Narrative writing : Begin your writing with the following beginning “I got down from the bus, lost in my thoughts when…"

            I got down from the bus, lost in my thoughts when I saw a familiar scene that left me baffled and extremely jolted. I  noticed a poor child who strived hard to beg some money from the good Samaritan just for surviving. He wore a torn and worn out shirt and his hair was tousled. To my amazement, there were a lot of dilly bruises on his skinny body and his eyes suffused with tears. Perhaps, he was an orphan just like me. A  train of thoughts was running upon the past again and again. Those grievous and overwhelming memories of the past flooded and etched my mind.

            As a 12-year-old teenager, it was not easy for me to cope with the incident that occurred as a bolt from the blue. I was sheerly dumbfounded when I heard the formidable news about the demise of my parents in a fatal road accident. I could distinctly remember the feeling of heartache which shattered my heart into thousand pieces. I must admit that I have been traumatized and devastated by the turn of events. I was totally lost in my mind and did not know what to do.

            The demise of my parents left me sank to the depth of depression. I  buried my face in my hands and sobbed uncontrollably, unable to hold in the great tide of emotion. “ now, you are an orphan and no one would care and love you anymore,” I blurted with quivering voice. Swiftly, I was put under my aunt’s custody. At first, I thought it would be splendid for me. However, I realised I was just building castle in the air as it was actually the beginning of sufferings. The real nightmare was embarking on. In fact, I only experienced a period of euphoria.

            Indeed, my aunt and her family did not like me. They treated me badly as a servant. Everyday, I was ordered to do many house  chores such as chopping firewood  and washing clothing. Even though I felt exhausted and was eager to tell everybody about my aunt’s tyrannies, but I did not do that because I knew if we lodged under another person’s roof, we must do something to requisite others. The most disgusting was my cousins who liked to jeer and mock at me whenever they saw me. “pity girl” was the name they chanted every time I walked by. I told myself that I must bear for it.

            I could still bear in mind how injustice it was when my aunt chided me for stealing her money without evidence. At that time, I definitely discovered my cousin, Joseph who sneaking into my aunt’s room and took few notes from her purse. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Although I was shocked at what I saw, I chose to turn a blind eye and decided  not to disclose the event. What happened next was beyond my imagination.

            “mum, I saw that girl stole your money just now,” yelled Joseph recklessly  and looked at me with wry smile. Without  saying a word, my aunt’s face turned to the colour of molten lava and her eyes stared at me like a wild cat. She took out a rattan stick and prodded on my back relentlessly. I mustered all my courage to explain but my explanation fall on deaf ears and proved futile.

            “Now, pack your belongings and leave my house, ungrateful girl, get out of here as soon as possible,” shouted my aunt. Those hefty and sarcastic words were like another slap on my face and bruised my feeling.

            I was homeless, helpless and miserable. I even had a desire to end my life. However, I was not willing to obey the fate like this. I knelt down and prayed sincerely to God. With the help of my church members, the good Samaritans,  I was sent to an orphanage. Since then, I decided to live my life to the fullest. I stopped building castle in the class. I pulled up my socks and slogged in studying. With the moral support and love from my friends, I beat all hardship and obstacles. Finally I succeeded and passed my SPM with flying colours. I received scholarship to pursue my tertiary education in university and graduated as a lawyer. My efforts had come to fruition.

            I inadvertently encountered my cousin in newspaper that he was in jail for armed robbery and was tricked by his friends. I helped him without hesitation. As a result, he was freed. My aunt and cousin were guilt-ridden and asked for my forgiveness. I decided to patch things up again.   

            Today, I am celebrating freedom. Free from the hatred and anger of the past. Just believe it. It is depend on ourselves to decide our destiny! 

By: Ta Sze Sze