A Matrix Love Story

Two things I hate most in this world. Homework. And boys who compete against me.

Life, was always tough on me. First, I've been sent to this "college" in the rustic town of Kuala Pilah. The homework load was terrible. Then when I thought nothing could go any worse, he was assigned to my class. Now I have lots of homework, and a boy who competes AGAINST me to complete our homework!

Life is extremely kind to me. I hope you heard the sarcasm hidden in the sentence.

This kid, is seriously a pain in the neck. He wouldn't stop talking to me! Not in the talk-about-polite-stuff sense. He just wouldn't shut up about Arsenal FC and stuff that only people with a Y chromosome would like. Don't get too impressed. I only remembered the Arsenal thing because he wouldn't stop showing off his jersey.

Like I would be interested anyway. I AM A GIRL, DUH!

My friends keep telling me he likes me. OH MY GOD that had better not be true because you know what? I never felt anything towards him. Just two ordinary classmates, that's all. End of story.

Still, I've been feeling quite well the past week. It was the Chinese New Year holidays! Five days of glee in the shopping heaven of Kuala Lumpur. Yes. Yes. Yes yes YES!! Most importantly, I wouldn't have to see his face for five whole days.

Now that's music, to my ears. *Winks*

Usually he would pester me with his incessant text messages but I wasn't that bothered with the absence of his messages this holidays. Probably fooling around with some other girls.

But time flies. I'm now back in the college, heading to class on this devastatingly cold Monday morning. See, even Life is making it extra tough for me.

I walked into the class, late as usual. Weird, he's not here. It doesn't matter; it's better for me. :)

Suddenly, there was a frantic knock on the door, and he rushed in.

"Sorry I'm late sir."

Gosh. My personal nightmare returns. I stole a glance at him; he was looking at me intently, the cheeky smile back on his face.

The rest of the day passed by as usual. I left the classroom first, and he caught up with me. We walked all the way to our classes, went to look for the teachers and even ate together. Along the way, he couldn't seem to stop talking.

It's like being tortured in Hell. Everyday for the next eight weeks. Thank God it's not for eternity.

We were walking to our Chemistry lecture when it happened. Being extremely late for the class, I finally opted for a shortcut that required me to run across the field. I was halfway across the field when I realised he wasn't with me.

"Alvin?"

"Hey slowcoach Caroline, what's taking you so long?" He was standing in front of the lecture hall.

I was stunned. There was no way he could get there so fast. I mean, I was the one taking the shortcut and, he was still next to me twenty seconds ago. I wasn't possible; I didn't see him running or...even fly.

I frowned, but threw it to the back of my mind. He was fond of coming up with new tricks to surprise me. Bother him.

That was the start of many events.

You see, Alvin is an extreme-outdoor person. He loves soccer more than his life (I mean, he did get so many injuries and accidents while playing the sport that I flinched every time I imagined him playing) and he's the most auntie-like boy I've ever seen - once a rumour reaches his ears, you would bet it'll reach the ears of everybody in the college.

The thing is, nobody seemed to want to talk to him anymore. I was with him all the time, and nobody even gave him a glance. None of my classmates teased me about him; nor did any of my friends mention him when we were chatting. They acted like he never existed.

And nobody seemed to want to talk about him anymore. Whenever I mentioned his name, the topic would change instantly.

He started to shun company; he started to skip meals. The only thing he intensified his effort in was...his care to me.

Every night, he would have his dinner with me in the cafe in front of my dorm. He would always get a carton of milk and watch me eat. Then, as I prepared to leave, he would force me to finish that carton of milk. I pretended to be annoyed by his antics, but truly, I was touched to the core.

His hoodie, always the same one, was always in his bag. Whenever I felt cold Alvin would help me put it on. My friends were like, "It's his hoodie!!" with surprised expressions on their faces but I didn't care. Alvin...was starting to melt my heart.

As we all know, time flies. Soon, February was ending. We both received our results for our middle-of-semester-test. I got a pointer of 4.00 and he was a little behind with 3.87. It wasn't too bad, but we were having a study group consisting of the two of us nightly. All the time his gaze would not leave my face, and to tell you the truth, I was totally basking in happiness.

He gave me my first ever Valentine chocolates, and they were the sweetest chocolates I have ever tasted.

As March came creeping along, he was getting more and more protective. We were spending all our time together. Eating, studying, looking for teachers....you name it. Except for the time when I was in my room, we were never separated.

As April approached, he was always with a grimace on his face, which immediately turned into a sparkling smile whenever I look at him. It was all very mysterious, but with the final examinations looming, I didn't care much.

I was very, very, very touched with the attention he gave me, and I myself was basking in happiness each and every time we were together. When two people are in love, even silence is sweet when being together.

I never thought I would fall for him in this hell of a place. But...the attention he gave me, the adoration he has for me, they were...indescribable.

Finally, the day reached. The final paper was taken, and we were now going home. He pulled me to a side, and gave me a letter. His face was shining with tears and, without saying a word, he sprinted off.

I tried to follow but, he seemed to vanish into thin air. I stopped, and opened the letter.

There was a stack of photographs; pictures of us. Ah those happy times, wonderful to reminisce. Behind every picture, there were words of love.

"Caroline, don't forget to take more vegetables k!?"

"Carol dear, next time, please snug closer to me if you're cold..."

I couldn't stop myself from tearing up a little. There was a newspaper cutting at the bottom. I picked it up, and gasped.

Boy Killed On Journey Home.

There was a picture of him lying sprawled lifeless on the tar road, with a wrecked car next to him.

He died on the journey home from the college during the Chinese New Year holidays.

So that's why my friends ignored him. They couldn't see him at all. Only I could.

So that's why my friends refused to talk about him anymore. They were grieving.

So that's why he wouldn't walk under the sun anymore. He couldn't.

"Carol, I know you would be crying when you read this. I'm sorry I can't wipe your tears from you this time. Happiness doesn’t come easily for those who seek it; as it possesses wings and tends to fly out of our reach.

I rue the day I met with the accident, as it cost me the chance to walk down the aisle with you. I regret not listening to your advice, for if I did not speed, I wouldn’t have met with the mishap. Now I couldn’t be with you for the rest of your life, and it was all because of a moment of folly.

The play has yet to reach its end, but the lights have dimmed on our story.

Rub your tears off, dear! Be strong. Take care of yourself properly in honour of my memory. Don’t forget the milk; and get an optimistic outlook on life. If you do believe in reincarnation, then I would never want to separate with you just like this.

If there is a next lifetime for us, I hope for me to be your Guardian Angel once again. I want you to know I would be waiting for you for all eternity. Forever and ever.

I just came back to spend the last eight weeks with you. It was seriously the most genuine eight weeks of my life, and I hope it was a part of your best memories too."

All I could do was to hug my knees and sob.

Devil's Playground @ NSMC

Fung Sheng Fatt is nineteen years old. He studies in the “prestigious” Negeri Sembilan Matriculation College for “brainy” students. Pretty impressive, isn’t it? Besides that, he is a member of the student council. Now that’s cool. I mean, twenty nineteen-year-olds being representatives of two thousand teenagers living away from home? Wow.

Now, it so happened that the student council, being aware of the general inability of the students to take care of themselves properly without the chaperoning of their parents, organized a “Love Yourself” programme, designed to give the students awareness on taking care of themselves properly.

The act was pretty commendable huh? Yeah, obviously. However, who was to know that the free dental checkups were part of a drug trial by the government? For those who went for the checkup, a jab (of the H4N3 virus strain that was said to give immunity against the next wave of influenza which would drastically hit South East Asia) was given to them.

Sheng Fatt, being an active member of the student council, was among the first to volunteer himself for the checkup. Positively filled with glee after receiving the jab, he was seen boasting around, describing how stronger he felt after the checkup. The rest of the day passed as usual. Class. Quiz. Homework. You get the idea.

But when the night came, and the moon rose, everything changed. My name is Sean, and I live in the college compound as well. There is a really tough, buff guy called Tilak, and he lives in the room right above mine, We are in the same lecture and we study together in the ironing room of our hostel whenever we are free.

Everything was as usual. Our discussions comprised of a wide range of topics from Biology to automobiles; from the tyrannical school rules to girls. All of a sudden, screams shattered the peaceful serenity.

That was the sign of danger.

I am a boy, and no girls were allowed in the hostel. The only time a boy would scream with such enthusiasm would be when he was caught naked by a woman, unless he woke up and saw a cockroach on the back of his hand.

But it couldn’t be, because the screams came from everywhere! Different directions, different people. There couldn’t be so many cockroaches in a place at a time. Or SNSD (the Korean pop group, anyone?) couldn’t be in our hostel.

“What the?”

“Hey bro, let me go check out what’s happening. You want milo?” Tilak asked.

“Nope, thanks. Just go find out why – “

Just then, there was a crash and someone I didn’t know stumbled into the room.

Hey, hold on, it wasn’t someone I didn’t know. It was Eiswaran, Tilak’s roommate. I couldn’t recognize him at first because….his features were so badly disfigured.

He struggled to keep himself standing. “Run….Tilak…” was all he managed to say before collapsing onto the floor. Being a first aider, I rushed to his side immediately. He wasn’t breathing anymore.

Around us, the commotion was getting louder by the second. Howls, groans, moans and other inhuman screams were deafening from every direction. Without pausing to think, the two of us sprinted to Tilak’s room.

And what we saw made our hearts freeze.

Shawn, Eiswaran’s best friend, had changed completely. Not his size though, he still was expanded horizontally as the day before. The difference was, he was pale white, with blood oozing out of his orifices. In his hand he held Eiswaran’s guinea pig, and as we watched, he stuffed the rodent into his mouth, making an inhuman growl as he did so.

We did the most sensible thing we could think of. We ran.

We rushed to the room of our warden. It was empty. Fearing the worst, we tried to look for his car keys, only to see the warden, half transformed into one of the undead zombies, staggering into the room.

He stumbled towards us, but Tilak, an accomplished archer, took the warden’s set of bow and arrow, and shot him. The arrow flew through his left eye and he collapsed.. One zombie down, two thousand more to go.

“C’mon Sean, get the car!! I’ll cover you!”

I fished the keys out from the back pocket of the warden’s tight jeans. So much for banning the wearing of jeans in the college. Around us, the zombies, it transpired, had the ability to smell humans. They rushed out from the blocks towards us, the fresh meat that had not been devoured.

As we made our way to the car, the zombies started attacking us. Their speed and strength were obviously devastating assets to them. They clawed and roared, trying to get to us, but Tilak’s arrows were equal to their attack. A shot from his bow took out three zombies at once. Awesome.

“Hurry Sean!”

“Hop in!” The engine was started but there was no clear path in front of us. We were COMPLETELY surrounded!

“Sean, step on the accelerator!”

“But…but…they were our friends,” I wailed, suppressing a sob.

“And they want to eat us now!”

A crash brought me to my senses. An arm smashed through the passenger seat window and grabbed Tilak’s bow. I stepped on the accelerator, hard. There was a great ripping sound and the arm was detached from its owner. The zombies in our path were knocked down like pins in a bowling alley.

We sped uphill, all the way to another of the boys’ hostel. As I drove past the building, a body was thrown out of the first floor window. It was Petra, a good friend of mine.

There were no zombies around us so I hit the brakes. Tilakrushed down the car and in no time at all, Petra was in the back seat of the car, moaning for painkillers.

Nothing could be done to save the rest of our friends. It was all about escaping this Devil’s playground or being turned into tasty snacks for our ‘friends’. The zombies were advancing towards us at an alarming rate. It was an alarming sight to behold.

“Sean, we have to get out of here now,” Tilak whispered.

Petra moaned, “the girls’ block. Mickey, Mickey…”

I stepped on the accelerator. It was a tad too late. There was an almighty crash and both Tilak and Petra yelled. I looked into the rearview mirror and saw a zombie standing on the boot of the car.

Lucky I watched Initial D. I turned the steering wheel as hard to my left as possible. The car drifted as if it was a Subaru AE86 and the zombie was thrown off. I sped down the road to the girls’ hostel.

There was a riot at the area. Zombies were tearing the place down, looking for fresh meat. I knew there was no hope left. Mickey couldn’t be saved, nor the rest of our friends whom we have gone through thick and thin with.

And then I heard a scream. Not the inhuman scream the zombies make, but something…hmmm…human. Once again I looked into the rearview mirror, praying I wouldn’t see the sight I saw a while ago, and what I saw surprised me.

Mickey and two of her good friends were climbing out of a drain.

I stopped to let them in.

A girl named Felicia, supporting a bloody cheek, was helped into the back seat by the two girls. The other girl, Sung Cheng, leapt into the passenger’s seat (which was vacant because Tilak was caring for Petra in the back seat).

“Are there anyone else we might be able to save?” I yelled.

The girls were crying uncontrollably. Their inaudible answers were drowned by the inhuman growls from every direction.

“Sean, GO!” Tilak shouted.

I sped away.

You know I managed to drive all the way to safety now you’ve read this story. I expect to be arrested under the Internal Security Act for whistleblowing this national secret but don’t worry, I’ve gone into hiding just like Paul the Octopus. The Malaysian government is in the process of destroying the college and the town of Kuala Pilah, just to remove all traces of this destruction, and of course, those whom we had, once upon a time, addressed as friends. And so, I’m making a correction to the beginning of the story.

Fung Sheng Fatt was nineteen years old. He studied in the Negeri Sembilan Matriculation College and was a member of the student council …until the government’s sinister plan was put down to action.

‘Sex education should be introduced as a compulsory subject in schools.’

What is your opinion? You should write at least 350 words. Illustrate your opinion with examples.

Talk about the birds and the bees and prepare to get mixed reactions, whether nods of silent consent or a furore of angry protests, by the public. True, Malaysia is a developing country that has scaled great heights in numerous aspects, yet social stigma still has it that sex is a confidential issue and taboo that should not be discussed publicly. Therefore, many views were expressed when the Malaysian government proposed to introduce sex education into the current education system. Some called it madness, while others applauded the spirit of the Ministry of Education in making such a courageous decision. As for me, I concur wholeheartedly with the government’s new policy.

One good thing that this move would bring is that of dispelling myths and old wives’ tales surrounding intercourse. As an example, many people are instilled with the belief that females would not get pregnant at the first try. However, it is not proven scientifically and couples who are unprepared to bring a new life into this world are faced with a dilemma of choosing whether to keep the foetus or to abort it. Those who opted to give birth to the foetus but were unable to care for it, would then abandon the child; contributing to the rise of the numbers of abandoned children in this country. Efforts by the government to combat this issue are evident, such as the baby hatch that was set up recently in Petaling Jaya. However, as the saying goes, prevention is indeed better than cure, and is also much cheaper than cure. Thus the community should be thoroughly educated so as to know what their moment of folly would bring.

Following that, sex education in schools would certainly raise the public awareness of schoolchildren, especially teenagers who have reached puberty and are nearing maturity. It is never easy to satisfy the curiosity of an inquisitive child. As they approach puberty, changes in their body and the sudden interest towards the opposite sex would definitely pique their desire to know more about the opposite sex. Rather than letting them learn through the wrong channels, why not let the Ministry of Education device a syllabus which would answer most of their questions and at the same time, encourage and promote the benefits of post-marital sex? This would ensure the children getting the correct information from the right source, wouldn’t it?

Furthermore, the society should be exposed to the dangers Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) pose, and what better way to educate the public than to start by educating children, the Masters of the future? It has been told that if you spare the rod, you’ll spoil the child. Thus by teaching the children that pre-marital sex is prohibited not only by the law but by religious aspects as well, we would be moulding a generation community which would abstain from pre-marital sex as their mindset would have been long set since young. Other than that, by knowing the diseases associated with uncontrolled sex, the children –in the future- would be discouraged from participating in intercourses without basic precautions.

Being enrolled in sex education, the children would be taught the difference between a ‘friendly touch’ and a ‘malicious touch’. For instance, a girl who has been educated would know if the person attempting to get close to her has a nefarious motive and would be able to act rationally at the time of distress. She would also be able to keep her calm and composure besides gathering evidence for the police instead of wailing and crying helplessly. Moreover, contrary to popular belief, boys are of as much danger as compared to girls. As girls were given more attention, we forget that boys could also be victims of rapists. Hence it is obvious that boys should attend the sex education class too as the knowledge gained would be essential in the real life if anything happens.

All in all, my stand remains strong and firm: Sex education should be taught in school. However, the burden on honing young minds in this area should not be placed entirely on school teachers but to be shared equally by the parents as the primary education of every child starts at home. Of course, syllabi which are age-appropriate have to be arranged. Let us ask ourselves this: Do we want our children to be taught that they were delivered by storks; or they be given the correct and relevant information? It is time for you to play the judge and decide if this new policy should be encouraged or condemned.

‘Traditional entertainment like wayang kulit and Chinese opera is rarely seen nowadays.’

Discuss the causes of the decline as well as the steps to improve the situation. You should write at least 350 words.

Have you ever witnessed a Chingay parade? Participated in a highly entertaining match of congkak? Or perhaps watched a performance of the Sumazau dance? Malaysia, a nation rich in the diversity of cultures, offers us more than just those mentioned above. For us lucky citizens, we have pretty much been exposed to the variety of cultures around us since young; engulfing our lives with enriching experiences and fulfilling entertainment. If we explore the depths of our cultures thoroughly, we will see how resplendent values such as determination and innovation transformed the lives of our forefathers. Alas, what we get to enjoy now may not be available for our future generations. The reason? The decline in traditional entertainment among our community in recent years.

There is no point in pointing fingers at each other with regards to this trend that is slowly diminishing the traditional entertainment from our lives. The most effective way to correct this landslide of popularity in traditional entertainment in our lives is by examining its cause and coming up with effective solutions to amend our mistakes of the past. It cannot be denied that the decrease in exposure of our cultures within the society among adults and youths is one of the main factors that accelerate our disregard towards the arts passed down from our forefathers’ era, decades or even centuries ago. Nowadays, the ancient knowledge created by our forefathers to amuse themselves in the boring old days without television and internet is in danger of being lost forever. Thus, it is of utmost importance for us to preserve the techniques and skills so as not to lose the arts we have been entrusted to by the older generations.

As we are aware, young minds nowadays are being corrupted by the hectic city lifestyle – all emphasis is being directed on scoring high grades in examinations. Following that, parents are sending their children for extra classes in addition to the strenuous school life and the young minds are exhausted at the end of the day. So how are they to participate in other activities when their minds are burnt out and their bodies weary? The government has to look into the education system and come up with a plan to cultivate all-rounded students, not only students who are able to memorize facts and formulae. In this context, bringing in traditional entertainment into the school extra-curricular syllabus would be celebrated as a brilliant move, killing two birds with one stone, by the government as it would ensure the students are being exposed to our cultures at a young age besides bringing up students who are able to think creatively and dynamically.

Next, we have to understand that the mass media plays a pivotal role in our lives. Everything is getting easier and easier in this era of science and technology. We can search for information by just a click of a button. Therefore, it can be concurred that to address this current issue, the mass media plays an important role. Events regarding traditional entertainment such as competitions should be given wide coverage by the press. For example, newspapers should publish news on large-scale happenings concerning traditional entertainment. It is no doubt that through the mass media, more people will be exposed to traditional entertainment and their interest in it built up. Publicity is an important aspect to excite one’s interest in an issue and with the correct amount of publicity, it is certain that traditional entertainment will be enjoyed by more people.

In addition to that, the mindset of the people is another major issue. These days, people would rather become slaves over illusory assets to be bothered with traditional activities. In order to obtain fame and riches, they work, work and do more work. Hence, they feel that it is a hassle to go for ‘silat’ classes because working out on a treadmill machine for ten minutes makes them yield the same amount of benefit. Furthermore, teenagers now are addicted to computer games such as Defense of the Ancients (DotA) and Maple Story and would choose to spend hours of their time in front of the computer screen rather than to play a game of Chinese Chess. Thus, parents have to instill the belief in the mindset of their children that they should at least participate and possess the basic knowledge in traditional activities so as to be able to pass them down to the next generation.

It is obvious that the condition of the issue on hand is pretty bad. However, it can still be improved if drastic action is taken fast. Thus, to ameliorate the situation, we would have to look at all aspects regarding the issue on hand objectively. In a country rich in cultures and diversity, we have to preserve our traditional entertainment so as not to allow the efforts of our forefathers go to waste. Moreover, we should be aware and equipped with the knowledge for us to remember our roots as every culture and tradition is unique in its own way. Let us sustain and safeguard our traditions; and contribute to the building of a spectacular 1Malaysia.

My Idol

Thousands of years of civilization have witnessed the coming and going of many great names; among them we’ve seen King Solomon, the wisest king of all time, Zinedine Zidane, the outstanding football maestro, and Florence Nightingale, who revolutionized our mindsets on nurses, not to mention the rest who have left their mark on history. Now, everyone should have a person whom they look to when they call for inspiration; one that makes them dream, and consequently reach for their dreams. We call them our idols. Who is yours? Take a guess at mine.

Sit back and relax; enjoy this story.

When I was a child, I was a subject to much prejudice. I was fat. Some people might have been so kind to suggest that I was ‘chubby’ but no, I had to face reality. I was overweight. Obese. My so called friends laughed at me. The kids at the playground teased me and refused to play with me. They pulled my hair. They pinched my cheeks. The ‘Fatty’, they called me, bringing me to the brink of tears each and every time they did this. I was only a ten year-old; what did I do to deserve such treatment from them!?

Every time they pointed at me, pulled my hair, chanting the sobriquet they gave me as well, I would run home straightaway. I would hide in the darkest corner of my house and weep uncontrollably, until her warm and gentle hands wrapped around my shoulders. She would then pull me into a tight hug, stroking my head at the same time and whisper, ‘sweetheart, it’s alright.’

It was just a simple act, yet it was enough to make me stop crying. Yes, my mother has been the pillar of my strength since I was a little girl. She taught me that clothes do not make the man; a person’s appearance does not foreshow his abilities. She taught me to climb up where I fell, and hold my head up high, just to prove the critics wrong.

In the few years that followed, I began to observe mum more. Even though she was often busy with housework, she nevertheless did her utmost best to give us, her family, the best. When I was sick, she was there beside me. When I was hungry, I could always look forward to a hot meal on the table. When I was down, she was there to lend me her shoulder. She was the best mother ever, a devoted wife and a dutiful one.

Alas, this is not Hollywood. This is a small town, where good endings never occur. I took her for granted and abused the care she had for me. I screamed and shrieked and shouted at her, but she never once lost her temper towards me. Instead, she just hugged me tight until my tantrums subsided. I didn’t notice that she was getting more and more fragile. She got weaker and weaker by the day until one day; she collapsed in the living room.

The doctor diagnosed her as a patient of third stage leukemia. I was too young to know what leukemia was, but I could see her getting frailer. And that was a torture I could not describe with words. It was like being crucified on a burning cross; or being hit time and again by a spiked bludgeon. I began to surf the internet, to find ways for her cure as she lay fragile in the hospital.

She passed away on a cold and chilly morning. I was fifteen. Her parting words were, ‘Samantha, I’m sorry mummy couldn’t accompany you anymore. Be a good girl, and listen to daddy. Maybe you weren’t in time to cure mummy, but do amass enough knowledge, and save more people in the future, alright?’

I wiped the tears from my eyes.

In all honesty, despite the legions of great people whose stories inspired millions to bring out the very best in them, she was the one who provided me with the spark that ignited my passion to become a doctor. Being such a dutiful mother to me, her memory was the most vital asset on my obstacle-filled journey to achieve my goal. She was the foundation of my motivation, the source of my power and the fuel of my spirit. In the face of impediments, the memory of her was the only thing with the ability to generate my fortitude when I look directly at the jaws of defeat.

She is the force behind me; my strength. The one who guided me; my mentor – my idol.

No Smoking

I stopped my car in front of Kim’s Florist. How fast does time fly. Felicia likes the bouquets they sell most. She said they were much fresher, and were more elegantly arranged.

I chuckled under my breath.

I knew how she liked her flowers arranged. The colours had to be just nice, not too colourful nor too dull. The flowers have to be of the right size, and there must be at least nine violets. To symbolize September, the month we were both born. So sweet.

I walked into the florist.

Today is her birthday. I remember this day, exactly twelve years ago, when I first met her. We both were taking our driving test. There she was, a sweet and cute girl, sobbing pitifully because she failed her test.

Fast forward seven years, and there she was, being walked down the aisle with her father. All these were memories, distant but clear…

I paid for the bouquet, and turned to leave. Behind me, an old couple was having a heated argument. As I walked past them, I heard what they were saying.

‘George, how many times must I tell you not to smoke!? Can you please not smoke!!?’

I stopped in my tracks. A tsunami of sadness crashed into me…

* * *

Felicia was a sweet girl. She was good-tempered and patient, not to mention being very caring towards her friends and families. However, she whose father had passed away due to lung cancer was extremely stringent when it comes to smoking. Anyone who smoked in front of her would immediately get a severe tongue trashing.

Of course, there was an exception. Me.

She loved me so much that she would let me off the hook when I took one or two puffs. I told her I was trying to kick the habit, yet she didn’t know I was puffing away like nobody’s business at my workplace.

She did attempt to reason me out a few times, but I just laughed her words off.

“Gilbert, can you please not smoke anymore?” she had asked me nicely but…

“Erm Felicia, can you not play the piano?” I replied cheekily.

She grumbled but didn’t say anything more. I knew I would win; she gave in to me too much. Yet I didn’t feel elated at all. Something in her expression bothered me much.

How I was to know that was the last time she would tell me not to smoke….

In the few days that followed, I continued to smoke in the house. The feeling was heavenly. Have you ever filled your house with the sweet scent of burning tobacco before? Well, that was it. Alluring.

I smoked when I read the papers. When I watched football. And even when I ate. Felicia didn’t say anything and I felt guilty. However, I thought she was using the old ‘make-him-feel-guilty’ routine again. So I wasn’t that perturbed by it.

Until she collapsed at the dinner table.

Lung cancer.

Why must every story end in the same way? Why? WHY!?

I could do nothing but to stay by her side for the remaining two months of her life. Seeing her lifeless body in the hospital ward, my heart was crushed. Into thousands, no, millions of pieces. Looking at her suffering I could never forgive myself, just for the fact that I was the one who brought death to her…

She passed away. During her final moments, she did all she could to keep me from being sad. Typical Felicia. Trying to give me the best even though she was suffering. I was in total agony, but I kept the smile plastered to my face. No, I didn’t want her to be sadder.

She told me she didn’t forbid me from smoking anymore. I couldn’t reply her. In spite of everything that made her body fragile and weak, she didn’t care about anything but to make me happy.

I knew it was too late; that nothing I could have done would bring her back again.

* * *

I snapped out from my reverie. Turning to George, I said, ‘for you not to regret; for you not to harm your loved ones, don’t smoke.’

I have never touched a cigarette since the day she collapsed on the dinner table.

Felicia, I love you.

The Most Unforgettable Character I Have Ever Met

I could still remember the day it happened.

So clear, like it had just happened yesterday. I guess it will be a part of me, the part which I would never forget no matter what.

It was a Saturday, a day in which I was feeling depressed after losing in soccer match with nobody to talk to and no outlet to release my frustrations. The setting sun glowered at me, as if reprimanding me for being overly downcast, but even the knowledge that I will be having extra classes for English couldn't lift my spirits.

I pushed the door open, as gently as I could so as not to show the class what my temper could do. The door still banged against the wall with a force enough to knock a person off his feet, so I wasn't surprised when my teacher gave me a scowl which I returned, only pleasantly.

Then my gaze focused onto the seat I usually occupied, and my scowl became uncharacteristically prominent. A new girl. Great. Occupying my usual seat. Even greater.

'No! ' I told myself. I had to fight the strange urge to strangle her. I had to. She wasn't worth it. I glared at the teacher, who glowered at me and instructed me to seat beside her. I did so grudgingly. Really, my blood was at its boiling point.

I thought it would be polite if I could make up for any of my irrational behaviour so I offered her my hand.

A surprised look, then a cold gaze. She stared at my hand for a full second, then she turned away.

Man, this is worse than hell.

'Sir, what's her name?'

It was time to take drastic actions. Heh, I'm smart.

'Abigail. Sean, no flirting in my class though.'

'I won't'

Like I would flirt with people like her. I don't like unfriendly girls. They make my goosebumps excite.

I stole a quick glance at her. Wow, nice scowl lady. You'd scare the daylight out of anybody who looks at you.

The next two hours passed by so fast that I didn't even have the time to think about Abigail. All I could do was to finish my work as fast as possible and wait for half-past ten to arrive. All I wanted was the class to end soon. How cliche.
As I was doodling on my paper, suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, the teacher clutched his chest and stood quite still. Then he collapsed.

The silence that followed was one of the loudest I've heard in my life. A bloodcurdling scream broke the eerie silence and before I knew it, the room was filled with panic and shock.

Everyone seemed to have lost his or her head. There was a fair amount of screaming and then sobs could be heard. Annie Tan fainted. Junyang Ng vomited. As I surveyed the scene, I could not help but marvel at the only person who did not show signs of stress-Abigail.

With a commanding voice, she yelled for the class to calm down. And with a sense of authority I could never have, she gave instructions. However, the shell-shocked students remained rooted to their seats and looked as though they couldn't understand English. She took an exasperated look around the room and finally decided to utilise my hidden potential to its fullest.

'CPR?' She said, grabbing my hand.

At that instantaneous moment, I felt my heartbeat accelerate. Wow. Reflex reaction, I guessed. She gave me a small smile, and I felt my cheeks go hot. Another reflex reaction.

I nodded briefly and I blew a lungful of air into the teacher's mouth. Ewww...his mouth tasted of cheese. High cholesterol. No wonder. I pumped at his heart. One, two, three, four.

Behind me, Abigail has called the ambulance.

'They're coming'

'Of course they are. Get Annie and Junyang out'

'No I want to assist you'

My brain seemed to freeze. I couldn't think. I had to take a deep breath to steady myself. How unusual.

For the next fourteen minutes, we didn't stop performing CPR on the teacher. It was tough but with her beside me, strangely enough, I didn't feel tired. I was prepared to do it the whole night.

But the ambulance arrived. The defibrillator was used and they stretchered him to the hospital. Pushing the rue I felt to the back of my mind, I packed my bags and went home.

After this incident, I totally changed my view of Abigail. She is kind-hearted and calm, not to mention being extremely knowledgeable and street-smart. Her ability to take control of a situation has greatly impressed me and thus she tops the list as the most unforgettable character I have ever met.