A narrow escape

There was a huge three-acre pond just a few kilometers from where we stayed.
Since moving into our new home in the countryside, my brother, Jim and I used to
often sneak out to the pond where we would meet another friend. Dad had warned
us not to venture anywhere near the pond area, especially after a friend informed
him that an alligator had been spotted there. We took no heed of his advice though.
This was our favourite hideout and we were certainly not going to give it up.

On this particular afternoon, the three of us had just finished swimming. Jim and
Syed were reluctantly making their way towards the spot where they had left their
clothes. I stayed back and was bathing in the waist-deep water when I suddenly
became aware of ripples forming in the surface of the water. I cocked my head and
looked at the ripples. My eyes caught a motion in the water. A log, I thought. Then I
saw it -- its snout and its two reptilian eyes. 'Jim ..." I whimpered. Then I screamed
with all my might.

Jim turned his head in my direction and immediately recognized the danger. 'Get out
of the water, Jeff. Hurry! It's just behind you.'

I waded clumsily in the water. After a few stumbles and fumbles, I reached the edge
of the pond. I looked over my shoulder. Moving swiftly towards me was an enormous
alligator. I froze. Then suddenly I felt a searing pain in my leg. Meanwhile, Jim and
Syed screamed and started throwing stones at the alligator and managed to distract
it. The alligator went for them now. As it opened its jaws, I could see its jagged teeth.
I tried to move but a stabbing pain shot through me. I slumped onto the
ground, sprawled in a pool of blood.

Meanwhile our screams were heard by two hunters who were in the vicinity. On
seeing the alligator, one of them fired a shot in the air. It had the desired effect. The
alligator stopped in his tracks, retreated a few steps and slithered hurriedly into the
water. Then, I passed out.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself in a totally unfamiliar environment.

The smell of antiseptic told me that I was in the hospital. I later learnt from my
mother that I was rushed to the casualty ward. I was treated for puncture wounds on
my right ankle and a long gash which required fifty-six stitches. Mum reminded me
how fortunate I was to have escaped from the jaws of the alligator. It was a narrow
escape.

(438 words)

hideout a place for hiding

searing sharp

sprawled lying with arms and legs spread ou

"I could tell by her face that she was very distressed." Continue the story

I could tell by her face that she was very distressed. 'Mars Lim, is something wrong
?' I asked as I glanced at the wall clock. It was almost 1 a.m. Mrs Lim was one of my
neighbors who lived down the street with her old, invalid husband. My instincts told
me that Mrs Lim needed help.

'It 's my husband. I think he's having a heart attack. Can you help me ?' she blurted
out, in between sobs. With lightning speed, I changed my clothes. Then, I followed
Mrs Lim to her house. The whole house was a little musty. As this was my first visit
to the Lims' residence, I had a quick glance around the living room. There were wall
panels covered with watercolor landscapes, engravings and cross-stitch pieces.
Along the corridor leading to the kitchen was Mr Lim, slumped in an armchair. He
appeared to be gasping for breath. With Mrs Lim's help, I managed to carry him to
the porch where their car was parked. when we finally managed to get him inside the
car, I drove to the hospital.

We rushed him to the emergency and casualty ward. The doctor on duty informed us
that Mr Lim had suffered a mild stroke. Mr Lim was admitted tot eh intensive care
unit. Mrs Lim and I kept an all-night vigil. It was then that Mrs Lim asked me to
contact her son and convey the news. I never knew that Mr and Mrs Lim had
children. All this while, I thought that the Lims had no children. I could not recall a
time when they ever mentioned a son. I tried to contact the son at the given address,
but I was told that he had moved to another town with his wife and children I could
see the pain in Mrs Lim's face as I told her the news.

As I was driving home, I told myself that I would call my own parents. I had not
contacted them for almost a month and my conscience haunted me. They had
looked after me for a good part of their lives. I was sobbing terribly all the way home,
ashamed of my neglect.

Mr Lim was discharged after ten days. He made a speedy recovery. Apart from his
slurred speech, he appeared hale and hearty a month after the incident.

The incident has helped me to get my priorities right. It has also made me realize
that when we give a helping hand to those who need our assistance, the world will
be a better place to live in.

(434 words)

invalid sick

musty smelling damp and unpleasant because of a lack of

fresh air

hale and hearty healthy

 AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE

Carrying a passenger on a bicycle is an offence punishable by law. Everyone knows

that but still some of us do it.

I had done it many times before until something happened to teach me never
to do it again. It was not the police. Rather it was an unforgettable, and unpleasant,
experience.

It happened one evening when my friend Aaron and I wanted to go and visit
another friend who lived some distance away. I had a bicycle. Aaron did not. So, as
usual, he sat side-saddle on the horizontal bar of the bicycle while I pedalled. We
had done it many times before, so it should not be any problem.

Near my friend's house, we got onto a gravel path made slippery by the recent
rain. Still we managed to wobble along, thoroughly enjoying the rough ride.

As we passed by a stream, I made the mistake of going too near the bank.
The rain had softened the soil and it could not hold our combined weight. One
moment we were going along merrily, the next we were tumbling head over heels
into the stream as the bank gave way beneath us.

Splash! Splash! Splash! We plunged into the river bicycle first, followed by
Aaron, then me. Normally the stream is only a few centimetres deep with clear water.
When we fell in, it was a metre deep with foul black water. The water prevented us
from getting badly injured but we also had to pay the price of gulping some of it. It
tasted horrible. Aaron got the worst of it for being sandwiched between the bicycle
and me, but it was not too bad. We had only a few cuts and bruises. Our pride was
far more hurt.

We retrieved ourselves and the bicycle from the stream. We were both dirty
and soaking wet. Obviously we were in no condition to visit anyone. So we decided
to go home.

We walked all the way home. I had to push the bicycle because its front wheel
was bent out of shape. From that moment I vowed never to carry anyone on a
bicycle again. Never again do I want to be dirty and wet with cuts and bruises all
over my body. Once was enough.

(378 words)

gravel small rounded stones, often mixed with sand

wobble shake or move from side to side in a way that shows a lack of
balance

tumble to fall quickly without control

 THE MAD WOMAN

I walk a kilometre or so to school every morning. Sometimes I come across a

mad woman dressed in a dark dirty sari. She probably has not had a bath for years.
Her hair is matted, teeth stained red with betel-nut and eyes blood-shot with the look
of madness. I always keep my distance from her for my own safety for I cannot be
sure what she will do next. Also she smells terrible up close.

It is never pleasant when I see her standing by the roadside. She is by no

means violent but she has the nasty habit of following people who pass by. Normally
when I see her I cross over to the other side of the road just to avoid her. Usually
that works. Sometimes she crosses the road too. So I run. Fortunately she cannot
run very fast and gives up after a while.

One morning, as I crossed the road to avoid her, she tried to cross too. I
started to run. She started to run too but tripped on her sari. She fell down hard on
the road and lay there in a heap. I wanted to keep running but I saw that she was in
great danger of being run over by a car. So I ran over to her to pull her to the
roadside.

As much as I disliked it, I had to help her. The other passers-by did not seem
to bother. So I held my breath and pull her by her arms towards the roadside. By
now people and cars had stopped to watch. No one helped but at last I managed to
drag her to safety.

She opened her eyes and gave me a smile. I could only stare at her dumbly.
Then I turned and hurried to school to wash my hands.

I am going to get a bicycle to cycle to school. It is much faster this way. Also I
will not have to contend with the mad woman again.

(335 words)

sari, saree a dress, worn especially by Indian and Pakistani women,

consisting of a very long piece of thin cloth wrapped around the
body.

matted twisted into a firm, untidy mass

contend with to have to deal with a difficult or unpleasant situation

 AN ACCIDENT

The road in front of my school is a narrow one. It is also very busy. Every
afternoon when school is dismissed the road becomes almost impassable as
children, bicycles, cars and buses jostle and struggle to use it. Sometimes a
policeman is there to help things out, but generally chaos reigns and we have to be
careful not to get involved in an accident.
A few accidents had already occurred. I was a witness to one.

If happened just after school. As usual the road was an utter mad house.
Children were running across the road to get to their cars and buses. Cars and
buses honked angrily at them.

Just then I saw a young boy make a dash across the road. There was a loud
blare of horn, a squeal of brakes and I saw a car knock into the boy. He fell as
though his feet were swept from under him.

Fortunately the car was not moving very fast and the driver managed to stop
the car before a wheel could run over the fallen boy.

All traffic stopped. I ran over to the boy and saw blood on the road. He was
bleeding from a cut on his head. A man came and examined the boy. Then he lifted
the boy and carried him to a car. They sped off, presumably to the hospital.

Many people surrounded the driver who looked dazed and bewildered. A
policeman came to calm things down.

As there was nothing I could do, I turned and walked down the road carefully.
It was terrible to witness an accident. I certainly would not like to be involved in one.

( 278 words)

jostle to knock or push roughly against someone in order to move past them

dazed very confused, unable to think clearly

bewildered confused
 A ROBBERY

Sam helps his uncle look after the latter's sundry shop. Business is brisk and
Sam is kept busy most of the time.
One evening at about 8 p.m., just as Sam's uncle was about to close for the day, two
men on a motorcycle stopped outside. They got off and walked into the shop. Sam
thought that it was odd that they should be wearing dark glasses at night. Anyway
who was he to question what another should wear?

Sam was about to ask the men what they wanted when both of them drew
pistols from their pockets. One pointed a pistol at Sam and the other at Sam's uncle.
Sam froze and stared at the pistol pointed at him. He could not believe his eyes.
These two were robbers wearing dark glasses to conceal their identities!

The next moment Sam and his uncle were made to lie face-down on the floor.
Sam heard the cash register ring and the drawer open. Then he heard a shuffling of
feet, the roar of a motorcycle starting up and suddenly all was quiet.

Sam looked up. The robbers were gone. Sam shook his uncle who was still
prostrate on the floor. They got up. Sam's uncle ran to the cash register. The robbers
had taken every cent from it. The robbery had happened so quickly. It took less than
a minute for the robbers to come and vanish with the day's takings.

Sam's uncle shook his head. At least the robbers did not harm them. The only
thing left to do was to inform the police and let them handle the case. As for Sam, he
learned to be wary of strangers who wore dark glasses at night.

(285 words)

brisk active

conceal to hide something

prostrate lying with the face down and arms stretched out
 Memorable Incident

There are those incidences that happen in life that are so memorable they
continue to linger in one’s mind; however, such events usually leave a permanent
mark in the lives of individuals and offer lessons that cannot be erased by any other
experience in life. My memory event took place several years ago when, due to my
curiosity, I decided to accompany my grandfather to the hospital. Due to his old age,
my grandfather had begun experiencing major problems with his left eye. He had
visited the hospital on many occasions to seek treatment but his condition was not
getting any better. Finally, his doctor told him the only remedy left was to go for an
eye operation as a way of trying to correct the abnormality with his eye. Since it was
a weekend and I did not have any classes that day and did not have any other
obligations, I thought it would be a good idea to accompany my grandfather to the
hospital rather than stay at home and be bored. The tight relationship that had
developed between my grandfather and me also made it very easy for me to
accompany him, despite the fear I had of operations and hospitals in general.

My uncle drove us to the hospital; 30 minutes after arriving at the hospital and
ensuring that my grandfather had checked in, my uncle left for a commitment he had
to take care of. Luckily, there were several helpful nurses available to offer any
assistance that my grandfather required and the doctors were very friendly. The
nurses sensed the high level of nervousness that both my grandfather and I were
feeling and talked to us so nicely that we ended up relaxing and perceiving the
operation as something normal and nothing to worry much about. It was not long
before both my grandfather and I felt relaxed and ready for the operation, as we
forgot the high degree of nervousness we had felt just a few moments earlier. I have
always had this fear of doctors and injections, so even as I began to relax, thoughts
of the impending operation could not escape my mind, since I knew the operation
would be more serious than the injections that I feared so much.

Interestingly, the whole operation lasted only an hour and my grandfather was
wheeled out of the operation with a bandage on the operated eye, but he was
conscious and in very high spirits. I cannot forget the look on my grandfather’s face
and the feeling of relief he expressed, knowing that the problem with his eye was
finally over. At that very moment, my fear of doctors vanished and I began
appreciating the important role that doctors play in everyday life. That is the moment
I decided that I wanted to be a doctor and, currently, I am pursuing a course in
medicine.

(481 words)
 The Incident I Will Never Forget

Childhood is very impressionable age. One incident of my childhood is

indelibly printed in my mind. I was eleven years old. I had just joined middle school.
The children of primary school did not admit me in their company and those of
middle school didn’t wanted to be friends with me. They treated me as an outsider.
To add insult to injury they often be fooled me and made me a target of their jokes.
No wonder I got into the habit of visiting the nearby orchard for solitude and
incidentally stealing fruit.

Once I got into the orchard and climbed up a huge mango tree. The owner
saw me, and unnoticed by me put a toy dog looking like a real dog at the foot of that
tree. After eating to the fill and filling my pockets with mangoes. I thought of getting
down it was then that my eyes fell on a dog. My blood ran cold. I waited and waited
for the dog to go but it remained there. Deciding to face the consequences of my
theft. I jumped down.

Imagine my surprise when I found that the dog which had frightened me to the
bone was just a stuffed one. I started laughing helplessly at myself. The owner heard
me. I was caught. He was a kind man. On my begging forgiveness, he let me go with
just a word of advice. Can I ever forget this incident?.

( 242 words)