second movie, how much money was collected from the sales of admission tickets for the first movie?
4.
A van travelled from Town A to Town B at an average speed of 55 km/h. A car started its journey from Town B to Town A at the same time as the van, travelling at an average speed of 90 km/h. The two vehicles passed each other 70 km from the middle of the whole journey. Find the distance between the two towns.
5. At first, 25% of Kumar’s money was the same as 33 1/3% of Lily’s money.
Lily’s father gave her $80 later, while Kumar spent $325.
In the end, Lily had 2 1/2 times as much money as Kumar.
(a) How much money did Kumar have at first?
(b) How much money did Lily have in the end?
If she bought 8 such markers, she would have $8 left over.
If she bought 12 such markers, she would have $6 short.
(a) How much money did Elaine’s mom give her?
(b) How many markers could she buy if her mom were to give her another $14?
2.
A librarian counted the number of adults in the library and found that 2/5 of the number of women was equal to 2 times the number of men. When another 12 men entered the library and 45 women left the library, the ratio of the number of women to the number of men became 5 : 2.
(a) What was the ratio of the number of women at first to the number of men at first? Give your answer in its simplest form.
(b) Find the number of women in the library at first.
3.
Cinema admission tickets for children were priced at $8 each. There were 20 more boys than girls in the cinema for the first movie. For the second movie, the number of boys decreased by 10% but the number of girls increased by 5%. If there were 408 children at the second movie, how much money was collected from the sales of admission tickets for the first movie?
4.
A van travelled from Town A to Town B at an average speed of 55 km/h. A car started its journey from Town B to Town A at the same time as the van, travelling at an average speed of 90 km/h. The two vehicles passed each other 70 km from the middle of the whole journey. Find the distance between the two towns.
5. At first, 25% of Kumar’s money was the same as 33 1/3% of Lily’s money.
Lily’s father gave her $80 later, while Kumar spent $325.
In the end, Lily had 2 1/2 times as much money as Kumar.
(a) How much money did Kumar have at first?
(b) How much money did Lily have in the end?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Picture writing by Jin Hao (unedited)
Johnny and Ravi were both police officers. It was their first day at work and they were patrolling the neighbourhood at Bedok.
“Headquarters told us that there has been a lot of vandalism done by school children,” said Ravi.
“So, that means we have to watch out for any vandals,” said Johnny.
As they turned around the bend of the carpark and were about to leave the carpark to patrol other carparks, they saw a group of boys. The boys were in their teens, and were holding spray cans in different colours. A grin appeared on each of their faces as they started defacing the walls on the void deck.
Johnny and Ravi then knew that they had to step in and take control. Stepping out of their police car, the two men walked towards the boys.
The policemen placed a hand on one of the boy’s shoulder. The boys spun around. The grin on his face was gone and there was only utter shock when he saw both men.
The three terrified boys were under the stern eyes of both men. As Ravi turned his back around to call for assistance, one of the boys took out a sharp knife.
Immediately, the boy charged forward and tried to stab Ravi. Johnny saw what was happening. Without thinking of his own safety, Johnny ran forward and gave the boy with the knife a flying kick.
Shouting for Ravi to keep an eye on the other two boys, Johnny quickly handcuffed the boy he had kicked. The boy turned around and grinned. Slowly Johnny realized that blood was on the boy’s knife. He fell to the floor, with a deep pool of blood surrounding him.
Ravi bent down to check on his partner. The other two boys took the opportunity and ran away. Ravi felt like punching the boy, but he took control of himself. He forced the boy into the patrol car.
Carefully lifting up his partner, he requested for an ambulance.
“Johnny ! You are going to be all right ! You hear me ! You are going to make it ! “ Ravi shouted.
Johnny was admitted to the operating room. Hours later, the doctor came out, shaking his head. Johnny did not make it.
The other two boys were caught and the three were sentenced to four years in the boy’s home. As they were too young, they could not be hanged. The boy who killed Johnny was given six strokes of the cane.
Till now, Ravi always remembers Johnny. His one and only partner.
“Headquarters told us that there has been a lot of vandalism done by school children,” said Ravi.
“So, that means we have to watch out for any vandals,” said Johnny.
As they turned around the bend of the carpark and were about to leave the carpark to patrol other carparks, they saw a group of boys. The boys were in their teens, and were holding spray cans in different colours. A grin appeared on each of their faces as they started defacing the walls on the void deck.
Johnny and Ravi then knew that they had to step in and take control. Stepping out of their police car, the two men walked towards the boys.
The policemen placed a hand on one of the boy’s shoulder. The boys spun around. The grin on his face was gone and there was only utter shock when he saw both men.
The three terrified boys were under the stern eyes of both men. As Ravi turned his back around to call for assistance, one of the boys took out a sharp knife.
Immediately, the boy charged forward and tried to stab Ravi. Johnny saw what was happening. Without thinking of his own safety, Johnny ran forward and gave the boy with the knife a flying kick.
Shouting for Ravi to keep an eye on the other two boys, Johnny quickly handcuffed the boy he had kicked. The boy turned around and grinned. Slowly Johnny realized that blood was on the boy’s knife. He fell to the floor, with a deep pool of blood surrounding him.
Ravi bent down to check on his partner. The other two boys took the opportunity and ran away. Ravi felt like punching the boy, but he took control of himself. He forced the boy into the patrol car.
Carefully lifting up his partner, he requested for an ambulance.
“Johnny ! You are going to be all right ! You hear me ! You are going to make it ! “ Ravi shouted.
Johnny was admitted to the operating room. Hours later, the doctor came out, shaking his head. Johnny did not make it.
The other two boys were caught and the three were sentenced to four years in the boy’s home. As they were too young, they could not be hanged. The boy who killed Johnny was given six strokes of the cane.
Till now, Ravi always remembers Johnny. His one and only partner.
Maths Problems 29 Sep 2009
1. Shoes and belts are sold in Mr K's shop. The ratio of the price of the shoes to the price of the belts is 5 : 2. The price of each belt is $22. Mr K sold 1/4 of the items in his shop on Sunday and collected $1056. 1/3 of the items sold were belts.
a) How many belts were sold on Sunday?
b) If the number of belts left is 3 times as many as the number of shoes left, how much would Mr K colllect if he sold all the remaining shoes and belts in his shop?
2. There were some white and black marbles in a bag. When 20 black marbles are removed, the total number of marbles in the bag left was 7 times the number of black marbles left.
When 50 white marbles were removed, the total number of marbles in the bag left was 5 times the number of black marbles. Find the total number of marbles.
a) How many belts were sold on Sunday?
b) If the number of belts left is 3 times as many as the number of shoes left, how much would Mr K colllect if he sold all the remaining shoes and belts in his shop?
2. There were some white and black marbles in a bag. When 20 black marbles are removed, the total number of marbles in the bag left was 7 times the number of black marbles left.
When 50 white marbles were removed, the total number of marbles in the bag left was 5 times the number of black marbles. Find the total number of marbles.
Monday, September 28, 2009
CW by Meng Yu
l was always a responsible class monitress and a good student in the teacher's eyes and l also get along well with my classmates.But there was once,l had disappointed my teacher and lost her trust in the end.
That day,l sat on my usual seat in the canteen while l was eating.My best friend,Tinghui came to me,her expression was full of anxiety and worries.
"l thought you were supposed to be in Mrs Tan's office,helping her carrry books?"l asked wandering why she was so anxious.
"Um...You did not tell anyone about it right?"She asked,looking around.
l nodded and looked her suspiciously,wandering what she could have done.
"Well,you must promise me no tto tell the teacher about it,"she paused,scanning around,"l accidentally spilt Mrs Tan's coffee on her work,accidentally,"She accented the word 'accidentally'.
"Oh!"l choked,"you are going to get it from her if she knows that!" She quickly covered my mouth and put one finger on her mouth.
"You are going to help me,aren't you?You are my best friend right?l'm sure the teacher will ask all of us who have seen this incident or something like that,you just need to keep quiet and sit there,okay?"She whispered in my ear.
"If you are going to let the cat out of the bag,l am not going to talk to you forever,not a single word!"She warned me.
l sat there,still like a statue.Still thnking through what she had told me.l was not used to lie to people but she was my best friend and l could not betary her.That was the most difficult decisionl have ever had to make.Between friendship and honesty,l needed to choose either one,but both were important to me.l sighed and decided to put them a side,and see what would happen next.
True enough,Mrs Tan was frustrated but she wanted the person to own up.Maybe,l thought,she would give the person a chance.A sweat rolled down my cheek and l realised that l was nervous,very nervous.l saw Tinghui blink at me and put a finger on her lips.l knew she wanted me to keep quiet.
"This is nothing big.Just be quiet.The teacher will not know.Just shut mouth."l told myself in my heart while l felt butterflies in my stomach.
"If no one is going to own up,l am going to find out on my own."Mrs Tan announced and stormed out of the classroom.
Soon,the students were murmuring about this incident and Tinghui smiled at me.l did not feel happy or relieved but just guilty.
"Shh...."As soon as we heard the teacher's footsteps,we kept very quiet.
"You have been to my office right?Tinghui."Mrs Tan asked,arms arcoss her chest. All of us turned to her and some were murmuring under their breathe.Shocked,Tinghui stood up and nodded.
"You come to me,"Mrs Tan said.
l felt more nervous,afraid that Tinghui would say anything related to me.l tried to calm myself down.After a few minutes,l was also called by the teacher and l knew that was the end of me .Standing in front of Mrs Tan, l prepared for the worst.She did not shout or scream at me,that made me relieved.But,all she said was,"l am really disappointed in you."
That's when l felt the real pain,the thing which was so important.l had lost it,the trust.
That day,l sat on my usual seat in the canteen while l was eating.My best friend,Tinghui came to me,her expression was full of anxiety and worries.
"l thought you were supposed to be in Mrs Tan's office,helping her carrry books?"l asked wandering why she was so anxious.
"Um...You did not tell anyone about it right?"She asked,looking around.
l nodded and looked her suspiciously,wandering what she could have done.
"Well,you must promise me no tto tell the teacher about it,"she paused,scanning around,"l accidentally spilt Mrs Tan's coffee on her work,accidentally,"She accented the word 'accidentally'.
"Oh!"l choked,"you are going to get it from her if she knows that!" She quickly covered my mouth and put one finger on her mouth.
"You are going to help me,aren't you?You are my best friend right?l'm sure the teacher will ask all of us who have seen this incident or something like that,you just need to keep quiet and sit there,okay?"She whispered in my ear.
"If you are going to let the cat out of the bag,l am not going to talk to you forever,not a single word!"She warned me.
l sat there,still like a statue.Still thnking through what she had told me.l was not used to lie to people but she was my best friend and l could not betary her.That was the most difficult decisionl have ever had to make.Between friendship and honesty,l needed to choose either one,but both were important to me.l sighed and decided to put them a side,and see what would happen next.
True enough,Mrs Tan was frustrated but she wanted the person to own up.Maybe,l thought,she would give the person a chance.A sweat rolled down my cheek and l realised that l was nervous,very nervous.l saw Tinghui blink at me and put a finger on her lips.l knew she wanted me to keep quiet.
"This is nothing big.Just be quiet.The teacher will not know.Just shut mouth."l told myself in my heart while l felt butterflies in my stomach.
"If no one is going to own up,l am going to find out on my own."Mrs Tan announced and stormed out of the classroom.
Soon,the students were murmuring about this incident and Tinghui smiled at me.l did not feel happy or relieved but just guilty.
"Shh...."As soon as we heard the teacher's footsteps,we kept very quiet.
"You have been to my office right?Tinghui."Mrs Tan asked,arms arcoss her chest. All of us turned to her and some were murmuring under their breathe.Shocked,Tinghui stood up and nodded.
"You come to me,"Mrs Tan said.
l felt more nervous,afraid that Tinghui would say anything related to me.l tried to calm myself down.After a few minutes,l was also called by the teacher and l knew that was the end of me .Standing in front of Mrs Tan, l prepared for the worst.She did not shout or scream at me,that made me relieved.But,all she said was,"l am really disappointed in you."
That's when l felt the real pain,the thing which was so important.l had lost it,the trust.
Picture writing by Belinda (unedited)
The void deck was utterly quiet. It was quiet, so quiet till you could hear a pin drop. It was four in the afternoon when most adults would be working and most students would be doing their homework or revising. However, the silence was broken when thundering footsteps could be heard. Three boys appeared, panting. The trio looked all around them, as if they were making sure that not a single soul was in sight.
The three boys, Bala, Alan and Wei Ming threw their bags on the concrete floor. Their hair was unkempt and their uniforms were tucked out. Next, they pulled out a stack of CDs from their bags they had stolen just now from a shop.
“We’re going to earn big bucks when we sell these CDs to our classmates!” Bala said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes as he sat down on the cool, concrete floor.
“Yeah,” Alan agreed. “Think of what we can buy with all those money!” Alan added, as a slow, silly smile started spreading on his face.
“Also, the shopkeeper was such a fool. I swear he didn’t even realise that we entered the shop. He really knows how to take care of his shop by talking on the phone all day!” Wei Ming sniggered.
Next, Wei Ming reached to his bag and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He laughed when he saw the looks of shock on Bala’s and Alan’s faces. Wei Ming lit up a cigarette and started smoking. Bala’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets while Alan stood rooted at the same spot, gaping with obvious disbelief.
“C’mon, don’t look so shocked. I stole this pack of cigarettes from my older brother. Want to try?” Wei Ming offered.
Bala was the first one to recover from his shock. Without thinking twice, he reached for a cigarette from the pack and copied how Wei Ming had lit up the cigarette and stuck it into his mouth. However, Alan remained hesitant.
“What… what if somebody saw us? Anyway, we… we’re underage!” Alan stammered nervously.
“Chill, there’s no one at all. Come on, don’t be a chicken! Just take one and try!” Wei Ming snapped, annoyed.
“But… but…” Alan started to say, but was silenced by Wei Ming’s icy glare. Shrugging, Alan reached for a cigarette. However, Alan’s face turned as pale as a sheet of paper, like he’d seen a ghost. Alan pointed a trembling finger behind Wei Ming and Bala. Puzzled, Wei Ming and Bala turned around and got the shock of their lives!
The cigarette in Wei Ming’s mouth dropped on the concrete floor. They were face-to-face with two burly policemen! Wei Ming drew in a sharp breath as Bala shifted uncomfortably. Alan’s lips quivered. “Smoking, eh? You three are underage!” Once of the policemen shook his head.
With that, the trio hung their heads in shame. Apparently, someone had caught sight of them smoking and reported it to the police. The two policemen questioned the trio. They had no choice but to surrender. Wei Ming handed the pack of cigarettes and lighter to the policemen while the other two, Alan and Bala gave the stack of CDs to the policemen and explained how they had stolen them.
The two policemen shook their heads again. “You three have to follow us to the station!” the other policeman boomed.
Hobson’s choice, the trio picked their bags up and followed the policemen. They knew they were in hot soup and they braced themselves to face the music.
The three boys, Bala, Alan and Wei Ming threw their bags on the concrete floor. Their hair was unkempt and their uniforms were tucked out. Next, they pulled out a stack of CDs from their bags they had stolen just now from a shop.
“We’re going to earn big bucks when we sell these CDs to our classmates!” Bala said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes as he sat down on the cool, concrete floor.
“Yeah,” Alan agreed. “Think of what we can buy with all those money!” Alan added, as a slow, silly smile started spreading on his face.
“Also, the shopkeeper was such a fool. I swear he didn’t even realise that we entered the shop. He really knows how to take care of his shop by talking on the phone all day!” Wei Ming sniggered.
Next, Wei Ming reached to his bag and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He laughed when he saw the looks of shock on Bala’s and Alan’s faces. Wei Ming lit up a cigarette and started smoking. Bala’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets while Alan stood rooted at the same spot, gaping with obvious disbelief.
“C’mon, don’t look so shocked. I stole this pack of cigarettes from my older brother. Want to try?” Wei Ming offered.
Bala was the first one to recover from his shock. Without thinking twice, he reached for a cigarette from the pack and copied how Wei Ming had lit up the cigarette and stuck it into his mouth. However, Alan remained hesitant.
“What… what if somebody saw us? Anyway, we… we’re underage!” Alan stammered nervously.
“Chill, there’s no one at all. Come on, don’t be a chicken! Just take one and try!” Wei Ming snapped, annoyed.
“But… but…” Alan started to say, but was silenced by Wei Ming’s icy glare. Shrugging, Alan reached for a cigarette. However, Alan’s face turned as pale as a sheet of paper, like he’d seen a ghost. Alan pointed a trembling finger behind Wei Ming and Bala. Puzzled, Wei Ming and Bala turned around and got the shock of their lives!
The cigarette in Wei Ming’s mouth dropped on the concrete floor. They were face-to-face with two burly policemen! Wei Ming drew in a sharp breath as Bala shifted uncomfortably. Alan’s lips quivered. “Smoking, eh? You three are underage!” Once of the policemen shook his head.
With that, the trio hung their heads in shame. Apparently, someone had caught sight of them smoking and reported it to the police. The two policemen questioned the trio. They had no choice but to surrender. Wei Ming handed the pack of cigarettes and lighter to the policemen while the other two, Alan and Bala gave the stack of CDs to the policemen and explained how they had stolen them.
The two policemen shook their heads again. “You three have to follow us to the station!” the other policeman boomed.
Hobson’s choice, the trio picked their bags up and followed the policemen. They knew they were in hot soup and they braced themselves to face the music.
Picture writing by Juliano (unedited)
It was three in the afternoon .My partner Terry and I were making our routine patrol in the neighborhood .
The weather was just treacherous .The sun was blazing and the heat was unbearable .Terry and I wanted to finish up the patrolling and get back to the air-conditioned office
Just as we were about to finish our rounds ,something caught my eye .A wall was covered with graffiti .Normally I would just ignore the situations but I realized that the town council had just completed the paint job a few days ago and I could swear that the wall was spotless about fifteen minutes ago.
I told terry about the situation and we decided to head back .Getting off the car ,we examined the wall. A pungent odour filled the air .Newly used spray cans could be smelt .
Terry and I combed the area ,hoping to find the vandals .Out of the blue, terry spotted a group of boys in school uniform with their shirts tucked out .
The trios’ appearances gave us the impression that they were gangsters .Since the gang was a stone’s throw away from the scene ,Terry and I suspected that the boys were the vandals .
We went to confront the boys .As soon as the trio saw us ,they quickly stood up ,with anxiety written all over their faces .
“Boys, were you the ones who vandalized the wall ?”I said solemnly , pointing to the wall .
I could see that they were taken aback .
“N… no sir we didn’t do it, honest !” one of the three mentioned.
I had my doubts and threw more questions at them. I even threatened to send them to the home even though I knew that it was not possible. Nervously, they answered all of them. Terry was convinced after a series of questions my I was not.
As I was about to ask more questions , a voice suddenly interrupted our conversation.
“Ha ha ha ! Those police are so dumb! We vandalized the wall just recently and still didn’t catch us !” The voice laughed smugly .
Anger mingled with curiosity , Terry and I moved towards the sound with my fists clenched . It led us towards a group of teenagers ,with their hair dyed in all sorts of colors it almost looked like a rainbow was on their heads .
We eavesdropped on their conversations and we were sure that they were the vandals. Terry and I appeared from our hiding place and approached the youngsters .
After hurtling a few grueling questions the errant teenagers finally admitted to their wrongdoings.
Terry and I dragged them to the car. I apologized to the first group of kids and they told me that they only tucked out their shirts because of the heat.
That incident made our patrol more exciting and taught me to keep an open mind .It was one incident that I was sure would help me to become a better policeman by keeping an open mind and not jump to conclusions easily .
The weather was just treacherous .The sun was blazing and the heat was unbearable .Terry and I wanted to finish up the patrolling and get back to the air-conditioned office
Just as we were about to finish our rounds ,something caught my eye .A wall was covered with graffiti .Normally I would just ignore the situations but I realized that the town council had just completed the paint job a few days ago and I could swear that the wall was spotless about fifteen minutes ago.
I told terry about the situation and we decided to head back .Getting off the car ,we examined the wall. A pungent odour filled the air .Newly used spray cans could be smelt .
Terry and I combed the area ,hoping to find the vandals .Out of the blue, terry spotted a group of boys in school uniform with their shirts tucked out .
The trios’ appearances gave us the impression that they were gangsters .Since the gang was a stone’s throw away from the scene ,Terry and I suspected that the boys were the vandals .
We went to confront the boys .As soon as the trio saw us ,they quickly stood up ,with anxiety written all over their faces .
“Boys, were you the ones who vandalized the wall ?”I said solemnly , pointing to the wall .
I could see that they were taken aback .
“N… no sir we didn’t do it, honest !” one of the three mentioned.
I had my doubts and threw more questions at them. I even threatened to send them to the home even though I knew that it was not possible. Nervously, they answered all of them. Terry was convinced after a series of questions my I was not.
As I was about to ask more questions , a voice suddenly interrupted our conversation.
“Ha ha ha ! Those police are so dumb! We vandalized the wall just recently and still didn’t catch us !” The voice laughed smugly .
Anger mingled with curiosity , Terry and I moved towards the sound with my fists clenched . It led us towards a group of teenagers ,with their hair dyed in all sorts of colors it almost looked like a rainbow was on their heads .
We eavesdropped on their conversations and we were sure that they were the vandals. Terry and I appeared from our hiding place and approached the youngsters .
After hurtling a few grueling questions the errant teenagers finally admitted to their wrongdoings.
Terry and I dragged them to the car. I apologized to the first group of kids and they told me that they only tucked out their shirts because of the heat.
That incident made our patrol more exciting and taught me to keep an open mind .It was one incident that I was sure would help me to become a better policeman by keeping an open mind and not jump to conclusions easily .
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
CW Wrong Bus by Navethira (unedited)
“Oh no! Not again!” I cursed under my breath while tying my shoe laces hastily.
It was already seven o’ clock. I was late for school for the fourth time. I knew I would be in hot soup for being late for times in a month. I then scrambled towards the staircase and then darted to the bus-stop. From a distance I could see the bus number twenty-seven turning towards the bus-stop. My strides got stronger and longer. I did not want to miss the bus once again.
Thankfully, I managed to board the bus in time. I scanned through the crowded bus for a vacant seat. Once I found the seat, I immediately sat down tiredly. Droplets of sweat trickled down my forehead. While I was catching my breath, I realized that the bus turned left instead of turning right. I was puzzled. Now the time was twenty minutes past seven. I knew that I was going to be late and adding on to my anxiety, the bus was travelling in a whole different route. My heart was beating faster than ever. Anxiety mingled with fear. Not only was I going to be late I was also going to be lost. What was I going to do? I wondered whether to I should ask any of the commuters for help.
Finally, I decided to check with the bus driver where the bus was going and why the bus route had changed. I was extremely sure that I had boarded bus number twenty-seven.i then hesitantly asked the bus-driver why the bus route had changed. He then stared at me and said that this was bus number twenty-seven A.
“What! 27A? But um…”I was totally puzzled.
How careless could I get! After a short pause, I asked the bus driver if the bus would go to my school. His answer made my heart sink.
“Well this bus will go to Senkang and probably reach Hougang in thirty minutes.”
Both relieved and worried, I carried my heavy school bag back to the seat. Time ticked by at snail’s pace. By the time the bus travelled around Senkang the time was already fifty minutes past seven.
The bus was now approaching Hougang, where my school was. I then got off and raced towards the school gate. There I saw my teacher with arms akimbo with a stern face. I knew I had to face the music so with crossed fingers, I greeted my teacher. Instead of being fuming mad at me, she put on a smile.
“Good morning Julia! You are early today! Keep up the good work! But why did you bring such a big bag?”
I stood there with a blank look. It then dawned on me that it was Teacher’s Day that day and that the reporting time was eight o’clock and that I did not need to bring my school bag. My mouth went agape. I felt so foolish I gave my teacher a sheepish smile and entered the school. Isince sworn that I should always read all the forms issued to me so that I would not make a fool of myself again.
It was already seven o’ clock. I was late for school for the fourth time. I knew I would be in hot soup for being late for times in a month. I then scrambled towards the staircase and then darted to the bus-stop. From a distance I could see the bus number twenty-seven turning towards the bus-stop. My strides got stronger and longer. I did not want to miss the bus once again.
Thankfully, I managed to board the bus in time. I scanned through the crowded bus for a vacant seat. Once I found the seat, I immediately sat down tiredly. Droplets of sweat trickled down my forehead. While I was catching my breath, I realized that the bus turned left instead of turning right. I was puzzled. Now the time was twenty minutes past seven. I knew that I was going to be late and adding on to my anxiety, the bus was travelling in a whole different route. My heart was beating faster than ever. Anxiety mingled with fear. Not only was I going to be late I was also going to be lost. What was I going to do? I wondered whether to I should ask any of the commuters for help.
Finally, I decided to check with the bus driver where the bus was going and why the bus route had changed. I was extremely sure that I had boarded bus number twenty-seven.i then hesitantly asked the bus-driver why the bus route had changed. He then stared at me and said that this was bus number twenty-seven A.
“What! 27A? But um…”I was totally puzzled.
How careless could I get! After a short pause, I asked the bus driver if the bus would go to my school. His answer made my heart sink.
“Well this bus will go to Senkang and probably reach Hougang in thirty minutes.”
Both relieved and worried, I carried my heavy school bag back to the seat. Time ticked by at snail’s pace. By the time the bus travelled around Senkang the time was already fifty minutes past seven.
The bus was now approaching Hougang, where my school was. I then got off and raced towards the school gate. There I saw my teacher with arms akimbo with a stern face. I knew I had to face the music so with crossed fingers, I greeted my teacher. Instead of being fuming mad at me, she put on a smile.
“Good morning Julia! You are early today! Keep up the good work! But why did you bring such a big bag?”
I stood there with a blank look. It then dawned on me that it was Teacher’s Day that day and that the reporting time was eight o’clock and that I did not need to bring my school bag. My mouth went agape. I felt so foolish I gave my teacher a sheepish smile and entered the school. Isince sworn that I should always read all the forms issued to me so that I would not make a fool of myself again.
Monday, September 14, 2009
SW Letter of complaint - Broken CD
Suggested response:
Dear Manager
I am writing in to request for an exchange of a broken CD (1m) purchased at your store. I bought the CD entitled Top 10 Children's Songs on 1 October 2007 (1m). Upon discovering that it was broken, I returned to your store on the same day at 5 p.m. (1m) with the broken CD and the original receipt to have it exchanged.
Your staff, Ms Jane Tan, declined my request (1m), disregarding the company policy that goods can be exchanged within 3 days of purchase with original receipt. I was totally frustrated (1m) by the entire experience and strongly feel that I should be given a new CD as per stated by the company policy (1m).
Please kindly look into and assist in this matter.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely
James Tan
Dear Manager
I am writing in to request for an exchange of a broken CD (1m) purchased at your store. I bought the CD entitled Top 10 Children's Songs on 1 October 2007 (1m). Upon discovering that it was broken, I returned to your store on the same day at 5 p.m. (1m) with the broken CD and the original receipt to have it exchanged.
Your staff, Ms Jane Tan, declined my request (1m), disregarding the company policy that goods can be exchanged within 3 days of purchase with original receipt. I was totally frustrated (1m) by the entire experience and strongly feel that I should be given a new CD as per stated by the company policy (1m).
Please kindly look into and assist in this matter.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely
James Tan
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
CW: Wrong Bus by Jing Jie (unedited)
“Oh dear, I am so late!” I grumbled as I dashed towards the bus stop opposite my house.
In my hurry, I did not realise that I was jaywalking, drivers in the cars cursed and swore, but I took no notice of them.
I ran and ran, never stopping once to catch my breath, by the time I had reached the bus stop, I was drenched in sweat, face red and rosy. I then boarded the first bus that stopped at the bus stop.
I had no time to think, only act. By then, the bus had driven off. I took a seat, gasping. Strangely, the bus was going in a different direction. Then it hit me, I was on the wrong bus!
In my hurry, I thought I took bus eighty-nine, instead, I had been taking bus seventy-two.
I immediately checked my pockets. Even worse luck, I did not bring my wallet and had used up all my change.
I asked the passengers beside me for some spare change, only to be turned down and met by stares of disapproval.
Some people turned to the others beside them and started whispering, making all sorts of strange gestures.
I calmed down and composed myself. My plan was to alight at the bus interchange and call my father from there.
As I began to feel more confident about getting out of this mess, the worst happened. The bus engine emited a thick black smoke, and it came to a sudden halt, throwing me forward. I hit my head on the steel poles, moaning in pain as crimson blood oozed out from the deep cut on my forehead.
The bus driver tried starting the engine for a couple of minutes, but to no avail. He announced, “The bus has broken down, please alight the bus, I am sorry.”
Passengers moaned as they got of the bus, while others grumbled.
I took about an hour to walk to the interchange, on the verge of giving up. At the sight of it, I pushed myself past the limit and started running to the interchange.
Crashing on the bench, I took a breather while fishing out my phone to call my father. Then I realised something, I had left my bag on the bus!
Not giving up, I checked my pockets thoroughly, finally finding one ten-cent coin. I slipped the coin into the phone booth and called my father.
As usual, he gave me a good dressing down, droning on and on about how I should be more careful next time.
I sighed, as I waited for him to fetch me home, true enough, I hate Mondays.
In my hurry, I did not realise that I was jaywalking, drivers in the cars cursed and swore, but I took no notice of them.
I ran and ran, never stopping once to catch my breath, by the time I had reached the bus stop, I was drenched in sweat, face red and rosy. I then boarded the first bus that stopped at the bus stop.
I had no time to think, only act. By then, the bus had driven off. I took a seat, gasping. Strangely, the bus was going in a different direction. Then it hit me, I was on the wrong bus!
In my hurry, I thought I took bus eighty-nine, instead, I had been taking bus seventy-two.
I immediately checked my pockets. Even worse luck, I did not bring my wallet and had used up all my change.
I asked the passengers beside me for some spare change, only to be turned down and met by stares of disapproval.
Some people turned to the others beside them and started whispering, making all sorts of strange gestures.
I calmed down and composed myself. My plan was to alight at the bus interchange and call my father from there.
As I began to feel more confident about getting out of this mess, the worst happened. The bus engine emited a thick black smoke, and it came to a sudden halt, throwing me forward. I hit my head on the steel poles, moaning in pain as crimson blood oozed out from the deep cut on my forehead.
The bus driver tried starting the engine for a couple of minutes, but to no avail. He announced, “The bus has broken down, please alight the bus, I am sorry.”
Passengers moaned as they got of the bus, while others grumbled.
I took about an hour to walk to the interchange, on the verge of giving up. At the sight of it, I pushed myself past the limit and started running to the interchange.
Crashing on the bench, I took a breather while fishing out my phone to call my father. Then I realised something, I had left my bag on the bus!
Not giving up, I checked my pockets thoroughly, finally finding one ten-cent coin. I slipped the coin into the phone booth and called my father.
As usual, he gave me a good dressing down, droning on and on about how I should be more careful next time.
I sighed, as I waited for him to fetch me home, true enough, I hate Mondays.
Monday, September 7, 2009
CW: Wrong bus by Jin Hao
I was sitting on a bench, just outside my house, waiting for my bus to come. I saw a bus coming but could not see clearly what the bus number was as I had sent my glasses for repair. It looked like the bus service that I normally took, bus number 113. However I was not sure.
“Who cares?” I mumbled and straightaway boarded the bus without thinking of the consequences of my actions because I was going to be late for school!
“The journey to my school was only two stops away but why couldn’t I see my school after three stops?” I pondered to myself as I started getting a little worried. Only then did I ask the person sitting behind me what bus service it was.
“112” he replied, looking rather annoyed as he was suddenly interrupted of his sleep.
“Oh no! I have boarded the wrong bus!” I shouted as I pressed the stop button and hastily alighted from the bus. In my moment of carelessness, I left my bag in the bus without knowing it.
Only after I had run back to the bus stop outside my house did I realize my bag was missing. I must have left it on the bus!
“Not again?! What else can go wrong?” I moaned in exasperation.
At that time, another bus arrived at the bus stop. I squinted my eyes and found out it was 113.
So thus I decided to board it and retrieve my bag at the interchange where Bus Service 112 would terminate.
After endless riding on the bus, I got off at the interchange with a sore bottom. I went around looking for the bus captain that drove 112.
Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I jumped and turned around only to find out that person was the bus captain of 112.
The bus captain held up my bag, smiled and said, “This is your bag, right?”
I nodded. “Keep it properly okay, boy? You may not be this lucky to get it back the next time! “ he added as a warm smile broke from his lips.
Ahh! My guardian angel! I thought to myself as he walked away.
Oh gosh! I’m going to be late! I thought as I stared at my watch. I immediately rushed back to my school. But it was too late! And of course, the predicted major scolding from the discipline master. And as though that was not enough, when I thought I could finally have some breathing space back in class, it was my teacher’s turn to breathe down my neck. She told me to stay back that day to write “I will not be late for school” a hundred times!
The whole class burst into laughter after hearing what the teacher had said. I thought they were laughing at the punishment I had to do. But no!! It was only then did I notice that my shirt was not tucked in, a few buttons were out and my hair was unkempt.
No one took pity on me. Not even my best friend, Benny, who was trying to stifle his giggles but to no avail.
After this mistake which cost me heavily, I decided to correct my bad habit of being too reckless and to be more careful. With or without my glasses.
“Who cares?” I mumbled and straightaway boarded the bus without thinking of the consequences of my actions because I was going to be late for school!
“The journey to my school was only two stops away but why couldn’t I see my school after three stops?” I pondered to myself as I started getting a little worried. Only then did I ask the person sitting behind me what bus service it was.
“112” he replied, looking rather annoyed as he was suddenly interrupted of his sleep.
“Oh no! I have boarded the wrong bus!” I shouted as I pressed the stop button and hastily alighted from the bus. In my moment of carelessness, I left my bag in the bus without knowing it.
Only after I had run back to the bus stop outside my house did I realize my bag was missing. I must have left it on the bus!
“Not again?! What else can go wrong?” I moaned in exasperation.
At that time, another bus arrived at the bus stop. I squinted my eyes and found out it was 113.
So thus I decided to board it and retrieve my bag at the interchange where Bus Service 112 would terminate.
After endless riding on the bus, I got off at the interchange with a sore bottom. I went around looking for the bus captain that drove 112.
Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I jumped and turned around only to find out that person was the bus captain of 112.
The bus captain held up my bag, smiled and said, “This is your bag, right?”
I nodded. “Keep it properly okay, boy? You may not be this lucky to get it back the next time! “ he added as a warm smile broke from his lips.
Ahh! My guardian angel! I thought to myself as he walked away.
Oh gosh! I’m going to be late! I thought as I stared at my watch. I immediately rushed back to my school. But it was too late! And of course, the predicted major scolding from the discipline master. And as though that was not enough, when I thought I could finally have some breathing space back in class, it was my teacher’s turn to breathe down my neck. She told me to stay back that day to write “I will not be late for school” a hundred times!
The whole class burst into laughter after hearing what the teacher had said. I thought they were laughing at the punishment I had to do. But no!! It was only then did I notice that my shirt was not tucked in, a few buttons were out and my hair was unkempt.
No one took pity on me. Not even my best friend, Benny, who was trying to stifle his giggles but to no avail.
After this mistake which cost me heavily, I decided to correct my bad habit of being too reckless and to be more careful. With or without my glasses.
CW: Robbery in a lift by Guan Min
Do you believe that a robber can appear out of nowhere at any time and rob you? Perhaps not. But I had cheated death when I had a close encounter with one.
It was a blistering hot afternoon. Jane and I entered the lift and chit chatted. As the lift door was about to close, a man whose singlet was tattered and torn dashed towards the lift and attempted to stop the door from closing. Sweat trickled down his face and he looked breathless.
“Quick! Press the button. I am chased by the loan sharks,” he said in an anxious tone. Anxiety enveloped me. Jane was startled.
I pressed the button and led him to my house as soon as I reached the floor I am staying in. My heart was thumping faster each time I took a step.
“Mum, a man is chased by loan sharks and needs to take cover in our house,” I said swiftly while opening the door simultaneously.
“Who is he? Do you know him? If you do not know him, do not let him in!” my mum declined at once.
But after a while of persuading and convincing, I managed to coax my mum to let him stay for the night.
That night, I heard footsteps and the creaking of my room door. Someone was creeping stealthily into my room and pulling out my drawer. Initially, I thought it was my father but after a moment of ponder, I mumbled, “Why would my father be in my room so late at night.”
I gradually sat up and saw the man I met today. He took my bag, hand phone, wallet and my savings. As soon as he left my room, I tailgated the man until he ceased at my parents’ room. He crept in my parents’ room and took their money and valuables.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked softly.
“Give me all your money!” the man demanded as he brandished a knife on his hands.
This was enough to send chills down my spine and make my hair stand on ends. The man fled through the window in a blink of an eye. I woke my parents up and hastily, we ran and tried to catch up with him. As we caught up with the man, he pulled my hands in his wet and clammy palms and on the other hand, he held the knife and put it next to my neck. Never did I anticipate to be taken a hostage.
“Do not try to be funny! Hand me all your valuables!” the man demanded in an insolent manner and thunderous voice.
Mum went up and dialed for the police and it was still oblivious to the man. The sirens of the police car were heard moments later.
“Did you call the police?” the robber asked as he punctuated his sentence with profanities,
“Slash,” the sound of the knife was heard. Moments later, I blacked out. The man threw in the towel and I was sent to the hospital.
As I opened my eyes, I pondered, “Am I in heaven?” Beside me stood my family members. A grin appeared on my face. I was relieved and jubilant.
From then on, I learnt to cherish my life and not to be so gullible again. As for my mum, she kept blaming herself for letting the man in. She undoubtedly regretted her moment of folly.
It was a blistering hot afternoon. Jane and I entered the lift and chit chatted. As the lift door was about to close, a man whose singlet was tattered and torn dashed towards the lift and attempted to stop the door from closing. Sweat trickled down his face and he looked breathless.
“Quick! Press the button. I am chased by the loan sharks,” he said in an anxious tone. Anxiety enveloped me. Jane was startled.
I pressed the button and led him to my house as soon as I reached the floor I am staying in. My heart was thumping faster each time I took a step.
“Mum, a man is chased by loan sharks and needs to take cover in our house,” I said swiftly while opening the door simultaneously.
“Who is he? Do you know him? If you do not know him, do not let him in!” my mum declined at once.
But after a while of persuading and convincing, I managed to coax my mum to let him stay for the night.
That night, I heard footsteps and the creaking of my room door. Someone was creeping stealthily into my room and pulling out my drawer. Initially, I thought it was my father but after a moment of ponder, I mumbled, “Why would my father be in my room so late at night.”
I gradually sat up and saw the man I met today. He took my bag, hand phone, wallet and my savings. As soon as he left my room, I tailgated the man until he ceased at my parents’ room. He crept in my parents’ room and took their money and valuables.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked softly.
“Give me all your money!” the man demanded as he brandished a knife on his hands.
This was enough to send chills down my spine and make my hair stand on ends. The man fled through the window in a blink of an eye. I woke my parents up and hastily, we ran and tried to catch up with him. As we caught up with the man, he pulled my hands in his wet and clammy palms and on the other hand, he held the knife and put it next to my neck. Never did I anticipate to be taken a hostage.
“Do not try to be funny! Hand me all your valuables!” the man demanded in an insolent manner and thunderous voice.
Mum went up and dialed for the police and it was still oblivious to the man. The sirens of the police car were heard moments later.
“Did you call the police?” the robber asked as he punctuated his sentence with profanities,
“Slash,” the sound of the knife was heard. Moments later, I blacked out. The man threw in the towel and I was sent to the hospital.
As I opened my eyes, I pondered, “Am I in heaven?” Beside me stood my family members. A grin appeared on my face. I was relieved and jubilant.
From then on, I learnt to cherish my life and not to be so gullible again. As for my mum, she kept blaming herself for letting the man in. She undoubtedly regretted her moment of folly.
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