When I was studying at Playfair Primary School, I had to cross the road near the junction of Paya Lebar Road and Airport Road. One day, I stepped off the central divider without paying attention. A lorry whizzed past my face, inches from my nose. Had I taken one more
Every afternoon after school, our mongrel would wait behind the metal gate. The moment he heard my bicycle bell, he would jump up and wag his tail so hard his whole body seemed to bend with it. One rainy week, I came home and the gate was empty. I parked
When I was 16 and waiting for my O-Level results, I worked for a few months for my brother-in-law, who ran a small construction company. I drilled concrete floors until my whole body shook from the vibration. I used a grinder to smooth the edges of window
The elders always said, "Strive to become someone." Otherwise, you will be a nobody. After sixty years of trying to become someone, I finally became myself.
My cat loved to meow and rub her head against my leg. She was my constant companion. One day, my mother relocated her to a wet market three bus stops away. I thought I had lost her forever. Then one day, out of nowhere, I heard a familiar meow. It
My friend led me to the edge of a tall building. The only way down was to jump toward a pole jutting from the side and slide to the ground. If I missed my grip, I would plunge to my death and shatter like an egg on concrete. My legs
50 people were interested. 20 joined the race. 4 started running. I wonder how many will reach the finish line. Every challenge teaches the same lesson: enthusiasm is common, perseverance is rare.
On the morning she left, a glass of water came first. Seven-year-old Pei Ming carried it carefully to his mother and said softly, "Mummy, drink some water." The small act of kindness shattered Kong Xiu Ping's composure. Pulling him into a tight embrace, she
Every evening, my six siblings, my mother, and I waited for my father to return from his carpentry work. Only then would we begin dinner. We ate whatever was on the table. There was no such thing as refusing food or buying something else. When there was a chicken drumstick,
As a boy, I learned that dinner was not optional. If I was late, the cane would come looking for my butt. Its success rate was 100 percent.
Between our kampong house and the coffee shop was a 200-metre unlit path. Whenever my mother sent me on an errand at night, I dreaded the journey. There was a wooden bridge over a longkang and an old attap house beside it, surrounded by banana trees. After hearing too
My first best friend in secondary school was a very quiet student, much like me. He was a person of few words and rarely mingled with anyone. We enjoyed each other's silent company and often sat together without saying much. One day, he told me he did not