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Fatin’s Essays Compilation

Let’s read! ~

SMK AGAMA SARATOK

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© Madam Faridah Husna

The Angel Story

Alan rushed to his family’s mini aviary in the middle of night when he

heard a sudden shrill noise the birds were making. He became alert as he saw

the previously locked aviary gate was wide opened indicating that there was

an intruder. Without any delay, he entered the aviary but halted abruptly

after a few steps once the sight in front of him caught him in pure shock. He

hardly believed his eyes as he was seeing a girl with a pair of wings!

“What are you-I mean, who are you? And why are you here?” Alan

barely collected bravery to speak although he stuttered a bit.

“I’m an angel,” her melodious voice answered him. She continued, “I

apologize for intruding your place. My wings are damaged therefore I need

somewhere to rest so that they can heal. Please, let me stay until my wings

have healed.”

Alan still had not recovered from his shock so he only nodded his

head unconsciously before his vision went pitch black. He fainted right there.

He thought he was only dreaming till the next morning he woke up in

a comfortable warmth of a pair of wings covering his body. He shrieked in

surprise and hastily broke free from the girl’s embrace. She only chuckled at

his fearful expression.

“Are those real wings?” Alan pointed to her gigantic wings. The girl

nodded as response. She then crept closer and reached for his hand. He was

hesitant at first but eventually he let her held his hand. She brought it to

touch her wings.

“Wow. They are real,” he said when he felt the soft feather in contact

with his skin. They were no different to the birds’ ones in the aviary except

they were much prettier. What an amazing creature, he thought while

looking up to her smiling face, and beautiful too. Seeing her gentle smile, he

pushed away his uncertainty from before. Why must I be scared of those kind

eyes that were overflowing with friendliness? She surely would not hurt me or

anybody. She is an angel after all.

“I want you to see my mother. She is an ornithologist so I think she

can do something with your injured wings,” he suggested. At the same time,

he was excited because his mother would be thrilled to see her. Seeing his

mother was a bird-lover, of course she would. Besides, he was thinking to

make her stay with them for the time being until she was fully healed.

“Alright~ I would love to meet your mother!” She responded with

great enthusiasm making Alan amused with her cute antics. They left the

aviary and entered his house by the back door. Luckily the back door was

quite wide that she could enter the house at ease. If not, it would be difficult

for her to enter with those enormous wings.

“Mother!” Alan called out for his mother. He told the girl to wait in

the living room and excused himself to search for his mother. He found his

mother in her room and told her that they had a special guest. Telling his

mother to see the said guest first, he went to the kitchen to prepare some

drinks. He bet his mother would not expect such guest to see her.

The moment he returned to the living room, the tray of drinks fell

from his hands. He saw the living room in a chaos state, curtains shredded

into pieces, cracked flat-screen television, turned over couch, coffee table

split into halves and his mother’s lifeless body in her own pool of blood.

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“At last, I get my revenge,” a voice behind him said. He turned around

to see who it was the one who caused the horrific murder of his mother. To

his surprise, it was his new friend, the angel. Her beautiful white wings were

stained in crimson red blood. The look in her eyes changed drastically. They

were not as friendly and kind as moments ago. Instead they looked ominous

and murderous that they almost looked evil.

Alan was utterly taken aback and confused with what he was

witnessing at the moment. He could not really comprehend that absurd

situation he faced. However, one thing he could be sure of was he was

horrified. He did not even dare to move a muscle.

“You know, I do not wish to have these wings. To be honest, I hate

them! I have never once taste a peaceful life ever since I had them. People

only see me as an animal, a monster! They hunt me for having these cursed

wings. I live this hard life all by myself,” her finger pointed to Alan’s mother

on the floor, “and your mother is responsible for my suffering! She did not

just use me to make a hybrid of bird and human but she also abandoned me

to live alone! Can you imagine how terrible my life is with my body like this?

But then how ironic it is when the only thing that keep me alive till today is

my hatred towards that woman. I will not give away my life till she give away

hers. Now that I finally killed her, I do not mind leaving this cruel world in any

time,” she was crying like a kid having a tantrum while spilling out her rage.

Controlling her breath, she clumsily wiped her tears. From Alan’s point of

view, he did not see a monster but a pure teenage girl who wished to have a

normal life like a normal human being.

Alan glanced to his mother near him then. Did mother actually do

such terrible thing to this poor girl? But mother was always a lovely person.

How could she do that? Alan could not imagine what would happen to him

next as he lost his only family, his mother. He felt hopeless and was in verge

of breaking down.

“I do not feel sorry for your mother. I am satisfied and that’s it,” she

muttered in a cold voice as she turned to the door and flew to who-knows-

where.

Alan thought he was seeing things but was that sympathy he saw in

her eyes when she said those words?

-The End-

aviary a large cage or area in which birds are kept hesitant uncertain, doubtful ornithologist a person who studies birds

antics behaviour ominous threatening, suggesting something bad is going to

happen

murderous vicious, intending or likely to murder absurd illogical, ridiculous

hybrid fusion, crossbreed tantrum sudden explosion of anger especially by a child rage anger

muttered spoke in a low and often angry voice

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I’m Not the Weak Zelo Anymore

Five years ago…

"Zelo!! Didn't I tell you not to get involved with those bullies ever

again?!! I've told you that so many times already but why are you being so

stubborn?! Are you deaf or what?!!"

Jepp's outburst boomed inside the house. The twenty years old man

was barely breathing because of his thinning patience as Zelo kept infuriating

him. He didn't even remember how many times already he had met that

same situation, with him pacing back and forth in front of the couch where

Zelo sat in silence.

"Look at all of the bruises you get! There’d be more if I didn't come in

time!!"

He roughly pulled his little brother's shirt sleeve, revealing several

bleeding cuts and bruises. Zelo flinched a bit at his forceful touch. But he still

didn't dare to say a thing.

"Now I'm getting so sick of this! Hey Zelo!! Do you think of me as your

freaking bodyguard, superhero, guardian angel or what??! Well I’m telling

you, I'm not!! When I tell you to avoid the bullies so just do as I say! What

makes you so hard to not do it??!”

The raging elder raised his voice an octave higher making Zelo winced

involuntarily. Who’d know how frightened he was inside?

Jepp tried to control himself. He looked at his 11 years old brother and

sighed. There he saw him shivering on his seat, already at the verge of crying.

In that instant, his heart softened and guilt washed over him. Stupid. I

shouldn’t have scold him like that. He’s still a kid after all. He tightly closed his

eyes in regret.

“H-hyung is so sorry. I didn’t mean to scold you. I’m very sorry. Those

bruises... do they hurt a lot?”

~*~

Present…

“Hyung!”

Zelo called out for his brother while setting himself on the grassy

space beside the elder. The younger was all smiling and happy but all of it

faded when he received no response from the latter. He sighed in worry,

knowing that this would happen.

“Are you angry?”

He asked cautiously and waited for Jepp’s answer. He flinched as he

realized that he was only getting another silence from him. The boy exhaled

heavily and scratched his nape when it was not even itchy. If Jepp refused to

answer him, then he knew that the elder must had been really furious!

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“Hyung, you don’t have to be that mad. The fight earlier was not a big

deal. Besides, it was them who started the fight! And look, I didn’t hurt at all.

See?”

Zelo hastily held up his sleeves up to prove that he was unharmed

and perfectly fine but it turned out that he failed. His lips were

bleeding. Great. Well done, Zelo. He ‘congratulated’ himself mentally. Using

his right sleeve, he wiped his ugly swollen lips, cursing Ray and his fellow

bullies while doing so.

Quietly, he took a quick peek at Jepp’s reaction but looked away in

less than a second, repenting for his foolish doing. He really hated it when his

brother got mad because he could be beyond scary if he did. If a glare could

kill then the poor boy would be a corpse since long ago. Well who wouldn’t?

He was scary as hell!

Zelo bit his lips anxiously as he waited for the latter to say something

yet nothing was said. As time went by, his nervousness overwhelmed until it

became unbearable for him to hold any longer. That’s when he stood up and

threw a tantrum like a child who didn’t get his favourite toy.

“Why are you mad at me? I told you it’s not my fault! They started

the fight first! I was having my brunch in my class but then out of nowhere

they showed up and threw away my sandwich out of the window! Yet now

you’re mad because we fought? This is unfair, hyung! Why don’t you let me

fight them back?! Could you stop seeing me as a wimp?? You saw us just

now, didn’t you? Then you should know that I’m not the weak Zelo

anymore!!”

The frustrated boy breathed heavily before he turned around, with

his back facing his brother. Before Jepp could say anything, he cut him off

with his words.

“Hyung, I don’t need you to beat up those bullies for me anymore. I

can take care of myself and my problems on my own well enough. Do you still

remember that you had told me not to cry even when I get hurt? Till today I

still remember your words, hyung. And since I’m much stronger now-” his

sentence stopped halfway as he suddenly felt his heart shrunk in agony.

“-you should stop saying you’re sorry for not being there to protect

me,” his heart was aching a lot as he said that.

“I’m begging you, please don’t say that ever again because now I’ve

changed into a great fighter just like you, hyung. Aren’t you proud of your

once weak little brother now as tough and strong like you? Before, he was the

one who got bullied but now he won’t get bullied ever again,” his trembling

hands curled into two firm fists before he turned to face Jepp.

“So that’s why I’m telling you to stop it, hyung! Stop forbidding me

from fighting them back! Stop thinking me as a useless wimp!! And stop

saying sorry that you couldn’t protect me as if you’re still alive to do so!!!”

His loud outrage broke the silence at the cemetery. Slowly tears

began to flood in the boy’s pair of eyes. At the same time, his knees suddenly

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became wobbly causing him to drop on the grass. He realized that his breath

became uneven due to the heavy feeling burdening his wretched heart. With

all his might he had he tried to hold back his tears.

“You’re not there to protect me from those bullies anymore.

Therefore, I train myself to be strong like you.”

The boy spoke in a low voice but he knew that his brother was

listening. He believed his brother was there with him although he was

nowhere to be seen.

He just sat there, wordlessly stared at Jepp’s tombstone. The frail

look in his eyes visibly showed his endless longing for his beloved brother, his

guardian angel.

The memories of them in the past rushed back in his head. How Jepp

had scolded him as soon as they got home after another big fight that Zelo

had caused yet again making the elder came to his rescue for the umpteenth

time. He’d nag the younger that he was not his guardian angel or such to save

him from the bullies every time. Despite all of the scolding and nagging, in the

end he would carefully treat Zelo who had lots of cuts and bruises all over his

body. While doing so, he’d apologize repeatedly for not be there earlier to

protect him. That’s his brother, Jepp who couldn’t bear seeing his younger

brother got hurt even the slightest cut.

As Zelo recalled their bittersweet past, his heart felt heavier as time

passed by. The throbbing pain in his poor heart triggered the tears that were

threatening to fall. However, he refused to let it happened. He bit his lips

hard and clasped a hand over his eyes in order to suppress his grief. Lastly he

hugged his knees and buried his head in them. He seemed vulnerable like a

stray puppy in that state.

“Hyung, I used to hate your nagging so much but now-,” he choked

at his own words that came out as a muffled voice.

“-I really wish to hear it again," his lips were about to bleed again as

he bit them a little too hard.

“I miss you, hyung.”

Drip. Drip. Drip.

There were red spots on the grassy ground. Zelo could care less

about his lips that were bleeding again. He only stared at the ceaselessly

dripping blood slowly forming a small pool of red liquid. He wouldn’t let his

tears to fall the same manner as the blood. He already made his promise to

Jepp to not cry.

At that very moment, the poor boy could feel a warm hand softly

caressing his hair.

Realization hit him really hard as he sensed it was a familiar hand

that he knew just too well. It belonged to his guardian angel, his beloved

brother.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

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That single touch did it. A tear finally slipped down his cheek

followed by another and next they endlessly fell. At last, the heartbroken boy

broke down.

“H-hyung..”

Crying his heart out in front of his brother’s tombstone, he didn’t

bother to lift up his head as he was afraid that if he did, his brother wouldn’t

be there anymore standing beside him.

“Just stay there, hyung. Please d-don’t leave me just yet.”

The younger desperately begged in his sobs. He really didn’t want to

miss this moment where his deceased brother could actually touch him. He

too, wanted to grab the hand and hold onto it dearly but he was too afraid.

He was so happy to meet his brother but was frustrated at the same time

because he knew it wouldn’t be long. Realizing the painful fact, his tears

couldn’t stop falling from his eyes as if there was an ocean inside him. Like a

lost child, he couldn't help but to cry hopelessly.

The elder’s touch was very soothing and calming that Zelo stayed like

that for a quite long time till he finally stopped crying. Then the hand left his

head as if motioning him to lift up his head. And so he did. He even stood up

straight. He wiped off the remaining tears on his cheeks before he softly

chuckled.

“I’m sorry, hyung. This little brother of yours is such a nuisance!”

There was a wide grin on his face as he continued his next words.

“But you can’t do a thing about it because he is your one and only

brother you have no matter what,” he gazed longingly at his beloved

brother’s tombstone.

The gentle wind was brushing the boy’s figure, tousling his hair as if

it was Jepp who was ruffling his head. Zelo smiled at ease knowing it.

“Believe me, hyung. I’m no longer the weak Zelo. But somehow, I still

wish that you still take care of me from up there,” he pursed his lips and

inhaled the air. He took the last glimpse of the cemetery and finally left the

place.

“Of course, I’m your guardian angel after all.”

-The End-

outburst a sudden expression of a strong feeling especially anger hyung Korean word for men to address older men that means

older brother

infuriating making somebody very angry nape the back part of neck wimp a weak person who does not have courage or confidence

cemetery a place where dead people are buried, graveyard frail weak, not healthy

grief great sadness nuisance a person, thing or situation that annoys you or causes

you trouble

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Magic Words: I’m Sorry

That morning, Juuzou was alone in the house. He did nothing much

besides sprawling on the floor, wordlessly staring at the white ceiling above

him. He bobbed his head up and down onto the floor that it hit the hard

surface, causing a thumping noise. After a while, he stopped his silly doing as

he finally felt the pain.

“Ow it hurts,” he winced while rubbing his sore head. He propped himself

into a sitting position and glanced to the clock on the wall.

“It’s ten minutes past eleven.”

Unintentionally, he raised his fingers and counted them. In about ten

hours more, his mum would return home from her workplace. During those

ten hours, what’d I do to while away my time?

He dropped his shoulders and puffed his fluffy cheeks. Thinking and

thinking about what to do... hmm eating..?

“Yes!! Eating!! I’d do that! I even hadn’t had my breakfast yet!!”

The boy stormed downstairs to the kitchen. But when he reached the

kitchen, he halted as he realized something. I can’t cook! It was his mum who

had always prepares food for him but she didn’t leave any food on the dining

table as usual. So, what should he eat then?

He tapped his chin while walking idly in the kitchen. Should I cook? Of

course not! He immediately shook his head at the thought. He might burn the

kitchen again! Then his mum would starve him for destroying her kitchen for

the second time!

In the end, the poor boy left the kitchen with his grumbling stomach and

headed to the living room. His giant teddy bear on the couch was pulled into

his embrace. He hugged it dearly although his short arms couldn’t seem to

reach one another.

Unconsciously, his thoughts trailed to his mum.

“I bet she must’ve been so mad that she didn’t even make me a

breakfast,” he spoke rather gloomily.

Like hell she was not mad! The day before, that kid burnt the kitchen!

Well, not the whole kitchen but the stove. However, the stove alone had

caused quite a damage that his mum had to buy a new one.

He remembered how his mum had locked herself inside her room for

days after the incident. She was crying all day long. Aside from that, she also

refused to talk to anybody including her only child. I guess the damage I

caused upset her that much. I wouldn’t enter the kitchen from the first place if

I know that she’d be that unhappy.

Despite his countless misdemeanours all this while, he had never seen

his mum crying. That caused him, who’d never thought of her feelings when

he broke her dear china, ruined her backyard garden, painted on the wall and

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dirtied the living room, started to feel guilty. He sincerely regretted all of it as

he realized he was the one who made her cried.

It was because of this a little too mischievous and stubborn son of

hers, she cried.

He stood up weakly from the couch and went straight to the front door.

He brought along his teddy bear in his arms. It felt like it was his only friend

that’d comfort his troubled heart at the moment. They sat on the cold floor in

front of the entrance door.

As he recollected the amount of time till his mum to come back from her

work, he let out a sigh. He decided to just wait for her till she come back.

“Mum, when will you be at home? I don’t want to be alone here.”

His voice came out as a soft whisper. Out of the blue, he had the urge to

cry. Right away he fought himself to not do so. He quickly denied the fact that

he actually wanted to cry really bad at that very moment despite him being a

ten.

“.. I miss you already.”

In the midst of waiting, he fell asleep in front of the entrance door before

he knew it.

After it felt like an eternity, he woke up to the sound of footsteps from

inside the house. He jolted up, aware that his mum had returned home. He

rushed into the house straight away.

“Mum!”

He called out in glee while ascending the stairs before he went directly to

her mum’s bedroom.

“Mum, I didn’t have my fill yet. I’m hungry!” He was already in front of

her door. The door was slightly ajar so he slipped his way in.

“Mum.”

He froze at his spot. There he saw his mum crying for the umpteenth

time. He could hear his heart being crushed in great pain. With slow steps, he

went closer to her who was sitting on her bed. She had her head buried in her

right palm. It pained him so much to see his beloved mum being that

vulnerable.

It’s my fault that she became like this.

“Mum, I’m sorry,” he reached for her hand but he couldn’t seem to feel a

thing. As if he was touching the wind. What's happening..? Confused, he

stretched out his fingers to her hand again. But they only passed through it.

Tears fell down his from his eyes when the reality cruelly struck him.

He couldn’t touch his mum.

“M-mum, can you hear me??”

Panicking, he knelt in front of her, trying to gain her attention but to avail

because she was still crying as if she was alone in the room.

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“Mum..!” he called for his mum repeatedly. He attempted to touch her

again yet still he couldn’t feel anything except the thin air. The tears in his

eyes fell rapidly as he was beyond devastated seeing that she didn’t take

heed of him at all. As if he was invisible.

“Mum… is this what I get for being a bad child..?” His heart felt so hurt

that talking was the thing that he hardly do at that moment. Still, he heard

not a response from his mum.

“Forgive me!! Please forgive me, mum..! I promise I’ll be good! An-and I’ll

listen to you well! But please don’t ignore me like this! ... Mum!!” He went

frantic as he begged his mum in great desperation. The pain was too much for

the little boy to take in. He was so desperate to have his mum replying his

words.

He tried to hug her feet although his arms kept passing through them.

“Mum, why can’t you hear me..? Wh-why are you being like this..?”

He choked in his tears. He hopelessly tightened his hug but it was still as

loose.

“... I’m right in front of you. But why can’t you notice me...? Mum..! Don’t

do this to me, please! I’m begging you!! I’ll be a good son! I promise!!”

His body became worn out from all of the crying and pleading. In the end,

he sat there on the floor, frustratingly gazing his mum who was still crying.

His tears relentlessly fell as he realized the sad fact that his

mum couldn’t see, hear nor touch him.

“I guess this is what I get for being a bad son to you, mum.”

The poor boy reached for his mum’s wind-like feet again. He held close

them nevertheless and cried his already wrecked heart out.

“Mum… Forgive me.”

Juuzou didn’t realize the newspaper in his mum’s left hand. The highlight

was: "A Home Alone 10 Years Old Boy Burnt Himself".

-The End-

sprawling sitting or lying with your arms and legs spread out in an

untidy way idly lazily, absentmindedly, casually

gloomily sadly misdemeanours misbehaviours, wrongdoings

china porcelain, tableware mischievous behaving badly and embarrassing or annoying people,

naughty glee a feeling of happiness, excitement

devastated extremely shocked and upset take heed of him

to pay attention to what he says

frantic extremely worried or frightened relentlessly persistently, ceaselessly

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Where Is Mummy?

Aomine held the doorknob to the room numbered 0102 with a heave

of deep breath. He prayed for tremendous strength for him to face his

beloved child, Sachi in the hospital room in front of him.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw Sachi smiled ever so brightly

and he was indeed extremely glad to see such smile from such sickly small

body. Seeing his daughter every day like that only killed himself little by little

inside. Yet again, as a father, he should be strong for his only child because

that poor child had nobody but him, only her father alone. If he weren’t

strong for her, then who would?

Kissing Sachi on her forehead, he held out the teddy bear he had

been holding ever since.

“Waa~ thank you, daddy,” pure happiness could be seen from her

adorable pair of eyes even though her voice sounded almost hushed because

of her sickness. The father smiled in content while lovingly ruffling her hair.

“Daddy, where is mummy?”

There went the question he expected to hear from the same mouth

every day.

“Sorry, sweetheart. Mummy is working again today,” he felt like

stabbing himself for lying again that day. However, he had no choice to do so.

“I want to see mummy. I miss her,” she showed him this adorable

pouty look that Aomine always loves. His wife would pinch Sachi’s cheeks if

she saw it. He caressed her cheeks in pure adoration, at the same time guilt-

ridden but that little girl would never know that his heart was suffering so

much inside. Even looking at Sachi’s face at the moment was a torment to

him because she reminded him of his wife, Daichi who had died from a car

crash a week before.

They were on their way to a theme park because Sachi could never

stop whining about it until the couple promised to bring her there. Aomine

was busy with his career as a policeman but his wife was like their daughter,

kept bugging him to fulfil their daughter’s wish real soon. At last there were

they, on the road, heading to the theme park which Sachi always praising

about.

All of sudden, a lorry made an impact with their car making the car

went off from the main road, crashing upon a huge bark of a tree. When

Aomine opened his eyes, he witnessed the horrific sight of his wife’s death.

He felt like crying his heart out every here and then but then he saw his

daughter in the backseat, safe and sound. Unexpectedly, Sachi was safe

because the gigantic teddy bear that she was holding through the journey

absorbed the crash impact, leaving her harmless. As the little girl fluttered her

eyes open, Aomine quickly get her in his arms and left the car.

At the same time, help was coming. He ignored them while taking his

daughter a bit far from there.

“Sachi, look over there! Isn’t the rainbow beautiful?”

He said that but actually he was trying his hardest to contain his tears

as he just lost his beloved wife, Daichi. But at that moment, he only wanted

their daughter not to look at the scene behind them because for such a little

child like her, losing a mother would be too much for her to handle.

Even after a week since the car crash, Sachi still had not known about

her mother’s death. She never doubted anything when her father said that

her mother was so busy working.

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The reason of the little girl being hospitalized was not entirely from

the car crash but her body was weak ever since she was a baby. Indeed the

car crash had affected her health even worse. Aomine was really afraid if

Sachi were to leave him next because then he would have nobody at all. He

prayed every day for that not to happen.

“Sachi dear, let’s go to the theme park. You really wanted to go there,

didn’t you?”

“Can we? Yay~ let’s go, daddy! I want to ride all the rides there!”

He brought her to the theme park as he and his wife once promised.

Sachi could not walk by on her own feet so Aomine let her ride on his back all

the time. They played games and rode a few rides together but he kept in

mind that Sachi’s body was weak and vulnerable. He should get her back to

the hospital soon.

“Daddy, can we go there? The trees are beautiful,” Sachi pointed to a

park where the trees were colourful in neon lights thus an enchanting view at

night was in sight. Aomine thought that after a few minutes of walk there he

would bring Sachi back to the hospital right away. He piggybacked his

daughter and walked slowly under the beautiful trees. How he wished his

wife was with them enjoying the view together.

“Daddy, I want to see mummy,” he felt her arms circling around his

neck tightened.

“You will, sweetie,” he had to say it nevertheless.

“Mummy is coming to get me, daddy. She wants to see me too,”

Sachi’s voice was heard as a faint whisper. Aomine became alert to this. He

stopped in his track.

“Daddy, I love you. And mummy says she loves you so much,” she

said then.

Aomine tilted his head to face his daughter. He was surprised with a

kiss on his cheek. His daughter’s lips were ice cold.

“Bye, daddy.”

Right in front of his eyes, the father saw his daughter slowly closed

her eyes like when he tucked her in sleep. As if the time had frozen, his eyes

didn’t leave her serene face while his heart crumpled agonizingly. Aomine

could no longer hear her soft breath then.

Aomine fell onto his knees with his daughter was still on his back. His

tears hit the ground like a waterfall. He cried like there was no tomorrow

because he just lost his loved one, yet again.

-The End- tremendous very large or great ruffling making something untidy, tousling

guilt-ridden feeling guilty whining complaining about something in an annoying way

scene incident enchanting fascinating, captivating, beautiful piggybacked carried somebody on your back

tilted moved into a position with one end higher than the other, leant

tucked her in sleep

pulled the covers up around her in bed

serene calm, peaceful crumpled crushed

agonizingly painfully, heartbreakingly

13

What You Give You Get Back

In the quietness of night, Caroline sat alone in the swing in the

balcony of her bedroom. She swayed the swing back and forth very lightly

while humming her favourite children’s song, You Are My Sunshine to herself.

The wind was chilly that night but she did not mind at all because she was

waiting for someone.

“Not sleepy yet?”

A sweet voice hit her eardrum made her heart skipped a beat as she

recognized the owner a little too well. She turned to look at her left side and

there was her smiling dearest husband, Jason. Without knowing, Caroline’s

lips tugged upwards upon seeing him.

Jason made his way to her and planted a chaste kiss on Caroline’s

forehead before he settled down next to her. He then playfully kicked his legs

against the floor which caused the swing to sway. At the same time, he

casually draped his right arm around his beautiful wife.

“Have you seen Jessica in her bedroom?” Caroline inquired about

their 4-year-old daughter while raising her eyebrows. Hearing the question,

Jason grinned wholeheartedly.

“Yes, I just have. She was sleeping so soundly,” he paused for a

moment with a content sigh before carrying on, “Time sure goes fast. Our

daughter has grown up so much. Prettily, on top of that.”

Caroline could obviously feel genuine happiness oozing from her

husband’s smile. She could never get tired of that angelic smile of his. To be

frank, that was one of the reasons she fell for that man. His smile was like

that of sunshine, showing and delivering warmth to whoever witnessed it.

Caroline sighed as well and leant her head on Jason’s right shoulder.

“You know, Jessica misses her daddy.”

Jason grabbed Caroline’s hand and intertwined their fingers. He really

enjoyed the warmth of her soft hand as he felt loved and secured. He too,

wanted his wife to feel the same way just like how he felt at the moment.

“Well, this daddy misses his daughter too,” his voice only came out as

a soft whisper. Suddenly he felt a tinge of pain in his heart. In that sudden he

was feeling blue. He shrugged the feeling off by saying, “but it’s too bad. She

slept too early today. If not, the lucky little girl would have some time to

spend with her awesome daddy here. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” Jason

looked down to his wife but he only saw her weeping quietly. Her cheeks

were stained with tears.

“Jason, I’m sorry. It was all my fault. I-,” her sentence was cut halfway

as Jason pulled her into his arms, knowing so well what her wife was talking

about.

“Shh. Don’t say another word about it,” yet Jason could not promise

that he would be as composed for another minute. The dark past of her

beloved wife came lingering in his head without him realizing.

Two years before, Caroline heard a rumour of her husband, Jason

having an affair with his secretary at his workplace. Caroline who was

appalled upon hearing it acted irrationally and was losing it. She was

completely out of her mind when she went knocking vigorously at the

secretary’s house one day. Things turned to be really wrong when the

secretary lost her footing on the stairs during the quarrel and had her last

breath right away. Caroline was taken aback at the fact that she just killed

somebody. And then everything just went worse in her head as she saw that

14

in the secretary’s house there were a husband and two kids. Why in the world

was she accusing a married woman having an affair with her husband? Also,

she did not even ask Jason regarding the rumour. She really regretted her

doing then.

“If only I trust you that time, you would still be here and watch our

little girl grow up. But it was too late because you have left us,” Caroline

clutched at Jason’s white shirt.

Yes. Jason who was holding Caroline at the moment was not real. He

was already long gone. Not long after the incident when the secretary died,

her husband sought for revenge. Jason was killed in a hit-and-run accident

two years ago. And Caroline was left alone growing their daughter, Jessica

without her daddy.

“I’m not leaving you two. Just like this, I will continue to take care of

both of you. Please know that I love you no matter what. Do you hear me? I

just love both of you so much.”

At last, tears streamed down Jason’s face. He could not deny the fact

that he desperately wanted to return to his family but he was hopeless. He

was not able to do anything to change the reality.

“I love you too, Jason. I always have,” Caroline said in between of her

sobs. She too was not able to do anything for her husband because she was

just hopeless. In the end, she just cried her heart out in the chilly night till

Jason’s imaginary figure left her.

The next morning, Jessica asked her mummy during breakfast.

“Mummy, did you come to my bedroom last night? I think I heard

someone singing You Are My Sunshine in my sleep,” Jessica’s adorable brown

orbs stared straight into Caroline’s dark brown ones.

“I… didn’t.”

So it was not just her imagination that night. Caroline just missed her

husband so much that he kept appearing in her mind recently. But that night,

he came to his family for real to see his wife and daughter. Caroline’s eyes

brimmed with tears as she realized that Jason must be missing them so much.

“You’re lucky, sweetie. Your daddy just sang a lullaby for you and you

heard it,” Caroline said whilst giving her pretty daughter a smile and stroked

her hair tenderly.

If only she did not act mindlessly two years aback, her poor daughter

she had with Jason would get to sleep with her daddy’s melodious lullaby

every night. However, she went overboard in her doing then. Her own

experience really had proved that what you give, you get back.

-The End-

humming singing with your lips closed

chaste without sexual feelings, pure draped put something loosely on something grinned smiled broadly

genuine sincere, real oozing flowing out slowly, radiating

intertwined became very closely connected, interlace tinge a small amount of feeling weeping crying

composed in control of your feelings, relaxed, calm appalled very shocked clutched held something tightly

hopeless having no hope, unable to do something orbs eyes, spheres, rounds, circles

stroked caressed

15

Letting You Go

Dear Kei,

How have you been? Not quite good, huh? Anyway I still wish for

your greatest health very soon. If you’re wondering, I’m good or at least I

think so. But no worries, I’ll be fine in no time.

Let me just be straight to the point, the reason I’m writing this letter

to you is to tee you that I’m letting you go. I finally decide to do this after it

seems like I’m hurting you too much already. I know you’re suffering. Ever

since I hold onto you, I know you are. But the selfishness within me holds me

back to not see it. I admit I’m horrible for letting this selfishness keeping me

blind. Forgive me, brother, for ignoring your pain.

For this whole 3 months, we’ve been waiting for you, Kei. The waiting

is utterly torturing us. The fact that you’re right there on the bed before our

eyes yet we couldn’t seem to reach you is paining us each day that passes.

You’re there but you’re distancing yourself from your family, friends,

everyone and even me, your brother that you depends on so much. That

makes me question myself, “How could you do this to us? Don’t you think

about our feelings? Why don’t you come back?” Sometimes, those mean

words slip out from my mouth causing things to end up badly. Our father has

to hold me back from climbing your bed and waking you up too vigorously

out of my piled up frustration. Forgive me, my brother, I go overboard during

those time. I may have hurt you then.

Every day I sit beside you, holding your steel cold hands and pray to

see you to talk to me again like we used to. You know, I miss those times the

most. However, all I see is you lying immobile and all I hear is your faint

breath followed by the beeping noise from the machine beside your bed.

When will I get to talk to you again? To share stories, play video games, have

our pointless quarrels, laugh at each other’s lame jokes and stuff? I can’t

imagine if we will actually stop doing those things ever. All of sudden I

become religious as I plead and make promises with God not to take you

away from us since the doctor announced that you’re in critical condition. I

know I’m desperate to the extent that I don’t mind if you can’t leave that bed

as long as you’re still breathing. And it seems like He hears my plea because

there you are, still breathing and that’s all. Forgive me, for being a selfish

idiot.

At first, I think seeing you like that will put me at ease at the very

least. But it turns out that it is not. The truth is, the silent torment has been

killing me since then. How can it not be? There on the bed is you who are in a

comatose state thus you can’t open your eyes to see your dearest ones, raise

your arms to give them warm hugs and say words of comfort to their crying

faces. I know you want to do those things really bad but you just can’t move a

limb. Who knows what you’re seeing in the other side. Do you have

somebody there? Aren’t you lonely? Do you miss us? Kei, it hurts me to

imagine that you’re not able to tell us what is in your mind be it worries or

anything. Forgive me, my brother, I can’t even do a thing to help you other

than waiting for you to finally open your eyes. I’m sorry, I just can’t.

You know brother, once again today the doctor tells us that you’re in

a critical state and there is very little chance of living. Hearing that, our

parents seem to be dealing with it rather calmly. They take in the reality

surprisingly well. So what now, am I alone in this?

I don’t even know why I am very quiet when I’m looking at your face

right now. Your face is so pale, Kei. As if you’re losing yourself after suffering

too much. Hey… Kei, by any chance, you’re holding in the suffering for my

sake, aren’t you? You’re not leaving because you don’t want me to be sad of

losing you, am I right? … Stupid brother. Now what does your doing makes

me? Yes, I know that I’m such a terrible brother for letting you putting up

16

with the torment you have tolerated till today. I’m extremely sorry for being

this selfish and cruel for holding onto you when you’re hurt deeply inside.

Please forgive me, for neglecting your feelings, Kei.

Kei, my brother, in this past 3 dreadful months of not being able to

reach you, I realize that I’m not strong without you. Yet again, I should be as

strong as you when you fight your pain to stay with me. I’m sorry for all the

pain you’ve been through since then. Please, forgive me. It is just that the fact

that you’re going to leave me is too harsh for me to take in. But now I think I

have to face the reality no matter how cruel it is. Letting you go is indeed

hard. In fact, I’m not ready for this at all but I don’t want you to bear any pain

any longer. So, free yourself from your pain, brother. You have been suffering

too much. Don’t worry about me. I have told you that I’ll be fine in no time,

haven’t I? Kei my brother, believe me when I say this, you’re the best brother

ever that I could ask for. I’ll pray to God to remain us as brothers in our next

life too. But for now, farewell.

-The End-

torturing making somebody in great pain, punishing slip out to accidentally say something

vigorously strongly, forcefully go overboard to be too extreme about something immobile not moving

lame not easily believed, weak argument, etc. plea an important and emotional request, prayer

torment torture, stress, suffering pale light in colour tolerated was able to deal with something or somebody without

complaining

neglecting being given no attention dreadful very bad or unpleasant

remain stay or continue in the same condition

17

My Dear Cat

6 years have passed by yet I still have the memories of this one

special kitten crystal clear in my head. Whenever my eyes spotted dark

brown furred kittens, I could feel my heart twisted in agony because they

reminded me of a cute kitten that I regrettably didn’t have the chance to give

it a name because it left me only when I started to grow fond of it. Before I

had the chance to call it by its name, that one special kitten left me to meet

Him, The Creator. One Friday noon, I just got back from school when I first met the

kitten. As soon as I noticed it, I went straight to it instead of going inside my

house straight away. I squealed while holding it up closely to my face. “Kyaa!

Look at this adorable kitty!” I tossed my baggage onto the ground as my heed

was only at the newly-found pet. Then I was told by my father that he found it

astray near our house. Because he himself was a cat-lover as well as I am, he

brought it home to provide it with food, shelter and of course, love too. From

that day onwards, we had our new family member in the house.

As I spent my time with our cats, I played with the said kitten the

most. Actually I was really worried of it because it was too skinny and thin.to

me, it looked as it was sick. That was why I tried my best to take care of it but

to no avail because nothing really changed. Even its meows sounded very frail

and weak. On top of that, it was still a kitten of two months age. Its body was

still very tiny, defenceless and vulnerable that it made my heart crumpled

when the images of the kitten was alone and hungry without its mother,

meowing nonstop in the quiet neighbourhood before my father brought it in.

From what I saw, it wasn’t only hungry for milk. I believed it was also hungry

for love, care and kindness too. I only watched from a distance when I saw

how the other cats treated the poor kitten. All they did was growling

distastefully when it came near to them and it scrambled away in fear. I could

see it kept trying to be close to them but the other cats either screeched in

offence or just directly sprang upon the poor kitten. What bothered the most

was, it would feel unwanted. I would never want that to happen.

That day I have to go back to school. It was about a week since the

nameless kitten resided in our house. I was preparing my school stuff and

was getting ready in my baju batik after I finished packing up, I brought my

luggage outside to be put into our car. Once I stepped outside, I saw my poor

kitten was shrieking loudly under the moving wheel of our car.

I screamed my heart out in shock. My brother who was driving the car

was completely unaware of its presence under the wheel, hurried out from

the car to look at what had happened. I could feel my chest tightened as I saw

it crawled with its two tiny front legs I let out a gasp audibly when I realized

that its other pair of legs couldn’t move at all. Clasping my mouth, I just stood

there breathless with my eyes suddenly brimming with tears. Oh God, I

couldn’t believe what my eyes was seeing. That poor kitty was suffering so

much pain as all the way from its abdomen to the tail was flattened and its

back legs were painfully dragged on the cement floor when it moved. Seeing

its condition at the moment, although my heart was too scared to believe it

but I knew the fact too well that the kitten wouldn’t make it. There was

nothing could be done.

My father came to the scene with my little brother and sisters. They

were also stunned to see what had happened. I couldn’t stand to see what

would happen next so I dashed inside and went to my room. And I cried so

hard. From my room, I could still hear the poor kitten’s painful meows that

gradually becoming faint. My head couldn’t forget the image of it crawling in

so much pain that I couldn’t even imagine while dragging its wobbly legs.

Tears just continuously flowed down my face, feeling sorry for what my dear

kitten had suffered.

18

I stood near the window of my room. The sudden quietness got me

wide eyed. As I tried to take a glimpse of the porch from the window, I could

see that the kitten lied on the cold cement floor, not moving at all. My father

and brother just looked at me with a remorseful expression. There I went

again, crying for my dear poor kitten.

Till now I still remember this special kitten. I wanted to pet it so much

but The Creator wanted to have it as His companion instead. Reminiscing this

kitten always got me feeling blue because I regret that I couldn’t see it grew,

make it felt like home and most of all, I didn’t have the chance to call it by its

name. Dear God, please tell my Jinggo that I miss him a lot.

-The End-

crystal clear completely clear and bright grow fond become to like a person or thing, or like to do something

squealed made a loud noise because of enjoyment astray not having a home no avail without success

defenceless unprotected, helpless growling making low noise in the throat to show anger or to give

warning

scrambled moved to somewhere quickly sprang jumped quickly or suddenly shrieking making short loud noise in a high voice

unaware not knowing about something, uninformed audibly can be heard

flattened became flat, compressed gradually bit by bit, slowly wobbly moving from side to side in an unsteady way, unstable

glimpse a very quick view of somebody or something remorseful with sadness because you have done something wrong

Reminiscing remembering

19

So Our New House is…?

I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw our new house or

should I say mansion! That house was huge! I was the only child my parents

had so I thought it was a bit too much to live there with just the three of us.

Putting that aside, we did not come from a well-off family either therefore I

wondered how did my parents afford that house anyway? Sure it did look old,

however its size could fit about twenty people so I doubted that my parents’

lifesaving was enough to be invested for that house. I knew it would cost at

least a king’s ransom.

I unlocked the front door with the key my mum had given me the

other day before I left our old house. I came alone that day because my

parents still had some business to manage.

A loud creaking noise produced when I pushed the door open stung

my ears. How old was that building anyway? I looked around the first floor at

first. The furniture was layered by dust but I really liked how the furniture

looked antique and somehow seemed costly too.

Ascending the stairs, creaking sound followed my steps. As I reached

upstairs, I stood in a long hallway with five doors to bedrooms. Standing there

reminded me of this horror movie where the main character saw a headless

being with a bloody axe running from the other end of the hallway, wanting

his head.

“Wargh!”

I was startled when my smartphone in my pocket received a message.

Releasing a relieved sigh, I fished it out to read the message. “We’re on our

way there now but we’ll be late. Make sure to have dinner then. And you

have all the keys to that house, right? So, explore! Have fun, son,” it read. My

lips tugged to a side, forming a slanted smile as I suddenly feeling thrilled with

the idea my dad suggested. I threw the bunch of keys in the air and caught it

mid-air, getting excited to start with the first room exploring.

…

“Hmm, fancy,” I exited the fourth room as my eyes directed to the

fifth room, the last one. I searched for its key among the bunch in my hand.

“Huh…? I don’t have it?”

I remembered mum gave me all of the keys to me so why the one for

that room was not there?

“Hmm. I would ask mum about it later.”

I bent over to the keyhole, trying to peep in. its keyhole was the size if

my kinky finger thus I got quite a sight of inside of the room. Everything was

white! The wall, the floor, the bed, the closet, the curtain and even the rose

on the side table beside the bed was white too in its white slim vase.

“What is with this room?” I stood straight, frowning to myself. Why

everything was white in colour? All of sudden, I felt uneasy and somehow the

hair on my neck raised to its end.

“Ugh, creepy.”

I left the room right away, ignoring the sudden spine-chilling

atmosphere and stormed downstairs. I was all worn out from the long

journey and the house exploring so I decided to rest till my parents arrived. I

managed to clean up a bit in the living room so I could sleep comfortably.

My wristwatch glowed 3.27 a.m. when I woke u. it looked like my

parents had not arrived yet. With my dopey eyes, I staggered my way to the

toilet near the kitchen. Unfortunately, the water didn’t run. I scratched my

20

head in puzzlement because I recalled that it worked just fine when I used it a

few hours before.

I made my way to the toilet upstairs instead. Thank goodness it didn’t

have any problem and I was able to finish my business in peace. As I closed

the toilet door, suddenly my ears caught a thud noise from the other end of

the hallway.

“Huh? What was that?”

Did someone break into the house? I picked a rod I saw in the toilet

as to be cautious. I believed the noise came from the fifth bedroom. I

attempted to twist the doorknob, it was still locked. Was it a cat the noise I

heard earlier?

I bent over to take a look inside of the room.

“Huh, that’s weird,” my eyebrows creased downwards, confused

because all I saw from the keyhole was red. Where were the white bed, white

closet, white curtain and all the other white things I saw earlier that day? I

saw none of them but crimson red of nothingness. It was as if someone put a

red board to cover the keyhole. I pushed and shook the door to shake off the

red whatever-it-was but it didn’t budge when I peeped again. I shook the

door harder yet the board stayed there, still completely covering the keyhole.

“What in the world is that?” I kept looking at it, trying to figure out

what it was. Heaving a long sigh, I gave up then. I was still sleepy anyway so I

decided to continue sleeping downstairs.

The next day, my parents finally arrived and we had our breakfast

together in the living room. Then mum told me this interesting story that she

heard from the previous tenant of that house.

“One of the room upstairs once had a married couple staying in there.

But one day, the husband found out that his wife was having an affair behind

him. And guess what happened to the wife?”

“I don’t know…” I said with my mouth full of food.

“He killed her. But he eloped leaving his dead wife just like that,” my

mum grinned from ear to ear as she was always a fan of thriller.

“So I guess that the wife didn’t rest in peace, making this house

haunted then?” I said spontaneously.

“Well, I do hear a rumour saying that people used to see a lady ghost

here. She was all white, they said. If it’s true that she is real, I would really

love to see her one day,” usually I would be giving mum a weird look for her

horror craze but right there I started to feel eerily uncomfortable. And I didn’t

even know why.

“And oh, people did say that she was very white from head to toes,

but it was a different story with her eyes,” mum continued while her head

angled to a side like she was remembering something.

“Why?”

“They were red.”

-The End-

well-off rich, wealthy

costly expensive, pricey spine-chilling scary, spooky, eerie puzzlement confusion, bewilderment

tenant occupant, resident eloped escaped, abandoned, fled

21

..Liana’s Essays

Compilations..

(/-v-)/\(-_-\)

22

Love

Everybody wants to be loved. Everything in this world of course

wants to be loved. As for people, if they love someone they would never

care about other people say and they will accept their beloved person in

any condition. Yet whenever the question about love pop out, people

cannot tell what love really is. But for sure, love can give a huge affection

to people who are in love.

When you love someone, you are willingly to sacrifice just for that

person. You will never care if you have to trouble yourself, you will do it

just to make the person you love happy. For instance, the parents will

sacrifice everything they have such as energy, time, money, and wishes

just for their children sake. It is because they want the best for their

children. Then, a son as well will sacrifice his job just to be near to his

parents. He wants to stay by their side and take care of them in their old

time. This is mean by true love.

Next, when you love someone, you will put all of your trust and

faith to that person. You do not care what other people say about the one

you love, but you continuously believe that person. Do you know Albert

Einstein? For your information, Albert Einstein’s school teacher said that

he would never be succeed because he was a slow learner. But, her

mother believe her son someday he could achieve the success. She took

Albert out from the school and taught him at home. Can you imagine

what would happen to Albert Einstein if his mother listen to people and

did not put her faith in her son?

Other affection of love to people is love can make you loyal to

your lover. You will never let anyone bad-mouthed about him or her since

that person in extremely important to you. What will you do if someone

says something bad about your family? How do you feel if someone hurts

your beloved ones? Of course you will lost your head because you do not

want the people you love being hurt. It makes you hurt too. That will

prove that you really love your family, your friends, and your special ones

as well.

Apart from that, love will make you feel positive and happy.

Based on Lao Tzu quote, “being loved deeply by someone give you

strength, while deeply loving someone gives you courage”. It says when

you love someone, your daily life is mostly beautiful and great. If you

meet your love, you can sleep on bed of roses. You take your beloved

presence as your motivator to move on in your life. Otherwise if your

beloved person is far away from your side, you will feel as your day is all

rainy and stormy. You need his or her presence because absence will

make your heart grow fonder. That is what will happen when you fall in

love.

In addition, love will make you a good and loving person. For

instance, if you have precious love in your heart, you will easily impress

and love the things around you, such as a cat. When you love a cat, you

know that you love the nature as well. Because of the love that you have,

you will take care of the things around you. As for example, you will not

pollute the river. And the love that you have will more obvious if you feel

sorry to the people who are in trouble and this make you want to help

them. That is how powerful love is.

Last but not least, love will makes you love the peace and hate

the disaster. Imagine, what will happen to our country if people do not

have any pieces of love in their heart? It must be a great disaster ever

since the people do not have any guilt to kill the others. When you have a

fight with your friend, you will be a cold water and apologise because you

do not want the fight to be longer and of course, you love your friend!

23

The same goes to the other people that you love. You will put their

happiness instead of your own feeling.

Love is funny. It is because love can change people and makes the

people in trouble. But overall love is totally important in our life because

love will light up your heart and your day. You can give your love to

everyone, not just to your special one because certain people will forget

their family just because they love their sweetheart. Do not take love to

do something that yourself know it is not right. And also, love the people

who are deserved to be loved. Smile and spread your love all over the

world so that you can make your day happily and meaningful.

24

My Skinny Brother

I have an annoying big brother. He always makes me feel like

killing people every day because of his annoying behaviour. His skinny

body always worries me because I am afraid he will fly away when the

wind is quite strong. Well, he is my only big brother and if I lose him just

because of the wind, there is no available replacement for him.

Now, I am going to introduce that clown to all of you. His name is

Loqman Helmi, he was born at 27th November 1995 and now he is 20! He

is old enough but he does not have any grandchild yet. I have 3 sibling,

including me and he is our big-but-skinny brother. He is just like a

skeleton zombie to me even though he eats a sack of rice per day. He is

also tall like a giraffe and his face is like a fish. Yet, people says his face is

like an Arabian man but of course, I will strongly deny the fact because his

face is more like Punjabi man instead of Arabian.

My skeleton brother is now studying at Multimedia College

(MMC) at Kuching. Talking about education, he was very good in his UPSR

that he got straight A’s, then he continued his study at MRSM, Kuching.

He was very lazy and played all the time with least study back then.

Because of his excellent attitude, he cannot study at that school any

longer. He went to SM Vokasional, Betong and enrolled in a Programming

Course. Well, his life is with the computer after all and he is also good in

English. I do not ever recall his SPM result but it was much better than his

PMR. Lucky.

Next, he loves to eat and sleep. But he loves video games the

most! He has his own PSP, PS3, laptop and computer. Believe me when I

say he just need his food just for a day but he still can be alive only with

his video games three days straight! That is why my mom’s new hobby is

scolding that zombie every day and night. Plus, he also likes Japanese

stuff like me. When we were children, he was a very coward boy who

always asked me to accompany him to the toilet at night. I always hit him

but he fight me back as I was getting annoyed of his cowardice.

Otherwise, I just hate to wake up my dad to open the door lock when I

felt wanting to pee at midnight all by myself. I am so proud of that but

now, I am very afraid of hearing ghost names but my brother wants to

see the ghost every day!

Although he is a crazy brother, but he is always taking care of me

and my little brother. He helps my parents at our restaurant every day

and limits his social with the girls. He will tell me whenever his friends are

about to go to our home in order to keep my aurat. I do not know his

other kindness so that I do not know what I am going to write down in

this essay.

From our childhood until now, we are always fighting like cat and

dog, kicking each other but soon we will be fine because the blood is

thicker than water. Even I say that my brother is like so-whatever but he

is still my brother and my only big brother. It maybe seems that I do not

care his existence but actually I love him. I noticed the proof when he is

going back to his college, I know that I am going to miss him.

25

My Horror Story

I was all alone in my house that night. My mom and my dad went

to the hospital to visit my sick grandfather. I could not come along as I got

a cold since yesterday as I felt like flying on the air whenever I walked on

the floor. Suddenly, I felt want to pee so I need to go to the toilet. So I

opened the room door and wow! It was pitch black. My parents sure

forgot to switch on the light. It was so dark that made me terrified.

I tried to go downstairs with a torch light in my hand, looking for

the switch. PRANGG!! Suddenly there was a noisy sound from the

kitchen. What on earth was that?! Mom, dad, please come back quickly!

On that time, a question that never popped out in my mind kept

repeating in my head again and again! Why the toilet must be next to the

kitchen?! I thought I had to be a house builder so that I could change the

toilet and put it next to my room!

I felt I could not hold it any longer. By hook or by crook, I had to

the toilet through the cursed kitchen. Where was that switch again?! I

tried to looking for it and finally I found it. TIK! TIK! Mom, dad, have you

pay the bills already? What I had that time was just a torch light and my

shivering legs. I did not want that thing to notice me so I had to pipe

down myself and turned off the torch light. I walked slowly towards the

kitchen and suddenly there was a hairy and fatty creature went through

between my legs. I sank onto the floor and started to cry. I shivered

hardly thinking about how would my life ends and I accidentally peed in

my pants. The mysterious creature was now on my lap.

“Meow?”

Wait, what? Meow? With my shaking hand, I took the torch light

and turned it on. My goodness. It was Bana, my fluffy cat! She seemed so

mad because she did not get her dinner yet. But she should not have to

scare me to death like that. Plus, I really did peed in front of this fat cat.

What a shame. I stood up and went directly to the toilet. I had to clean

myself and that lucky kitchen floor. Geez. Bana would not have her dinner

as the punishment.

26

Faith

Mafuyu, a pretty and kind hearted girl accidentally met a guy

named Makoto at one of the campus at Tokyo. At first they were just a

close friend but in their heart they had a romantic feeling toward each

other. Mafuyu is a shy person but Makoto is a happy-go-lucky one. They

were loving each other and finally they were married 3 years after they

graduated from the campus.

Mafuyu was also a clumsy woman. If she fell, Makoto would look

after her injuries. When Mafuyu dirtied their new carpet with curry, her

beloved husband would help her to clean the carpet. When Mafuyu asked

him to go to the beach even though Makoto said there would be raining

afterwards, Makoto was still granting his wife’s wishes. Although they had

to run in a heavy rain and both of them were very wet, Makoto would

quickly dry his cute wife instead of himself first. He also did not get mad,

he did not feel that way even just for a bit! He was very patient for

Mafuyu’s behaviour because he loved his wife so much. So did Mafuyu.

One day, Mafuyu felt weird than the other days. She did not want

to eat her favourite handmade sandwich by her handsome husband.

Makoto quickly took Mafuyu to the hospital as he really worried about his

wife’s health. Mafuyu did a medical check-up and surprisingly, Mafuyu

was pregnant! Makoto was on the cloud nine and smiled widely all the

time.

Since his woman was pregnant, Makoto doubled his responsibility

and prevented Mafuyu from doing any have task. Until their first child

bornt, a cute baby girl. They raised their beloved daughter named Mizuki

with tons of love. Their family was completed with the present of the

little girl.

Many years later, Makoto went to Vietnam because there was a

serious agitation at that place. He had to leave his beloved wife and

beautiful daughter that was 6 back then. Even Mafuyu did not want to,

she must let her husband go for his work since Makoto served as a

soldier. Makoto promised that he would come back safely after his work

was done.

Years by years, Mafuyu kept waiting for her husband in front of

their house. Their daughter had grown up and become a pretty girl, just

like Mafuyu when she was a teenager. Mafuyu has faith in her only

beloved husband that he would come back safely as he promised many

years ago. She believed that her husband was still alive so she kept

waiting for him. As the days passed, Mafuyu was getting old and Mizuki

was married with her lover but still, that lonely old wife still sat on her

rocky chair waited for her Makoto as the seasons change every year. She

knew that Makoto has gone actually but because of her love and faith

toward him, she believed that Makoto was still alived and waited like

always until her last breath.

_The End_

27

Mellisa’s Night Angel

Mellisa, a four years old girl lived with her father in a village. He

used to play alone since she was a quiet one. Her mother passed away

after delivered her to the world. His father, Jeff love and miss his wife so

much that he kept all of her photos and stuffs in the boxes and put it

safely in the store. Because of his action, Mellisa had never see her

mother’s looks like as she really wanted to see her beloved mother.

One night, Mellisa was awake from her sweet dream because of

the noisy knocks at the window. It was a slow knocks but definitely made

that girl shivered so she hid quietly in her blanket.

“Mellisa.. Mellisa..”

It was a small voice called for her name out there. Mellisa looked at the

window and saw a beautiful woman with a pair of white wings at her

back, most likely an angel image in her storybooks. Mellisa was too

surprised and excited that she quickly opened the window.

“Are you an angel, missy?” asked Mellisa innocently to the

woman.

“Yes, dear. I come here to see you. May I come in? It’s cold

outside..”

“Oh! Yes, of course you can!”

The beautiful angel entered Mellisa’s room through the window

while Mellisa’s tiny hands pulled her hand as she too excited to meet the

angel. Her long black curly hair was so pretty. Just like Mellisa’s.

“Um, angel. What should I call you? And what are you doing

here?” Mellisa asked when the angel sat beside her on her bed.

“Call me Karen. I’ve told you earlier, I came here to see you dear,”

the angel smiled heavenly.

Keren told her that she had always watching her all the time from

the sky. She wanted to meet Mellisa so badly but she could not. Since

Mellisa was still a little girl, she just nodded her head and believed what

that beautiful angel said to her.

“Mellisa, the next four days is your fifth birthday, right?” asked

Karen afterwards.

“Yup. Will you celebrate it together with us? With me and my

dad?” when Karen heard Mellisa’s request, she just smiled before slowly

nodded her head. Mellisa chuckled happily because on that night, she

was able to meet a true angel and will celebrate her birthday together.

They had a chit chat and Karen answered all of Mellisa’s angel topic

questions until the little girl fell asleep on her lap. Somehow, Karen felt

relieved that Mellisa did not afraid of her.

After that night, the angel visited Mellisa continuously for the

nest three days. Mellisa aslo shutted her mouth and never tell anyone

including her father about her night angel. Her lonely and quiet night

change since the angel came. Now she had her companion to hear her

story and to watch the night starry sky through the window. They sang

together and Mellisa even able to fly in the air when Karen nestled her in

her embrace and flew using her large white feather wing. Until the fourth

night finally came..

“Mellisa..” Karen whispered slowly.

“Yes, angel?”

“Tomorrow is your special day. Happy birthday dear, even it is too

early for me to say it,” the angel hugged Mellisa and kissed her forehead.

28

“Yeah, angel. Too early..” Mellisa replied with a tiny voice. Karen

then took a look at her face.

“Are you sleepy, Mellisa?” she asked afterwards in order to hide

her feelings. Mellisa just nodded weakly. The angel laughed and sang a

song with her melodious voice, tried to make Mellisa sleep like she always

did before she left that cute girl slept alone on her bed. Before she took

her leave, once again Karen kissed her forehead and cheek with her

bursted tears, for the last time, without Mellisa Knew it.

“I’m sorry Mellisa, but I can’t..” Karen whispered with her fallen

tears.

On the next day, Mellisa celebrated her fifth birthday together

with her father, but without her angel. She waited for Karen to come but

she did not show up. Mellisa was disappointed.

“Mel, come here for a sec..” Jeff suddenly called for her.

“Yes, dad.. What is it?

“You are now five but you never see how your mom looks like is.

I’m sorry that I kept all of her photos and stuffs and hid them somewhere.

I miss her so much and I feel a great pain at my chest whenever I’m

thinking of her.. It hurts..” Jeff put Mellisa’s hand on his chest and tried

his best to hold the tears from falling.

“Anyway, I think it’s about time for you to ‘meet’ you mom,” he

continued his words while opened a big brown box on the table. It was a

photo of a gorgeous young lady. Mellisa knew well those pretty curly

black hair when she looked at the photo.

“Her name Caroline. But I used to call her Karen.. She’s lovely,

don’t she?” Jeff answered when Mellisa asked for her mother’s name.

Mellisa smiled and hugged Jeff tightly as she did not want Jeff to see her

face. Jeff thought that Mellisa was shocked and still did not want to

believe the fact he said. Well, Mellisa was still five years old. But that is

not it..

‘I knew it dad.. I knew she’s my mom.. I can feel it..” Mellisa

smiled happily and silently cried in her father embrace. Somehow, she

understood that next time she could not meet and hug her angel mommy

anymore.

‘Mom.. Your visit is the best gift I ever had. Thank you mom..”

_The End_

29

Thinking of You

I am standing quietly in front of the tomb stone. The kitten

besides me keeps meowing. The wind gently blowing to my face, trying to

comfort me but my tears keep flowing down. I am crying without making

any sound. The last memory with her keep playing on my mind like a

video player. I will always remember them as long as I am living in this

beautiful world.

On that day, I waited for her at the park. She was too late! I had

been waited for 15 minutes! Rin, she got a nerve by letting me waiting so

long. As my temperature raised, I heard footsteps behind me.

“Yui!” Rin called my name. I turned my back, facing her with my

death glare. But she just smiled while holding a cute brown kitten in her

embrace.

“Look! This poor kitten is cute, don’t you think? I saw it in the

bushes, it seemed not belongs to anyone, so I picked it up! Neko, say hi to

Yui!” she said wile waved that kitten’s hand to me.

Neko? She already gave that kitten a name. Funny. I shook my

head and chuckled. Why should I get mad on her? She is my precious best

friend after all. I pat Neko’s tiny head. Its fur is so soft and warm. Rin said

she wanted to keep the kitten from now on. I saw her joyful face.

“Hmm.. Maybe we should change our plan for today.”

“Huh? But we are going to try that new ice cream at Lotte Café,

don’t we?” her face seemed confuse.

“Since you want to keep this kitten, so we have to buy its

necessities, right?”

“Oh! Yeah you’re right!” Rin’s eyes sparkled excitedly. She quickly

nodded her head and smiled happily. She clasped my arm and we went to

a pet shop together. She was ecstatic that she laughed freely. I was happy

to see her pretty smile.

Everything happened in a blink of eyes. I just stood on my feet

and stared at that big fire that burned our hostel at that midnight. The

firefighters were busy trying to put out those big flames. Then I realised

something. Where was Rin? Why did not she stood beside me? She must

be here right now!

“Rin! Rin!!” I shouted her name. The tears kept falling down my

cheeks. Suddenly, someone hugged me. Mom! She cried and hugged me

tightly. I heard she whispered, thanked to God because I was saved. Then,

I saw Rin’s parents stood behind my mom. I could sense despair through

their eyes.

“Yui, have you seen Rin? She is safe, don’t she??” Rin’s mother

asked me with her non-stop bursting tears. “I am sorry aunty but I don’t

know either,” now it was my turn to hug my mom. On my mind, I only

thought about her safety. I did not want to lose my beloved best friend. I

still needed her by my side.

“Is Matsuoka family is here? We have found your daughter,

Matsuoka Rin!” After heard that announcement, I immediately ran to my

homeroom teacher, Miss Shiori with two firefighters and a doctor. At last,

I was able to meet Rin! But when I saw her, I was shivered at my knee. My

tears fell even more. No, this could not be true. This half burnt body was

not belong to her! But still, I could not deny this was my beloved friend,

Matsuoka Rin. I could not bear it any longer.

30

“Yui!” my mom staggered when I was suddenly collapsed on the

ground. I saw a beautiful night sky, before it became dark as I could not

say anything.

One month has passed. Like usual, I went to Rin’s house after the

school ended. I knocked the door before entered Rin’s room. One of the

place where Rin and I used to play together.

“Rin, I am coming! Here, I brought your favourite strawberry

cake!” no response from Rin. After I put the cake on a small plate, I came

to Rin and sat beside her bed. At this time, Rin was completely changed.

The cheerful and hyperactive Rin was gone. No more smile and laugh

from her. Her head was bold and half of her body was burnt. Rin could

not walk anymore. All I can see through her face was sadness and despair.

Her eyes was not sparkling anymore.

I took Neko and brought it near to Rin. “Hello, Rin! Hello?

Helloooo??” I waved Neko’s hand, tried to make a joke as I was about to

cry. Rin looked at Neko and me. Then, she cried so badly.

“Yui… I cannot play with you and Neko anymore. Now I am

worthless. Why don’t you go away? Don’t waste your time here! Go!!”

when I heard that, my tears burst out. I hugged her, both of us cried

together.

“Look, Rin. Don’t you remember? We are best friend and we will

always be together whenever and whatever will happen! I would not

leave you. Never. If you are enduring pain, I will endure the same. Now,

smile. Don’t show me your gloomy face, okay?” I tried to break the ice. I

must support Rin and made her happy.

Rin nodded her head afterwards. I wiped her tears with my

fingers. She tried her best to smile. Rin, you are strong. You definitely can

do it!

One day, I was having a walk with Rin. She seemed happy. I was

truly glad because I could see that face smiled again. I pushed her

wheelchair while Neko was on her lap. I talked this and that while she just

heard my childish behaviour. We went to such places like Lotte Café, an

Aquaria and the garden, watching those beautiful cherry blossom.

Suddenly, Neko was meowing loudly, looked at me and tried to

get my attention. At the same time, my heart beated quickly. I looked

onto Rin’s face. Her face was very pale! I put my hand on her forehead.

God! Rin was having a fever! Rin, why you did not tell me about your

fever?? I had to take her to the hospital right away!

After half hour later, Rin’s parents arrived at the hospital. I told

them about them about Rin and put myself at guilt. I supposed not to

have a walk with her. If I did not, this would not be happened. In front of

them, I was crying and apologizing. This was all my fault!

“You are not at fault, Yui. You are trying your best to make her

happy and we know that. Thank you very much,” Rin’s mother suddenly

hugged me. She was also crying. Then, a nurse came to us and told that

we could enter Rin’s ward individually. Rin’s parents let me met her

daughter first. I was very happy for the opportunity. I quickly entered

Rin’s ward.

“Rin.. I am sorry,” the first thing I told her. She just gave me her

sweet smile. “I am the one who should say that. I am tired of burdening

you. Sorry, Yui..” the tears flew down to her cheeks. I sat beside her bed

and talked to her, tried to comfort her. After 10 minutes, I was about to

leave. Her parents were still waiting outside.

31

“Rin, I will visit you again tomorrow, every day,” when she heard

that, she smiled gladly to me.

I prepared tuna sandwich for Rin. It was already 3 days Rin spent

her days at the hospital. Suddenly, my phone was ringing. I quickly

answer the call. It was Rin’s mother.

“Yui, come here quickly! Rin! She is..”

PRANGG!! The plate I held broke on the floor. I felt empty. This

could not be happened! I collected my strength and want to the hospital

by my bicycle. Rin! How could you did this to me! As I was riding my

bicycle, my tears flowing like it would never stop.

I pushed the ward door. My movement automatically freezed

where I stood. My voice was not heard anymore. Slowly, I came near to

Rin and hugged her cold body. I cried and shouted for her name. Rin did

not answer. Why Rin? Why you did not wait for me? I poured my heart

out on Rin’s chest. Now, Rin was gone. Forever.

Suddenly, I wake up from my last memories with Rin when I

heard Neko is meowing. I think Neko also feels the sadness. I am staring

at Rin’s grave. A week has passed since Rin was gone. Rin, Neko and I miss

you. I always hoping for a miracle but it definitely cannot be happen. I

wipe my tears, even though Rin was gone, she is always in my heart. I

would never forget her. I am turning back and walking away. Even how

many times I cry and hope, she will never be back. And I know that.

_The End_

32

THE CURSE

Describe what happens at the end of the story

Explain why you like or dislike the ending

Based on the novel The Curse by Lee Su Ann, the main character,

Azreen went through a lot at the end of the story.

At the end of the story, Azreen visited her parents’, Madhuri’s

and’s the Old Lady’s graves. Her father, Encik Saleh, before his death he

admitted that he killed Madhuri. Azreen was shocked to hear that but it

got worse when she know that Madhuri was not her biological sister. On

top of that, she lost her counsellor and confidante, the Old Lady. Her

house was put on fire and she met her death right away. Azreen left

flowers on each grave before she left the place. She finally left England as

an orphan but she was a happier person indeed as all the mysteries were

prevailed at last.

To be honest, I dislike the ending. To me, the ending is boring

because nothing exciting happened. It would be better if Julian Ng

proposed Azreen. Then they had kids and lived happily in England. Or

maybe after Azreen lft the island, Azreen had a make-over. Like an ugly

duckling that turns into a beautiful swan, she changed into a gorgeous

woman. Only then Mohd Asraf had his yes on her but at that moment

Azreen had already married to Julian Ng. besides, I think that the villagers

especially Puan Normala who shunned the Old Lady when she was still

alive should be punished. I wish the end of the novel would have some

natural disaster to happen in the village. It makes me dissatisfied that

nothing happened to the mean villagers after what they had done to the

Old Lady.

As a conclusion, Azreen did face many hardships at the end of the

story. However, I think it would be better if Azreen had more happy

events in her life after she left the island.

Which character do you sympathise with?

Based on the novel The Curse by Lee Su Ann, the character that

sympathise with is the Old Lady. I choose her for many reasons.

One of the reasons is she endures her husband’s verbal and

physical abuse for such a long time. She takes all the pain by herself with

nobody to defend her from her abusive husband. She ends her suffering

at last as she kills him as self-defence.

Unfortunately, as a result of her self-defence act, the villagers

shun her unconditionally. They do not know the real story that she is

abused by her husband yet they do not really care to know it

nevertheless. They jump into conclusion that she is a despicable witch.

The Old Lady then is left isolated in the village so she decides to live in the

forest all by herself.

I also sympathise her for the reason that she still does not get the

proper and nice treatment from the villagers till her last breath. The only

one who is nice to her is Azreen alone. She should have her name clean

before she died but the villagers refuse her till the end. The Old Lady does

not deserve to be treated like that at all.

To conclude, I sympathise with the Old Lady because she has

been through a lot. However, she faces these difficulties with patience

and positive mind. If I were one of the character in the novel, I would

cherish and take care of her no matter what people think of her.

33

What you learnt from family relationships

Based on the novel The Curse by Lee Su Ann, I have learnt a lot

about family relationships. The complexity of the relationships between

the characters in context of family in the novel surely has shown me the

importance of appreciating our family.

The relationship between the main character, Azreen and her

father, Encik Saleh deteriorated. Azreen could barely talk to him as he

would only give her could responses. It was because Encik Saleh was still

feeling bitter of the fact that Azreen was the reason his wife was

paralyzed. Azreen received harsh and unjust treatment for crimes she did

not commit. Encik Saleh should not have treat her that way because

Azreen was his daughter after all.

Moreover, I also have learnt the moral of respecting our spouse.

This is shown from the relationship between the Old Lady and her

husband. Although the Old Lady’s husband was an abusive person, she

had never told anyone about it because it would only make the villagers

think badly of her husband. She tolerated the physical and verbal abuse

she received from him for such a long time without defying him. Even

after he was dead, the Old Lady never told the truth to the villagers as she

still had respect towards him as her spouse.

Other than that, the relationship between Azreen and her sister,

Madhuri has taught me that family bond is strong and inseparable despite

that some might not admit it. Azreen’s relationship with Madhuri was

amicable in their younger days as they played together all the time.

However, when they got older, Azreen’s feelings changed when people

kept comparing her to Madhuri. Since then Azreen harboured a lot of

secret resentments, anger and jealousy within her. Even so, when she

heard about Madhuri’s death, she persevered to find out the cause of her

death until the truth eventually came to the surface. Azreen even visited

her sister’s grave before she left Malaysia for England.

In short, I have learnt so much about family relationships from

the novel. Regardless of different kinds of family relationships, the point

is we must love and care for them as in our lives, they are the closest to

us and know us the best.