SPM NARRATIVE ESSAY-WRITE A STORY BEGINING WITH:I FELT SO NERVOUS WHEN I WALKED INTO THE ROOM...

Dear Sir,I am from SMU,so my English is not as good as others.Please edit first so that your readers enjoy reading my ideas-Thank you Sir.- Nor Azura SMU TAQADDUM,PASIR TUMBUH,KELANTAN

Write a story beginning with: I felt so nervous when I walked into the room…..          

    I felt so nervous when I walked into the room.. it was my own room.I couldn’t understand why the room was scattered all over.The only thing that I could figure out was an intrusion.It was all so neat and tidy this morning before I left for school.I remembered I had kept some money worth RM200 separately in a locker,that money was collected during the “charity run”and to be handed to my class teacher tomorrow afternoon.I found the money was missing too.Not only that my new Samsung mobile phone which my dad gave me as a birthday present was missing too.

As fast as lightning, I told my parents who were resting on the new sofa that we just bought it last Aidilfitri.They were so engrossed watching  their favourite drama on air.Although they were extremely exhausted but they were upset to hear about this intruder.We figured out the thief might have just entered the house in the morning where none of the family members were at home. 

My father felt so queer why this area had been the targetted area  of many thieves lately.Although we had installed  CCTV but the thief was smarter.The wire had been cut off much earlier and this irritated my dad.He then blew up his top.So we walked a few metres away  to our neighbour’s house, En Izzue Incidentally he was around and told my dad to act fast by reporting the theft case to the police officers.He was willing to drive my dad to the police station.   

Meanwhile my mum heard a cracking sound from the room’s cupboard.She went up and checked.Suddenly my mum was at the top of her voice: “Help!help!help!” We went upstairs and saw the thief was hiding behind the cupboard and was trembling.He dashed out and wanted to jump out from the window.The thief feeling unsafe quickly grabbed my mum’s neck and said, “Anybody move and I shall slit this throat of her.”So my dad and whole family was in panic.I slowly walked out from the room and called the police.Within minutes the police arrived and there was a short drama ensued.Finally the thief was arrested and handcuffed.A quick check on the thief revealed that the he was on wanted list for many cases of house-breakings,drug smugglings.  and armed robberies. We thanked the police for their swift reaction. 

We were all happy,as happy as a lark when finally it was all over.I guessed the next time when I entered the room I would not be nervous anymore. 

In the fall of 2010, Lily was boarding a transit train heading to Paris. It had always been a dream of hers to go there, but she never thought in a million years that it would be so soon. As she was reading Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War, a man approached her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me miss, is that seat taken?" he said.

His finger was pointed to the empty seat next to hers, blocking her view of the book. Annoyed, she answered with a hint of anger in her voice but did not look up as she did not want to take her eyes off the book.

"What?"

"I said, is that seat taken?"

She looked up to the man and was left in a state of awe, as if she had never seen anybody like him before. Brown hair with a tint of auburn, green eyes that pierced through her skull when he stared at her and a smile that made Ryan Seacrest's grin resembled that of a two year old's undeveloped smile.

"Uh, no," was the only two words she could say. It was obvious that she was a little flustered by his presence beside her. As he made his way to the empty seat beside her, the camera that was hanging on his neck made unexpected contact with her forehead.

"Ow! Hey, watch it!" she yelled. The sharp pain to her forehead made her raise her voice at him.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to. I guess my mum was right about me," he said in a sombre voice.

She was puzzled by his statement. With her hand touching her forehead, looking for any signs of swelling, she asked, "Right about what?"

"She said one day, I would be the reason a person has to be sent to the hospital," he explained.

She couldn't help but giggle at his response. Must be a mummy's boy, she thought.

"Well, I'm Lily. Nice to meet you,"

"Hi, I'm Colin. Sorry I hit you in the head with my camera. Wasn't my intention, honest!"

He tried to explain himself, but there was no need for an apology, as she started to grow fond

of him. He was of her too, but neither one of them made a move. Lily was a student from Malaysia and Colin was a backpacker from London. They both bonded on the train heading to Paris, as if they were old friends reunited. Since neither one of them knew anybody there, they decided to make it easier for the both of them and explore the city together. As they reached Paris, they got off the train and promised to meet again in the morning. They both got into their taxis and went to their respective hotels, anticipating the week they will spend together in the beautiful city.

Over the course of five days, they have explored the city through and through. It was as if they planned to travel to the 'City of Love' together as lovers, not random strangers who met on the same train. Colin couldn't help but question his feelings towards Lily; feelings that he never thought he had. He knew he had developed strong feelings for her, mainly because of her carefree and outgoing personality. It's as if she has no care in the world, he thought. Every time she laughed, he would smile and stare at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on.

On the fifth night during a stroll around the city, they found themselves under the brightly lit Eiffel Tower standing tall above them. He knew this would be the right time to confess his feelings for her.

"Hey Lily, I know we've only known each other for a couple of days, but I can't help but think that you're the best person I've ever known, and I-- uhh,"

He chocked.

"You what?" She wondered, as she nudged his hand to quicken a response.

"I think I'm in love with you. Your eyes, your smile. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You make me feel as if I don't have to have a care in the world, as long as I'm with the one I love. I love you, Lily. There, I said it. And to think that I met you on a random train, "

She froze. Her face quickly changed. That was not the reaction he wanted to see from her.

"I can't fall in love with you. I'm so sorry to have led you on, Colin. I never wanted anybody to get hurt," she mumbled.

"Well, can I know why? At least give me closure, so I wouldn't beat myself up too much," he said.

He could see the tears in her eyes. Her eyes started to transform into two pools of water, and the glimmer started to crawl down her cheeks. She

broke down.

"I'm not going to be here for much longer. I'm going, Colin. Going. Gone, into oblivion. I have only days, if I'm lucky, maybe months. That's why I'm here in Paris. At least before I die, I want the streets of Paris to be the last thing that I see. But then, you happened. And I-- what I'm trying to say is that I'm not going to live, and I know if you fall in love with me, I'm going to have to leave you soon. I don't want to leave you here hanging. I never planned for this. I never wanted for this to happen to me. To you, especially you. I'm so sorry, Colin. I really am," she cried.

"Hey, you know I'm never going to leave you. I love you so much. I don't care that I've only known you for a week, I promise you that the next few days we spend together will be the best moment you'll ever have. As long as you're still here, I'm not letting you go. I promise, Lily. I'm not letting you go,"

Although those words came out of his mouth, deep inside he felt lost to know that she will be gone soon. He knew the week he spent in Paris with her was the best thing that has ever happened to him, and he wanted her cancer to be the last thing she'll remembers when she's going. Over the next two days, they spent every waking moment with each other, knowing that they will never get that chance again. They were now lovers in the 'City of Love'.

On the last day of the trip, they made their way to the train station together and waited. Waited for the train that would part them. While waiting for the train, they gaze into each others eyes and had the same exact look in their eyes. They knew exactly what the other was thinking. They laughed, and their hands were now intertwined as one. They walked slowly towards the railway and laid down in each other's embrace. They knew that they couldn't possibly live without each other.

"To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die," she said, with a smile on her face.

They could now hear the sound of the train that was going to be their demise. It's coming. It's getting closer and closer. As the train was just seconds away from stealing their existence, they looked at each other and smiled meaningfully.

Write a story ending with ‘… my heart bleed and I cried’

Living in a serene village near the pristine sea was a real treasure for me as its tranquillity and refreshing atmosphere with a picturesque sea was a really perfect getaway whenever my head was on the verge with all of the schools’ works and pressures. Every day, my best friend, Razman and I would go to the sea to watch the sun sets as the invigorating coolness of the sea breeze caressed our skins. Ever since we were in the kindergartens, we had done the same thing. In the eye of the fishermen there, Razman and I are kindred spirits and our genuine camaraderie could never be separated by hooks or crooks.

          One day, I was feeling a little bit under the weather. My head was spinning and my body was soaking wet with perspirations. So, I decided to take a nap in order to recuperate my illness. Out of the blue, Razman came visiting me. He asked me to accompany him to the ice cream’s stall near the beach. I refused his tempting request almost instantly as my condition was not permissible. But, he kept begging me and his constant chatter was really irascible that I thought my head was going to explode. I tried to control my temper but I failed. I shouted at him, “Just go there by your own self and stop annoying me!” Razman remained speechless upon hearing my yells.

          “Sorry, I did not meant to disturb you. I promised that I will not do it again in the future”, Razman said slowly. I felt guilty watching him cycling away from my house with a crestfallen face. Nevertheless, about one metre from my house Razman turned his dimpled face to look at me and I was at sixes and sevens when he gave me an unexplainable gaze. He smiled at me and I tried to smile at him back but my lips did not cooperate

well with my mind causing me to stand there poker – faced. So, I just retreated into my bed room and decided to wait until I am hale and hearty enough before I went to meet Razman and asked for his forgiveness. Quickly, I swallowed down two Paracetamol’s tablets before going to the bed. The clock was tinkling 11 a.m. by the time I dosed off into my own imaginary world of dream.

          I could see Razman lying unconscious on the white bed. His face was pale and his legs had been amputated. I tiptoed towards him. Suddenly, when I am near enough he woke up. He grabbed my shirt’s collar and shouted in a coarse voice which was very unlikely him “You must pay for what had happened to me!” I gaped for air and tried to struggle away from him but for a sick person that had just been out of comma, Razman was strong enough. I was lack of oxygen. I blinked my eyes rapidly and suddenly I woke up from the dreadful dream. “It was only a dream”, I whispered to myself as my heart was racing. My head was no longer aching and I could feel my body’s temperature had been back to normal. So, I quickly took a bath and dressed to meet Razman.

          By the time I was on my bicycle, I could see people running and shouting. It was like something had chased them away from the beach. I heard the word “Tsunami” being pronounced loudly but I could not make any sense about its meaning. Then, I saw my mother. She was a hawker at a food’s stall near the beach and she was running too. She recognized me at once, “Run son! Run to the hill and saved your life!”  I stood rooted to the ground as my teacher’s words about what tsunami is echoed in my mind. I remembered Razman said he was going to the beach. I tried to search for his figure but he was not anywhere to be found. At the same time, my brothers were dragging me to the hill.

          My whole family was safe during that unexpected tragedy as we managed to climb the hill before the waves swept us. On the next day, the government had sent the Air Forces’ helicopter to bring us out to our momentary shelter. There, I went all nook and cranny to find Razman but my search had come to no end. Razman’s mother was crying days and nights. His 5-year old sister was always asking me to bring back her Abang Man and tears were strolling down my cheeks upon seeing her as she resembled much of Razman’s features. But, we did not have to wait long as three days after that, Razman’s body returned without its life. My heart bleed and I cried.

Write an essay ending with,I never realized that I had shot him….

We live in a housing estate that is normally quiet and peaceful. The residents are not actually rich but they have a fairly good income working as government servants or as supervisors and managers in private firms. The houses here are fairly big and most households have two or more cars.Suddenly the housing estate became the target of robbers. The robbers were believed to be foreign workers from nearby housing projects. Every night, a household would be robbed. So, my father took precautions. He had strong steel grilles put on all the doors and windows and he bought stout locks for all of them. So, we thought we were safe but it was not to be.

One night, my parents were watching television. My sister and I were doing our homework. Without any warning, there was a loud banging on our front door. My father opened the wooden door to see who it was. He thought with the strong grille locked, he could not be harmed. When the door was open, he saw a man pointing a gun at him.

'Get a member of the family to open the door for us or I'll shoot you!' the man outside hissed.My mother took the key from the altar and opened the door. Immediately, three men rushed inside. The man holding the gun kept pointing his gun at my parents. The other two were unarmed.'Search the rooms,' the man with the gun ordered the other two. He had to be the leader because the other two men did what he told them.

The two men ransacked the whole house. They did not find anything in my sister's room. They found only a few items of jewellery and a small sum of money in my parent's bedroom. My parents, especially my father, was aware of the risks of keeping a lot of money or jewellery in the house. So, they kept most of their jewellery and money in a safe deposit box at the bank.The leader of the robbers shouted angrily at my father, 'Where do you keep the rest of your money and jewellery? What we 'have found is too little! Rich people like you have a lot of money and jewellery! Tell me where you're keeping the rest?'

My father replied, 'I'm not rich and that's all the money and jewellery we have in the house. We keep most of our money and jewellery in the bank.''You're lying!' the robber chief snarled and slapped my father.'It's true, I don't have any more money or jewellery in my house my father insisted.The robber slapped my father a few more times. Blood was coming out of his mouth. My mother screamed with fright.'Stop screaming!' the robber chief shouted at my mother.

However, my mother was in hysteria and so could not stop screaming. The robber chief turned towards my mother and raised his hand to slap her. Seeing this, I found the strength to act. I picked up the stool beside me and hit him on the head. He crashed to the floor and dropped his gun. Blood was pouring from the injury on his head. Seeing this, the other two robbers fled. The robber chief slowly got up and came towards me with arms outstretched.

Stop!' I shouted at him. 'Please go away. I'm giving you a chance to escape.'The man still came towards me. His face was black with rage. Then I saw the gun he had dropped. So, I took the gun and I never realized that I had shot him.

Write an essay beginning with, “This is too much for you,somebody has to pay for this……

This is too much for you,somebody has to pay for this…I told my friend, Sidek, when I visited him at his house. He had not been to school for four days.The whole class was curious to know what actually happened to him For any other student the school would not have bothered much but Sidek being the class favourite was the centre of attraction.He was the one who took his studies very seriously and would not be absent for so many days for frivolous reasons. All his classmates wanted to know what had happened to him. All of them thought that something very bad must have happened to him. I was given the assignment of finding out what actually happened to him.

' I asked Sidek the question again when he did not answer me the first time.His entire body was swathed in bandages. His head, torso, arms and legs were all wrapped around with bandages. If not for the obvious seriousness of the situation, I would have pulled his leg and said that he closely resembled an Egyptian mummy. Hardly able to speak because of his swollen lips, he said with great difficulty, 'A mad road bully did this to me.'Wanting to know everything, I asked him to continue.

My friend told me this:

'I had driven my mother to market so that she could buy certain things she needed to prepare the reunion dinner that was to be held on Chinese New Year Eve. When we were at the market, we couldn't find any parking space. So, I stopped at the side of the road to wait for my mother to do her shopping. I did not get out of the driver's seat and kept the engine of the car running. I had also switched on the signal lights to warn vehicles coming from behind. I had stopped at a one-way street which was very narrow. I had left a space that was big enough for just one car to pass through.

'All of a sudden, a driver coming from behind started honking at me. I understood that he wanted me to drive off but I refused because I thought the space I had left for him was big enough for him to pass through. He continued to honk at me but I stubbornly refused to budge.'I was looking at the rear-view mirror all the time and suddenly I saw a burly man get out of the car behind me. In his right hand, he had a big baseball bat. I started to quake but it was too late to run. He strode up to my window.'He banged my car window with his right fist a few times and roared, "So, you think this street belongs to your grandfather!" After that, he raised the baseball bat and smashed my window. Then he put his hand inside to unlock the door. He caught hold of the collar of my T-shirt and hauled me bodily from the car. Then he threw me onto the street.As I lay stunned on the street, he used his baseball bat to rain blows upon me. He hit me on every part of my body. He brought the bat down on my head, torso, arms and legs again and again. It was as if he had gone berserk. I would surely have been killed if two policemen had not stopped him.

Haven't I always told you not to park at the side of the road where you're not allowed to park to wait for someone?' I reminded my friend. 'You should park your car where parking is permitted though it may be some distance from where you want to go. If you had listened to my advice, this would not have happened to you.'

My friend nodded his head and said, 'I was in the wrong. It was all my fault.I should have moved the minute when he honked the car.’

I symphatised Sidek with all those torments that he had to go through.It certainly will take months for him to recover.That means he will be missing a lot of classes.

I left his house with a very sad feeling and prayed to Almighty god for his quick recovery.

Write an essay beginning with,Are you sure this is really yours?

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Are you sure this is really yours?' I asked Peter.Peter's father was just a petty trader at night markets and I did not think he could have bought such an expensive car for Peter. In fact, his father, himself, drove only a ten-year-old mini-van which he used to transport his goods and also his family everywhere.'Of course, it is,' Peter answered proudly.

'Your father just sells clothes at night markets,' I said. 'How could he have afforded it. Or,

is it selling things at night markets brings in a lot of money?'vYou would be surprised,'

Peter said. 'Selling things at night markets does bring in a lot of money. My father gets

about RM300 per night. A simple calculation will tell you that it is RM9 000 a month.

Isn't that enough to buy a Mercedes on a hire-purchase basis?'

'If your father really makes that much money per day, then it is possible,' I said. 'He can pay the 10% deposit of about RM30 000 and settle the loan by monthly instalments of RM5 000. It'll take him only five years to finish paying for the car.''My father did not take a loan to buy the car/ Peter said, seemingly offended by the suggestion that his father could only have bought the car with a loan. 'He paid cash!'That's really great!' I said. 'I never knew that your father so much money. He doesn't look

rich, you know, being dressed in an old T-shirt and shorts all the time. Now I know that the saying that we cannot judge someone by outward appearances is true.''Would you like to ride in the car?' Peter invited me.'Of course, I've never ridden in a Mercedes before,'I accepted his invitation with alacrity.I opened the door and sat in the front passenger seat. The seat was covered with pleasant-smelling leather and I sank into its luxurious padding. The padding in the seat formed a contour of my body and hugged it with just the right amount of pressure. Peter turned the key in the switch. The car came to life almost instantly. I had to listen very hard for the sound of the effortlessly tuning engine.Peter put the car into gear and we drove off. The ride was heavenly. The powerful engine was very quiet and willing, the air-conditioning was really cool and the absorbers were really fantastic. We felt nothing even when the car was driven into potholes. The ride was really smooth. When we took sharp bends at high speed, the car was still on an even keel. It did not roll.

Suddenly Peter said, 'We've to go back now. My father wants to'use the car.'I noticed fear in his face and I thought it strange. Peter turned the car to drive back to his house. After a few minutes, we reached it. Peter's father, shiftless and dressed only in shorts, was waiting outside. He seemed very angry.'You good-for-nothing boy!' he shouted at Peter as soon as he got out of the driver's seat. 'My "towkay" from Kuala Lumpir who supplies me goods had parked his car for hardly five minutes and you drove it off! Where did you go? If you have damaged the car in any way, who's going to pay for it? I don't have enough money even to buy one of its headlights!'Peter threw me a sheepish glance. He must have seen my smile although I had tried very hard to hide it. Peter's father had bought a Mercedes for him? That was the biggest lie Peter had ever told.

Write an essay with the ending :Behind the good look was the most evil person I have ever known”

Eric was very handsome. In fact, he was the best looking man I had ever met. Like most other girls who had met him, I was very attracted to him. However, I went a step further and became his girlfriend. He took me everywhere and treated me like a queen. Of course, I fell more and more deeply in love with him. I felt that I was very lucky to have found a man like him -kind, generous and very good-looking.

When our relationship deepened, I left my rented apartment and went to live with him at his house. Life with Eric was heavenly. He was very attentive to my every need. He always asked me whether I was hungry and what I wanted to eat. He took me to posh restaurants and did not seem to mind the cost. Eric must be rich for he could afford to buy me expensive clothes and jewellery. He went on holidays to resorts which I could not have afforded to go on my own. However, there was one thing about him that irritated me a little.Whenever I mentioned marriage, he would say that we did not need a piece of paper to affirm our love and that we still needed a lot of time to discuss the matter.

One day, he told me something very strange. He said, There is a woman who comes here occasionally. She'll ring the bell at the gate and refuse to go away until someone opens it. She's of unsound mind. Don't open the gate for her. Being mentally unbalanced, she may do something to harm you. Remember that?'

I nodded my head but was very intrigued by what he had told me. I became very curious and wanted very much to see who the woman was!

One day, the woman made her appearance at the gate. She rang the bell at the gate and I parted the curtains of one of the windows to see who the caller was. I did not go straightaway to the gate to open it. Instead, I waited to see what she would do next. As Eric said she would ring the bell again and again. I looked at the woman but she did not look crazy to me. In fact, she was well dressed and appeared very normal to me. The only thing unusual about her was the look of extreme distress on her face. When she rang the bell for the seventh time, I went to the gate and opened it. Then, I invited her into the house. I knew I was acting against Eric's wishes but my instinct told me that I was doing the right thing.

The woman seemed familiar with the interior of Eric's house. Without being invited, she sat in an armchair and looked over the living room.

'Nothing much has changed/ she said, 'except the TV. Previously, it was a 29-inch Panasonic. Now it's a 34-inch Sony.'Then she looked curiously at me and I did the same thing to her. I was surprised that she was very pretty. In fact, I found the fact hard to accept but I thought that she was much prettier than I!

'You must be his latest victim/ she said pityingly. 'I was the victim before you. There were other girls before me.'Alarmed by her words, I asked her to explain.

'Eric is a playboy and I think you must have suspected that long ago/ she began. 'He plays with girls like other men play with motorcycles or cars. He changes girlfriends like other men change motorcycles or cars. At the beginning, he will treat the girls like queens. However, when he tires of them, he will discard them like a toy which does not interest him any more. He has done it to many other girls. He did it to me and he's going to do it to you.'Now I realized why Eric always avoided the question of marriage. He just wanted to play with me and when he was tired of me, he would just discard me like a piece of soiled tissue. He had done it to other women and he would certainly do it to me.

Behind the good looks was the most evil person I have ever known

Write an essay ending with “… with tears in her eyes, she hugged me tightly.”

It was the wettest December I had ever experienced. The torrential rains had ruined my holiday plans as floods continued to wreak havoc in several states. I had pleaded with dad to allow me to go to the east coast with my friends but he had been unyielding. The thought of having to stay indoors for the next two weeks was not only depressing but also unbearable. Television did not excite me anymore. I was fed up of watching the same old movies on cable television. Even the other channels had nothing exciting to offer. Finally, I decided to go into the attic to retrieve some books which I had not read for a long time.

The attic was surprisingly clean – a sign that mum had finally completed the chore that she had kept putting off. I looked around and noticed a teak chest that I had never seen before. Curiosity got the better of me and I walked towards it. I lifted the lid slowly and was pleasantly surprised to see a variety of things in it – all of them reminders of my childhood. I looked nostalgically at the clothes I had worn as a child and the toys I had played with. ‘Bobo’ the teddy bear, which I had slept with until I was ten, had been dry-cleaned and kept in a box which also contained the first Mother’s Day card I had made myself. I was not prepared for what I saw next. Lying at the bottom of the cardboard box was an old black and white photograph of a young woman. I stared at it incredulously. It was as if I was looking at a female version of myself. All sorts of questions and dreadful thoughts flooded my mind. I held the photograph tightly in my hand and dashed out of the attic, only to bump into my mother.

“Mum….who is this?” I asked in a quivering voice.

From the look on her face, I knew it was a question she did not want to answer. Quietly, she held my hand and led me towards the study where dad had been working all morning. She knocked on the door once before opening it. Dad looked up, and his expression of annoyance disappeared when he saw the photograph in my hand.

What I heard that day is something I will never forget for the rest of my life. The woman in the photograph was my mother, my biological mother — Lily Lee.

“Son, Lily loved you very much; just as much as Janet here loves you.”

Dad’s use of the past tense made me uncomfortable. It took a great deal of effort on his part to narrate the painful past.

My biological mother was six months pregnant when the incident happened. She had been walking towards her office when a motorcyclist came from behind and grabbed her handbag before speeding off. As a result of the sudden assault, she had lost her balance and fallen on the kerb. The head injuries she had sustained had a devastating effect on her health. The only option was to perform surgery, but due to her condition, this option was risky. The doctors had wanted to terminate her pregnancy to save her life but she had refused. A month later she fell into a coma. Although the doctors had given up hope, Lily continued to live, though in a comatose state. It was as if she was not giving up on life till her baby was born. When the doctors deemed it safe, they performed an emergency C-section. Lily breathed her last the moment I was born into this world.

Dad sobbed softly as he finished relating the heart-wrenching story. All sorts of emotions consumed me. I was sad, confused and angry. Was I adopted? What about my father? Who was he? Had he abandoned me? After a while, I braved myself and stated what I thought was obvious.

“So, that means you are not my real parents. I am adopted!”

“No, son. You are not adopted. I am your father. Lily was my first wife. She made me promise her that I would marry her younger sister, Janet, so that you would not grow up motherless.”

The sense of relief that I felt at that moment was indescribable. I looked at mum and I saw the pain

and anguish in her eyes, as though she was anticipating rejection. Quickly, she looked down.

Slowly, I got up from my chair and walked towards her. I went down on my knees and held her hands in mine. Her eyes remained downcast, fearful of rejection.

“Mum, I know I am only seventeen but I am more mature than you think. You might not have given birth to me but you are and will always be my mother.” I comforted her as much as I comforted myself.

She looked up slowly, her eyes searching my face for sincerity. Then with tears in her eyes, she hugged me tightly.

I stood motionless and looked at the solid, dark brown wooden door. The house was painted white, and black on the wooden beams and window panes. It looked huge and expensive from the outside. I had to make my mind up whether to knock or press the bell. I turned to face the garden. I thought about going back to my car and drove home. Home. That was where I wanted to be; or was it where I would be after I knocked the door? I sighed and walked to the side where there was a wooden bench by the beautiful garden. I could see that the woman in the family loved the garden. The smell of white lilies reminded me of the florist down the road on Sixteenth Street. I sat on the sturdy looking wooden bench, trying to figure out what I would say if someone was to open the door. I wished I did not find out where she was so that I would not have three sleepless nights thinking of why she left me, whether she was looking for me or whether I should be angry.

I was abandoned at Bliss Home when I was barely four. They said they found me playing joyfully in the playground, innocently thinking that I was sent to school. After three years, I found out that my mother left me at the orphanage because she had to go and find my father who left us when I was two. I was devastated, knowing that my mother left me to strangers. Funny, I thought, how manipulative and contradictory adults could be when it comes to giving advice. Those at Bliss Home took good care of me and made me realise that I was still lucky to be able to enjoy life. Sister Lisa was one of those who managed to make me see that I should make the most of myself than being miserable, grieving my unfortunate life; thinking nobody loved me. I stayed there till I was 12, when I was then transferred to Rouston Public School. Well, Sister Lisa thought it was a good school. Spurred by Sister Lisa’s determination to give me ‘life’, I did my best in Rouston and would go back to Bliss Home during semester breaks or Christmas to be part of the family. Well, I was not sure whether I knew the meaning of that word, but Sister Lisa convinced me that I was part of them when my presence was usually welcomed by freshly baked apple pie and mince meat. Then we would all sit in our warm huge and rather aromatic dining hall. I could still smell Martha’s mouth-watering Yorkshire pudding and roast beef in the kitchen whenever I visited Bliss Home.

It was 8 years ago when I started digging files and tailing endless documents to find out who my

biological parents were. Blessed, I found where my mother lived but was reluctant to go and see her. I knew it would shake her down to her knees and she would beg forgiveness for leaving me; that she was young and naive; that she would not have managed looking after me on her own. Even worst, my presence would stop her heart; that she would collapse unconsciously, leaving me feeling guilty instead. Sister Lisa was the one who insisted. At the end of the year, I eventually gave in but forbade her from calling Mom to inform that I was coming; in case I changed my mind. She gladly agreed and even packed me cheese and tomato sandwiches for the journey. I was skeptical when she said that Mom would be waiting for me. If mom knew where I was, why didn’t she come and find me?

My thoughts were interrupted by a butterfly flying right in front of my nose. I looked back at the house to see if anyone noticed my presence. Silence. I glanced at my watch but I forgot what time I arrived, so I did not know how long I was there. I stood up and walked back to the sandy path leading to the house. I stopped at the wooden door again wishing it was an automatic door so I did not have to decide. Spotting a shadow by the window on my left, my heart pumped. Somebody was at the window and was walking towards the door. I found it very hard to swallow a big lump in my throat as my heart thumped against my chest. I thought that I was the one who would be unconscious.

“Hi, can I help you?” asked the girl who was standing in front of me with a huge grin. I swallowed hard while admiring her curly blonde. Seeing that, I knew she must be Mom’s daughter. She looked 15, lean and has beautiful brown eyes. Pretty.

“Yess.. Ermm yeah.. I was looking for Mrs Collins. Hmm well, is this Mrs Collins’s house by any chance?”

“Ohh yeahh.. Hmm..Mom’s upstairs. And I think she’s expecting you. Aunt Lisa told mom this morning.” She smiled pleasantly holding the door. Despite the dazzling big smile, I could see the quizzical frowns on her forehead. I wondered whether it was because I frowned first. Obviously Sister Lisa must have had said something to Mom.

I waited. Looking for words, 1 folded my arms unintentionally and looked away at the lilies, biting my lower lips. I thought of saying that it was a big mistake and should just walk back to my car. After all, it had been 25 years since she left me. It would not change anything, would it?

“Owh well, you must be freezing. Please come in, she’ll be down in a minute”.

She opened the door and took my left hand, looked at me in the eyes as if to ask for permission and pulled me inside. As I dragged my feet down the hallway, I could see a family picture on the wall. Something stabbed me, right on my chest. Deep. I could feel the pain that I felt years ago when I found out I was left on my own, and was on the verge of tears. Again, I thought of walking back to the door but I brushed the thought away when I heard the footsteps. It happened so quickly, I was not sure whether I was actually there. My stomach tightened when I saw the hopeful look in her eyes.

“William, ohh it’s you. I’ve been waiting for you for what..like..30 years? I knew you would find me.

See, it’s in your nature. Being curious, that is.”

Well, as if it was my mistake that she had to wait so long. I thought I was supposed to wait for her to find me, or at least she should have gone to Bliss Home to find out. Silence. I could not say anything looking at her fragile face. I noticed that her daughter was standing by the small coffee table, looking out of the window expressionlessly, pretending we were not there.

I looked at Mom pityingly and sighed. I was unsure of what to say. As if to wait for me to invite her in her own living room, she stood by the door and smiled awkwardly. Despite the quivered smile, I could still vaguely recognise those beautiful brown eyes when she smiled. Then, she looked down at her hands, which she clenched and unclenched nervously. I presumed that she was as uneasy as I was. After a moment, I cleared my throat and forced a weak smile. Seeing that, she ran towards me and hugged me. Sobbing. Tears welled in my eyes. I closed my eyes, afraid that anyone would see me, but I knew she was forgiven.

Write a story that begins with 'I did not know what happiness was until...'

I did not know what happiness was until my aunt’s caring words sank into me on my graduation day. There she was sitting on the front pew, looking at me with loving eyes, proudly as I stood on the stage giving a speech. She was my angel. She protected me and cared for me since the demise of my parents.

As an orphan, it was not easy for me to get acquainted to strangers. I had built a wall over the years to protect myself from being hurt. The fatal incident of a robbery left me broken and shattered. I could vividly remember the bloody tragedy. After my tuition class on Friday night, I came home in my friend’s car. When I arrived, I felt strange as mom and dad did not lock the door and left the gate wide open. Quietly and suspiciously, I walked into the house sensing something terrible might have happened. In front of the doorstep, to my horror were my parents and twin brothers sprawling right across the carpet. I was paralyzed with fear. Blood was oozing. Mom and dad were lying on their stomachs holding each other’s hands. My twin brothers were heavily injured with slashes of knife cuts on their heads and back.

“Wh-what’s going on?” I asked with a quivering voice. “Mom, dad, Habil, Qabil …please wake up,” I pleaded but they were motionless. It was a very horrifying scene. I found myself screaming and howling hysterically. My neighbours who came to help. The ambulance and police arrived within minutes but they were too late. I was so shaken that I could not stop crying. Not even the paramedic could calm me down. I was escorted to the hospital. Somehow, they managed to contact my aunt. Her hug and consoling words relaxed me a little. I was given a sedative jab and I fell asleep instantaneously. When I woke up, she was right there by my bedside. I felt safe and secured in her presence.

The police came to interview me. My aunt was with me all the while. I was kept away from the press

and television for weeks for fear of my recurring hysteria. The doctor-in-charge put me in a psychiatric ward for half a year, under close observation to help me cope with the terribly haunting tragedy.

After six months in the psychiatry unit, I was finally discharged and reported as being in a stable condition. I went back to the house where the killing took place. It was a very emotional experience. Tears kept rolling down my eyes. I could not stop it. However, I was quiet and not hysterical anymore. My aunt was there holding my hands and rubbing my back, giving me all the moral support and love she could. I packed my belongings, took the family pictures hanging on the wall and put them in my bag. I was put under my aunt’s custody.

My parents and siblings were brutally killed in a home robbery. The prime suspects were two middled aged man. My parents were shot whereas my twin brothers were stabbed to death. It was reported that about RM20,000.00 worth of money and jewellery were stolen. They were finally arrested, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Despite that, the life of my loved ones could not be returned.

“Hawa you must let go off the past. Don’t keep that hatred in your heart. Do not disappoint your late parents. You have a bright future ahead of you. Stay focused in your studies, pass with flying colours and live your life to the fullest. Realize your dreams of joining a forensic team. Make your parents and siblings proud of you. It’s not the end of the world. I’m still here for you,” she advised and encouraged me.

“…but I can’t forget them. Why me? Why my family?” I asked knowing that there was no answer to that.

“Who said that you must forget them? God loves them and that is why He took them in His care. You should be grateful that He still wants you to live their legacy, to care for the unfortunate. They would be sad if you keep wasting your youth away,” she rationalized with me and gave me a big hug to comfort me and take my doubts away.

Fortunately, her caring words and actions awakened me. I picked myself up from feeling worthless and hopeless. I was only fifteen then. However I strived hard and I succeeded.

Today, I am celebrating freedom. Freedom from the bondage of anger and hatred. And I am celebrating this new joy, this new me with my loving aunt. Without her support, I would not have made it.

I didn’t know what happiness was until the unfortunate mishap. I have never been disappointed by the beauty of mother nature. It has taught me a lot about appreciating God’s gifts.

The story began on a bright Friday morning. I packed my bags and was ready to take on the adventure of camping in the jungle. At first, I was reluctant to go but after being cajoled by my persistent friends, I finally gave in. It was a trip for sheer relaxation and nature learning. All six of us – Ainul, Dayang, Farah, Suhaila, Yus and I finally agreed to meet up at the school’s bus stop before embarking on our journey into the virgin forest.

As I was half way walking towards the school, it suddenly started raining. I hastened my steps to the school’s bus stand. Luckily for me, it started pouring when I arrived near the school. Only then, I realized that I was 10 minutes late for the meeting.

“Where have you been? We promised to be here at exactly 11 a.m.,” Ainul barked out.

“Sorry, I had to run some errands for my mom and there was a storm out there,” I explained. “Anyway, we’re all here. So, let’s not waste anymore time. Let’s go,” I quickly added so that Ainul would not dwell on the subject.

Thankfully, the rain lasted for five minutes only. We hopped onto a bus heading towards Indah Park. I was not sure if we were ready for a steep and winding climb up the hill in this wet condition. We arrived at the hillside alas and began to hike up about a mile of the Gagak trail.

It was a harsh climb as we were carrying heavy 10 kilo bag packs complete with sleeping bags, canned food and bottles of mineral water. I was the only one bringing the tent as the others did not possess one. Along the climb we stopped to rest for at least three times. At one place, we encountered a huge snake hissing at us from a bush about 10 metres away. We were lucky not to be bitten by it. We caught glimpse of the beautiful hornbills, bluebirds and a Rufous Collared Kingfisher.

After approximately forty minutes of walking, we finally arrived at our destination, in the middle of an open forest quite near to the breathtaking Indah Waterfall.

“Now, let’s start pitching the tent,” Yus ordered. We loyally obeyed her command as we were the ones who chose her to be the group leader, being the oldest among us. It was already noon and we took out cans of sardines and loaves of bread for lunch before doing more exciting activities of discovering nature. Yus and Suhaila went to fetch some water, Farah and Ainul prepared the meal, Dayang laid out a mat for us to enjoy the moment of leisure in the forest. I was instructed to search for firewoods.

“Don’t go too far out,” Yus reminded.

Happily I went on my way gathering as many branches and twigs as I came across on my path. “This should be enough for at least two days,” I thought to myself as I had collected a bundle of them. As I turned around, I suddenly tripped over a branch and fell down flat on my leg. “Ouch! My ankle,” I moaned. I could not lift myself up as the pain on my twisted ankle was excruciating. I did not realize I was too far away from the tent. Moreover, I left my mobile with Yus. “How can I ask for help?” I wonder. At moment like this, all I could think of was my teacher’s advice. ‘If you are lost in the forest, you need to sit quietly at that particular spot until someone finds you. This will ease the searching work’. I did exactly that. Sit and wait.

Staring at the sky, it had grown darker. The dark grey cloud was pregnant with rain. I prayed hard that someone in my group would notice that I was missing.

Tick…tick…tick. The sound of water dropping onto the leaves. I gathered all my strength, lifted my hips and tried to move to a big tree nearby. Before I could even blink my eyes, the rain started pouring cats and dogs. I sat myself under the huge tree, holding the bundle of firewood to my chest. All kinds of thoughts came to my mind.

“I shouldn’t have come. There have been too many obstacles. It’s afternoon and it does not look like it,” I whined. Did I make the wrong decision? I questioned myself.

I must have dozed off. When I opened my eyes, the thick lianas hanging and gripping onto the hundred- foot-tall trees greeted me. I could hear the sound of the creatures of the forest. Insects chirping, the geckos in the hide calling. It was strangely soothing. I felt at peace as the symphony continued to play in my ears.

“Sheeda! Where are you?” Ainul’s call came piercing into my ears.

“Hey! I’m over here,” I shouted back in relief. I saw my friends running towards me. I told them what had happened. Dayang and Suhaila kindly helped me up while Ainul and Yus got into the motion of snapping pictures of the nature.

In the end, we spent the three-day break enjoying the beauty of mother nature. I realized that I had made the right decision.