Here is another work of mine from my Primary Four class work in Ngee Ann Primary School - "What a
close shave".
The sea
glittered invitingly. “Remember the golden rule. Always safety first!” my
mother reminded us before dropping Matthew, Venes and me off at the beach. I stole a glance at Matthew. He
had a tanned body, jet-black hair and piston-like legs. The muscles on his arms were evident of his
strength. Matthew looked as though he could scoop me up like a kitten.
Suddenly, I
found myself gazing longingly at Venes. She has luxurious raven dark hair and a
lovely face accompanied by straight eyebrows. She has the most enchanting smile
I had ever seen. Maybe I could win her heart if I showed off my perfected
swimming skills to Venes. Matthew would definitely be envious! Was it a good plan
or what?
On
establishing our spot on the beach, we rushed to the public toilets to change
into our swimwear. Then, we leapt overzealously into the sea. That was when I
carried out my plan.
“Hey Matthew!
I’ll challenge you to swim to that life buoy which is about two hundred metres
from us!” I said with a grin. Matthew disagreed and advised me to not swim that
far out as the waters were really choppy
and deep there. Venes and Matthew tried to change my mind but my mind was set.
Before Venes
and Matthew could stop me, I began to swim towards the life buoy. Cutting through the waters with powerful
strokes and kicks like a torpedo, I swam towards it. However, disaster
soon ensued.
Without any
warning, I felt an acute pain in my legs. They were cramping up. Agony coursed through my veins and
random streams of tears burst forth, streaming my cheeks like a burst faucet.
To make matters worse, the waves increased their furious thrusts upon me. I was
tossed about in the water.
Summoning every ounce of my remaining
strength, I shouted hysterically for help. My cries punctuated the air. Matthew and Venes, having
returned to shore, could do nothing but just stare helplessly at me. Although
Matthew knew that he was an excellent swimmer, he would require assistance to bring me back to
shore.
Fortunately, a
lifeguard heard my incessant pleas
for help. Bravely, he waded into the water and swam towards me. He
gripped my hand and pulled me back to shore. I was enveloped with indescribable
joy. I thanked the lifeguard sincerely for his help. My friends also heaved a
sigh of relief, glad that I was safe.
Arriving back
home, I narrated to my mother what had happened. “Well, if there’s one thing
you have learnt, it is never to risk
your life again. If it wasn’t for the lifeguard’s help, I could have lost you,
son … “ my mother said. I embraced her tightly.
I was touched
by my mother’s comforting countenance. It was no doubt a tormenting experience,
but I had also learnt my lesson. Spurred by my mother’s love and care for me, I
vowed to turn over a new leaf and never again did I dare risk my life again. It
was a close shave!
Have you ever been in such a predicament? It was certainly a huge lesson in life - "Pride before a fall", I would say!
Till the next time,
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