Fall
Although my twin brother did not blame me, I was ashamed of myself. If only I had listened to his advice, he would not be in this state. If only… No matter what I do now, it was still too late for regrets. The incident came flooding into my mind like a newsreel.
“Class, read your storybooks quietly while I go out for a while,” Miss Tan said after she received a call. Then, she strode out of the classroom hurriedly. “Hooray!” The boys in our class were in an uproar and punched their fists into the air victoriously and the girls pranced around happily. My twin brother, Nick, was reading quietly as usual. Although we were twins, our character was totally different.
“Look at me. I bet none of you can do this,” I boasted before jumping from one table to another. Everyone in the class, except Nick, was staring in awe at my somersaults. They cheered and applauded. “Michael, come down now,” Nick pleaded with me. I gave him a slight push. Infuriated, he tugged at my shirt harder for this time. Losing my balance, I slipped and my whole body weight crashed on Nick. Nick lay eagled-spread on the ground, doubling over in agony,
I was in a daze with my mouth fell open. Snapping back to my senses, I asked with concern, “Are you all right?” Through his haze of pain, I could see that he could make out my anxious voice asking him if he was fine. He opened his mouth but nothing came out from his parched throat. The words seemed to be stuck at his throat. Beads of perspiration dripped down from his forehead. The pain was excruciating for him. He closed his pair of eyes slowly before he was out like a light.
Everyone in the class looked at one another, speechless –not knowing what to do including me. Just then, Miss Tan was standing at the door. “What has exactly happened?” she asked with a rather surprise tone. Nick was lying on the ground like a rag doll –motionless. Why didn’t I listen to his advice? I stared at Nick hard and swallowed the lump in my throat. Nothing must happen to him. I would never forgive myself for anything that happened to him. The words flashed in my mind repeatedly.
Almost instantly after understanding the situation, Miss Tan whipped out her mobile phone and dialed the numbers for the ambulance. Trying to appear strong, I held my tears.
Minutes seemed like hours before a white ambulance with a red crass on it arrived. The sirens of the ambulance rent the silent afternoon. Paramedics raced to Nick with a stretcher. I accompanied Nick into the ambulance with Miss Tan. After a few minutes, the ambulance lurched and moved forward a little before coming to a stop. Paramedics immediately transferred Nick from the stretcher to a movable bad. They pushed him into the emergency room while Miss Tan and I were led to chairs located outside the room.
Tears threatened to spill out from my eyes. I prayed fervently to Nick that he must be all right. At that moment, my parents arrived. Concerns and worries were all written on their faces. With bated breath, they paced the aisle anxiously. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor came out from the emergency room with a grim face. His face told it all. “Your son has fractured his leg and may not be able to walk for the rest of his life again. Sorry,” the doctor pronounced.
Kneeling beside Nick’s bed, I apologised sincerely, “I…I am…am so sorry. I should have…” I did not finish my sentence before tears had already streamed down to my cheeks. “You do not have to apologise to me. I am glad that you have decided to change for the better. That’s enough. I will not blame you for my injury,” my twin brother told me.
“Michael, “my father called me. I was jolted out from my reverie. “We will go for lunch now,” my father said. I wiped away the tears forming on my eyes but even doing so was difficult.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Fight
Fight
Sweat was trickling down from my forehead profusely. I rolled up my sleeves as I sat on a bench in the canteen. “They could still play basketball after two hours,” I thought while looking at my watch.
Suddenly, I could hear someone shouting angrily, “Thief!” What was going on? Why was someone screaming in the middle of the game? I took a few steps forward before stopping in my tracks. I cringed. What if something were to happen to me? As curiosity got the better of me, I walked towards the basketball court. By now, a crowd had already gathered in the court. Being smaller-sized than my other friends, I squeezed my way to the front.
One of them was my best friend, Jack, and the other was our class bully, Mark. How did Jack land himself into such trouble? Both Jack and Matt’s faces had turned into a dark shade of red. Their hands were curled into tight fists. Glaring out through their bulging eyes, they breathed heavily. The veins in their necks seemed ready to pop out. They were staring at each other like ferocious, wild animals, ready to deliver their knockout blow.
Matt gave a punch into Matt’s stomach. Jack staggered but he soon regained his balance. Jack’s eyes narrowed as he aimed for Matt’s stomach. His leg found its mark and Matt crashed to the floor. Obviously embarrassed, Matt pulled himself up. He raised his right leg, straightened it and lashed out into Jack’s chin. His foot powered into Jack’s chin with such great force that he did not have time to cry out. Jack fell to the ground. He looked dazed and lay spread-eagle. Taking advantage of the situation, Matt rained blows after blows at Jack – punching and kicking him. Jack’s eyes remained close. He was totally defenseless against the cruel assault. I gasped and heard someone shouting at Matt to stop. I realised that the person was me. However, I did not dare to strike as I was afraid of being hit.
“Shut up! What right do you have to interfere in this situation!” Matt thundered. I stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to say. Suddenly, I head a familiar Voice. Immediately, I regconised that it was our discipline master. “Stop fighting at once!” he ordered. Almost instantly, the crowd dispersed at the sight of him. He was totally speechless when he saw Jack. Snapping back to his senses, he whipped out his mobile phone and dialed the numbers for the ambulance.
Minutes seemed like hours before the ambulance arrived. Paramedics jumped out of the ambulance with a stretcher. They lifted Jack onto the stretcher. “Who is accompanying?” one of the paramedics asked. Both Miss Tam and I raised our hands. With much persuasion, Miss Tam allowed me to accompany Jack. In the ambulance, I prayed fervently to Jack.
After what seemed like an eternity, we reached the hospital. Jack was brought into the emergency room while Miss Tam and I were led to chairs outside the room. “Jack must be all right. He must be fine. Don’t let god take him away from Earth. Please don’t,” I whispered to myself repeatedly.
Jack’s parents entered the hospital with a worried look. “How’s my son?” Jack’s mother inquired. “Nothing must happen to my son,” she sobbed. At a loss of words, Miss Tam patted her shoulders reassuringly. Jack’s father was trying to look strong; however, I could see that tears were threatening to spill out of his eyes. Just then, the doctor came out of the emergency room with a grim face but brightened up as he approached Jack’s parents. “He’s fine,” he told Jack’s parents. Both of Jack’s parents shrieked in delight upon hearing the news.
The next day, Matt was expelled from school as he was believed to be a threat of danger to others. Investigations revealed that Jack was not the one who stole Matt’s wallet but was accused as he was in the class at the point of time.
Sweat was trickling down from my forehead profusely. I rolled up my sleeves as I sat on a bench in the canteen. “They could still play basketball after two hours,” I thought while looking at my watch.
Suddenly, I could hear someone shouting angrily, “Thief!” What was going on? Why was someone screaming in the middle of the game? I took a few steps forward before stopping in my tracks. I cringed. What if something were to happen to me? As curiosity got the better of me, I walked towards the basketball court. By now, a crowd had already gathered in the court. Being smaller-sized than my other friends, I squeezed my way to the front.
One of them was my best friend, Jack, and the other was our class bully, Mark. How did Jack land himself into such trouble? Both Jack and Matt’s faces had turned into a dark shade of red. Their hands were curled into tight fists. Glaring out through their bulging eyes, they breathed heavily. The veins in their necks seemed ready to pop out. They were staring at each other like ferocious, wild animals, ready to deliver their knockout blow.
Matt gave a punch into Matt’s stomach. Jack staggered but he soon regained his balance. Jack’s eyes narrowed as he aimed for Matt’s stomach. His leg found its mark and Matt crashed to the floor. Obviously embarrassed, Matt pulled himself up. He raised his right leg, straightened it and lashed out into Jack’s chin. His foot powered into Jack’s chin with such great force that he did not have time to cry out. Jack fell to the ground. He looked dazed and lay spread-eagle. Taking advantage of the situation, Matt rained blows after blows at Jack – punching and kicking him. Jack’s eyes remained close. He was totally defenseless against the cruel assault. I gasped and heard someone shouting at Matt to stop. I realised that the person was me. However, I did not dare to strike as I was afraid of being hit.
“Shut up! What right do you have to interfere in this situation!” Matt thundered. I stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to say. Suddenly, I head a familiar Voice. Immediately, I regconised that it was our discipline master. “Stop fighting at once!” he ordered. Almost instantly, the crowd dispersed at the sight of him. He was totally speechless when he saw Jack. Snapping back to his senses, he whipped out his mobile phone and dialed the numbers for the ambulance.
Minutes seemed like hours before the ambulance arrived. Paramedics jumped out of the ambulance with a stretcher. They lifted Jack onto the stretcher. “Who is accompanying?” one of the paramedics asked. Both Miss Tam and I raised our hands. With much persuasion, Miss Tam allowed me to accompany Jack. In the ambulance, I prayed fervently to Jack.
After what seemed like an eternity, we reached the hospital. Jack was brought into the emergency room while Miss Tam and I were led to chairs outside the room. “Jack must be all right. He must be fine. Don’t let god take him away from Earth. Please don’t,” I whispered to myself repeatedly.
Jack’s parents entered the hospital with a worried look. “How’s my son?” Jack’s mother inquired. “Nothing must happen to my son,” she sobbed. At a loss of words, Miss Tam patted her shoulders reassuringly. Jack’s father was trying to look strong; however, I could see that tears were threatening to spill out of his eyes. Just then, the doctor came out of the emergency room with a grim face but brightened up as he approached Jack’s parents. “He’s fine,” he told Jack’s parents. Both of Jack’s parents shrieked in delight upon hearing the news.
The next day, Matt was expelled from school as he was believed to be a threat of danger to others. Investigations revealed that Jack was not the one who stole Matt’s wallet but was accused as he was in the class at the point of time.
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