Elijah's Life Experiences

A Challenge             Regret.             We were poor. As poor as church mice. Things did not get any better when Father did not get any better when Father passed away. Ever since Father’s untimely demise, Mother had to work long hours every day just to make ends meet. At school, I was always teased about being poor, especially by the notorious school bully, James. A roguish smirk would always be plastered on the bully’s face as he extracted his wrath on me. One day, however, I did not expect the situation to get out of hand.             Brilliant rays of sunshine streamed in between the leaves of an Angsana tree as I settled down under it. It was recess and I had already wolfed down the last of my food. I made my way in the direction of the Angsana tree, a routine with me, with a book in hand to read. To oth...

It's been a long time since I last posted. Here's another of my writings  "A Near Fighting Incident in the MRT / Bully in the MRT".             I hoped he regretted his mistake.             The doors of the MRT tinkled, warning as I dashed into the MRT train. I was returning in a hurry from school as I needed to attend some home tuition. Settling onto a brightly coloured sofa, I stared out the window from behind me. The lush greenery outside seemed to whiz pass by at the speed of a bullet before I could ever catch a glimpse of it. Relaxing back into my seat, I decided on sizing up the other commuters.             Just then, a voice drifted in my direction.             “Do you think I was done with you at school, Tom?” Hand me all your money, or else...

"An act of bravery"  was an essay I wrote and was featured recently :-) Hope you like it.             Davin’s act of bravery was certainly admirable.             “Class, this is the new student, Davin Chang. Please welcome him as our new addition!” Mrs Phua, our teacher, informed everyone in her usual chirpy voice. Shooting a look at him, I instantly made a silent decision never to befriend him. Davin was as skinny as a twig and looked shy. What’s more, his school uniform was as old as the hill, indicating that he was probably living in extreme poverty. All of us must have shared the same thoughts, for everyone seemed to look at him in utter disgust. From that day onwards, we made an “oath” - never to befriend him. After all, why bother befriending Davin when he was poor and looked like a rodent?           ...

Dread (almost lost my life) … encounter with a gang             Dread.             Dread because I almost lost my life that day.             It all started long after a friendly basketball match at the Marine Parade Community Club. Our team had won the match. While the rest of the team members had been celebrating our victory at a nearby fast food restaurant, I was not so lucky. Beads of perspiration rolled down my cheeks like faulty faucet as I waited patiently for Mother to pick me up for tuition. Coincidentally, a group of teenagers stormed towards me like Stormtroopers.             Or may be it was not a coincidence at all …             Out of the blue, their eyes flickered in recognition as ...

"An act of cowardice" tells a story of what caused a good friend to be lost ...           Justin was my best friend.          In my eyes, Justin had always been the perfect gentleman and to the extent of being effeminate. Exceptionally puny for his age, he bore delicate elf-like features, adorned with expressive doe-like eyes. He stuck out like a sore thumb in our class as he was the only one who was soft-spoken. Do not judge a book by its cover. Justin often spared a thought for others but unfortunately frequently to his disadvantage. While boarding a bus back home, he would often allow the rest of the commuters to board first. His selflessness deprived him of a much needed seat despite his long journey home. When asked, Justin would often shrug his shoulders and answered with a broad smile that making the day and environment better for everyone was in itself a rewarding endeavor. His gentle...