Knight's Oath...

After the end of the civil war, the kingdom enjoyed a peaceful era upon the rise of the new king. The communities which were once lost were slowly rebuilding itself. The nobles were minimized, the knights regained their glory and honour and the peasants could at least have bountiful harvests and wholesome meals at home. Ruined chapels were redeveloped into magnificent cathedrals where the community could have a solemn place to worship the gods. Dungeons and gallows were torn down so that the community would not fear the king. Mercenaries were no longer favoured and they were replaced by royal guards. Everything was so perfect until the birth of the newborn prince, heir to the throne.

Plague began to descend on the kingdom. Harvest rotted leaving the community starving. Fires often broke out from nowhere, burning down huts and engulfing people as well as belongings; even the nobles were not spared. Death toll was high and medicine was never sufficient. The community believed that the newborn baby was a cursed child. Thus, they began seeking refuge in the cathedrals to be protected from the odious spell. They thought the devil in him had caused this misery and calamity upon the kingdom. Many demanded the king to cleanse the land from doom by removing the newborn for good. They suggested the chopping block, burning him in fire, drowning him in the lake and the worst of them all, smearing the holy sword with the king’s blood and using it to stab the baby in the heart to ward off the evil in him. The community was desperate to get rid of the cursed child.

The king ordered the priest to the castle. He then summoned the guards to defend his home from the invading civilians who wished to see his heir’s death. He gathered the knights in the throne room. He made them took an oath of loyalty to the king. “From today onwards, the light of holiness shall fall upon thee. Let the holy emblem of thy kingdom carved on your cape guide you to find a haven for this child.” The priest blessed them as witnessed by the king. Later, the king presented them each with The Eden, a holy sword. “May this sword serve thou well and ward off evil on thy journey.” The king said. The knights showed their loyalty by placing The Eden back in its quiver. They turned around and rushed to the castle’s square where their faithful horses were waiting. The king’s servants handed one of them something which would be needed when the time was ripe and whispered a war yell.

The guards then exclaimed, “Hurry, the gate will not hold much longer!” The other commanded, “Everyone, get in the line! Assemble and prepare for battle!” The king could only watch from the window of his tower. The queen too was beside him, sobbing that their end is near. The knights made a dash through the secret passage out of the castle, with one of them, the newborn was safely carried. The gate soon fell and crashed into pieces. Coming out from the dust were the community, armed with spears, sickles and axes. They gave out a war yell and thousands of them made a wild stampede on the greatly outnumbered royal guards. The royal guards screamed another war yell and they soon fought in the name of the king. Another bloody incident broke out after an era of peace. Can a mere hundred of guards stand up to the ten thousands of peasants? Obviously not! The community stormed into the castle, searching for the cursed child, killing everyone who stood in their way. Chambermaids were not spared; they took their heads and lined them up in the castle square. The community wrecked the castle’s interiors, stole any valuable goods and approached the king’s room. Upon their arrival, they could only see the king and queen hanging by their heads on a rope. To avoid being brutally killed, they would rather hang themselves. The community was furious to find out that the child had escaped. They were as if being controlled by demons that they began killing all the remaining royal survivors, dissecting their bodies and burned them all together in the scorching castle. Wails could still be heard from inside the castle however, it was pointless as sooner or later, the fire would engulf their cries and the day would turn silent again.

A peaceful kingdom was reduced to ashes all because of a newborn prince. The community fell apart and formed its own communes. The community blamed the prince for this massacre. The community believed that the devil inside him had poisoned the king’s mind so that he would find an alternative to save his son. The devil wanted to save itself. The community although now separated, they still held on to their grudges that the newborn was to be blamed for their misery. They brought with them the will of revenge should they encounter the newborn prince again. Meanwhile, the knights managed to bring the prince away from the community’s clutches. Ten of them set off from the castle in a hurry without an agreed destination. Along the way, two of them decided to disband because they were from the community. They committed suicide so that the prince’s whereabouts would remain untold. Five of the remaining died protecting the prince from bandits. With three knights remaining it seemed that they would not be able to fulfill the king’s wishes. One of them was mortally wounded and it looked as if he would not live much longer. He later died when he was asleep. The two left behind decided to honour their fallen comrades by carving their names on wooden planks, built simple tombstones and placing their Eden rooted down to their grave.

The two knights began to journey again. This time, they managed to arrive at a small, faraway village. They decided that this would be their new home to raise the prince till he was old enough to understand that he is the only heir to the throne and the sole survivor of the bloodiest massacre of his kingdom. Both of them find themselves wives and secured a brotherly bond. But neither of them was willing to take the prince to be their son because he was not, blue blood run through his veins. It was amazing that these two knights did not break their oath after so long, after the gloom they had gone through with their fallen comrades just to save this baby when they could have left him astray. Could the baby have the devil inside him which influenced their minds so that he could live on?

The child grew up into a fine young man. He then was told the truth about his past, his family, his people and the most important, his kingdom. The two knights humbly pledged their loyalty to him after raising him up since he was a baby. They told him that the name they had given to him was not real. In fact, it was an adopted name because they did not know his name. Being nameless was uncommon in those days; it was believed that one without name was non-existent. And so he Christianized himself. The knights then began teaching him to wield a sword, to ride a horse, to behave as a royalty, to charm the ladies like a prince did and to speak the way the royalty did. He caught their lesson fast enough and soon he was ready to be admitted into of the royalty class. However, strange things began to occur.

There was one occasion while he was practicing with one of the knights, he showed a killer instinct; he practiced as if his opponent was the enemy he should get rid of. He was stopped in the nick of time by the other knight just before he slashed his opponent’s head. Then, he went away after apologizing to him. There was something growing inside him, something very dark. “Could the legend be true? The priests had foreseen something dark about the king’s newborn. They told me that it would be a bad omen should he survive till he reached adulthood and he is nineteen now. We have got one year left to believe the priest or it will be too late.” One of them mentioned. “Yes, I knew this day would come. I’m glad that the king’s servant gave me this before I left. She was an aide of the high priest and she handed me this Mirror of Soul. She told me that when the time was ripe, I should present this to the boy. This mirror will be able to reflect the boy’s soul. If he is the devil as the legend has mentioned and the priest foresaw, the mirror would not reflect the boy’s image.” He said. The other asked, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? We could have saved our comrades and get rid of that evil being.” He replied, “This mirror will only work if the boy’s soul is tainted with darkness when he reaches the coming of an age, not when he is still an infant or young. What she meant when the time was ripe was when he reaches adulthood. The king was forced to save his son because the priests cannot be sure that his son is truly a devil. He thought that if he was to kill his son with a slim chance that he was not the devil they foresaw, that would be disastrous for the queen.” The prince overheard their conversation and entered the room. They looked at each other with a glare. The prince said, “Why didn’t you tell me about this?” The two knights jerked up when they saw him carrying a sword in his hand. A shout was heard “The mirror, flash it!”

True enough, there was no reflection. The prince managed to smash the mirror soon after. “Quick, grab The Eden!” Another shout was heard. The two knights prepared themselves to fight. “The priests were right. This is the devil which had caused calamity to our kingdom.” The prince unleashed the darkness he was dwelled in for nineteen years. He laughed, “Do you think you have the chance to kill a devil, mere mortals?” “We took an oath that we would destroy this evil with the Eden, all the ten of us.” One of them replied. Little did they know that it took the ten of them to defeat the devil; that was why the king summoned them all and gave each of them the Eden. The knights began attacking the devil with the holy sword but all their efforts were in vain. He was simply too powerful. They were mortally wounded. One of them rose on his knees and yelled, “Utopia, raise the Eden once again, give us the strength to cleanse this land from evil!” Something strange began to take place. The 8 fallen Eden rose from the dead and appeared around the devil. It was the souls of men who were blessed by the priests before they took off. They were given immortality. Soon after, the 2 knights completed the circle. They raised their Eden and soon the devil was sealed in the sword the prince carried. The 8 souls vanished after completing their duty. The 2 knights tumbled to the ground. “We still need to root this cursed sword in the kingdom grounds so that no one would be able to pull it out. The priests knew that the devil cannot be destroyed; it can only be sealed in an object. The lost souls taken by the devil will trap him so that he would never be unleashed again. We need to get back to the kingdom.” He said.

Though mortally wounded, the two of them embarked on their journey back to their kingdom. The remaining community did not recognize the knights when they arrived. However, when they approached the castle’s ground, it was clear that they were the knights who had helped the king. The community picked up their weapon once again and attacked the knights. One of them decided to stall the incoming mob while the other reached the burial ground where he was to plant the sword deep into the hard, sturdy ground. “You are not going past me!!” He yelled as he was stabbed in the stomach by the community. Finally, he fell to the ground and bled to death protecting his fellow knight. As the other tried to plant the sword, one of the incoming mob, threw a knife and it spearheaded right through his throat. As the community fast approaching, he somehow managed to drive the sword to the ground with all his remaining might. Just then, the mob arrived and began stabbing him with spears and sickles. The Eden slid from his quiver and rested on the ground where he laid dead. At long last, the knights had fulfilled their sworn duties and their oath to put an end to the royal family line should the prince had the devil inside of him. The cursed sword remained stuck to the ground even when the community tried to pull it out, they were unable to do so. They tried digging the ground but it was too hard till their shovels became blunt and bent. It was as if the sword was rooted to the ground, being pulled by the poor souls who died on that castle’s ground. Once again, the kingdom flourished, the community was revitalized and peace started to descend on these lands. This time, they could be sure that no more devil was going to appear again, the prince’s dark soul was gone forever, vanished or perhaps being trapped by the chains of his victims.

Fisherman Horizon...

His glorious days were finally over. He turned down the offer of being the commander of his country’s army despite having led his battalion to war which ended in a miraculous victory over the invaders. The king was most pleased with his sacrifice and loyalty that he wanted to give him the most prestigious award a soldier could achieve. He refused to accept the king’s offer instead he asked his king if he could just leave since he has carried out his duty as one of his subjects. With a heavy heart, the king allowed him to move on with his life. The reluctant hero left his war suit, weapons and everything he owed from the army. His followers were saddened with his departure after all; he had made a legacy, he became a legend of his country. The townsmen paid their respect and gratitude by assembling along the pathway of the city’s entrance as he walked away, empty handed. They cheered him and sang lavish praises, showering him with blessings now that he had to go. As he stepped out of the city gate, he gave a deep sigh but did not turn back to face his hometown that he has just liberated. It was his personal choice to find peace after he had completed his duty and everyone respected his decision. He set his feet forward upon the scorching earth and never came back.

He endured blinding desert storms, torrential rains, burning sensation from the sun and even Mother Nature did not seem to be on his side. Nevertheless, he finally arrived at the long forgotten village. Situated away from the mainland, the village rested itself in the middle of old railway on a long, concrete bridge connecting his country’s frontier to another unknown region, surrounded by the great ocean. The railway has been out of service therefore, he had to make his own way to the village on foot. When he arrived, he was welcomed by cheerful children playing hide and seek near the outskirts of their humble village. He thought that perhaps he could stay here. With ocean waves hitting the walls of the bridge, fresh ocean waves, rejuvenating his spirit, the warmth from the village folks there was no place like this he had ever known. He thought maybe this was the perfect place to find peace away from his past, to start a new life, to begin writing the prologue chapters for his twilight years. He stepped into his newly acclaimed hometown with a new identity. He believed that the hero he once had been was better untold so that he could lead a normal life in this new haven.

He met many new people, made some faithful friends and of course, he found someone who stole his heart. She was dark haired with pure conscience and kind soul, alluring smile, full of elegance and grace wherever she went. He asked her out one evening to have watch the sunset over the horizon and they rested by the edge of the bridge, sitting back to back with eyes overlooking the reddish orange water surface. They talked while enjoying the scenic view and soon fell in love. It seemed unbelievable for such feelings to develop in such a short time, but it did. Fortunately or unfortunately, fate had decided that they were meant for each other at least for a few years. He was devastated that she passed away a few years after their blissful marriage. They did not even have the luxury of time to have children as they had hoped for. He had just lost a wonderful woman of his life and it was obvious that there was never anyone like her after her death. He remained single in the end. He commemorated her death every evening at the place where they made feelings known.

He would come with his rod and live bait, sat where he once rested and waited for the bait to be hooked by some live fish. It was pitiful of him to be that way. The villagers knew that she was everything to him; to them it was unfortunate that he was reduced to such wretched state. He was a good man without a smooth sailing life. So they left him as he was because there was nothing they could do to bring the dead back to life. He sat alone most of the time. At times, children would come by his side and watched sunset together not realizing that he was actually drowning his sorrows by letting time went by as if the past would be rekindled just by being where he used to be with her. He asked himself, “Is this what peace meant?”

He was alone but he never felt lonesome because he believed that perhaps this was the kind of peace he was looking for. Sunsets’ magnificent panorama which he had never seen before, the feeling simply calmed the rocky past he experienced. The place had a lot of meaning for him and so many memories were left behind in the same, exact location. It was where time just stopped, where he could let his feelings drift away by the serene sounds of the ocean. The serenity he felt was undeniable. He would repeat this cycle year after year. With his twilight year nearing, he realized that he had had a good life despite her loss. He buried his glorious past when he entered this village, led a simple life as a common fisherman, treasuring sunsets every evening and now, he was left with white hairs covering the top of his head. He left his home spick and span, neat and tidy. He knew it was time to embark on a new journey. So he left a diary back at his home. Inside it told his lifelong tale from a boy to a soldier, to a man and finally an old, fragile elderly. He noted how life was like in precise details so that someday, someone who stumbled on it could find peace like he did. He stood on the edge of the bridge and looked at the picturesque sun setting on the distant horizon for one last time. He gave a sigh, closed his eyes and pretended as if his late wife was beside him, holding his hand. In his heart, he told himself, “Peace has guided me this far, I’m glad I came to this place. I have got nothing to lose because I have lived in peace far too long that now I could not repay what it has blessed me with. I know I can finally rest in peace, farewell and thank you for finding peace in my lifetime.” He loosened his grip and he made himself fall to the ocean, knowing that he could not swim. Time just stopped then as he fell from the edge of the bridge.

Children who accompanied him before told the townsfolk that they could see him and his wife by the place they used to be, sitting back to back facing the sunset every evening. They replied with a smile, “Yes, of course, they were good people who have managed to find peace in their lives.” The tale of the old fisherman who embraced the sunsets on the horizon went on and became folklore in the village. Although he left in silence, his tale would still remain in the hearts of those who read the writings in the diary he left behind. At the end of his diary, vividly written, “As such, I would like to end this by entitling my journey as Fisherman Horizon…”

My Treasured Moments...

There are things in the world which are worth more than money can buy. There are things in life we often forsake. There are things so ordinary and simple yet bring a whole lot of meaning to people's lives. There are things we can find if we just open our eyes and start feeling from the heart. There are more fulfillment you can experience in life if you just treasure every moment...

Inspired by "Drops of Jupiter" by Train.

Imperfection...

He held his mother’s hand and took a final look at his home from outside the gate. It was where he grew up but now, he has to go; he has to leave the place he had always called home. “Come, we must go or we will be late for the flight.” His mother said. He stepped up to his old, wrinkled nanny who has been taking care of him ever since he was born. It was heartbreaking to say goodbye to her. The almost toothless nanny could not help but to weep as she hugged him for the last time. As the car left for the airport, he took a peek from the back window of his car, only managed to see her slowly fading out from his view.

The airport was packed with tourists, locals and air crew. The smell of smoke choked him on many occasion. He would never miss the sight of smokers all around him and to him; this was like a torture chamber filled with poisonous gas coming from a lighted cigarette. Seeing the pain carved on his face, his mother tried her very best to check in as soon as possible. And he finally could breathe fresh air once again at the waiting room. Having born with an outgrowth that blocked almost his entire nasal cavity, she was glad that her son did not have to suffer from the cigarette smoke. Excessive exposure to cigarette could probably increase the rate of the outgrowth, causing a fatal result.

All around him was passengers of the plane. He looked at his younger brother beside him and asked, “Are you ready? We are boarding the plane soon.” He replied with a nod. Neither of them had traveled on a winged aircraft before, so the first experience of flying proved to be difficult to overcome. Nevertheless, they boarded the plane, greeted by friendly air stewardesses. Comfortably sitting on the seat, he peered out of the window, thinking that this was goodbye for good. With seatbelt fastened, he was prepared to leave as the plane made its way to the run way. The plane fired its booster and heated engine, the pilot controlled the lever such that the plane would be able to make a dash on the run way and finally, piercing its way towards the sky. He closed his eyes in fear that something might just go wrong. When the plane has finally stabilized from sudden turbulences, he opened his eyes with tears flowing down. He was glad that he was safe and sound. It was just that he could not bear to leave his loving relatives, fellow friends and especially his aged nanny.

Such was the distant days he recalled a few years after. Living in another country has brought him a new environment to adapt to its weather, food, rules and regulations but mostly its people. He lost contact with all his friends he made back in his hometown since he left abruptly without giving them any notice so, finding himself all alone in a new ‘habitat’ surrounded by strangers made him feel so uneasy. And to make matters worse, he could not speak their language. He knew he has to pick up the foreign language or perhaps perish since everyone in the new country could only communicate in that language. Considering his age of eleven years, learning a new, foreign language he has never spoken in was a nightmare. He had to endure people’s laughter when he tried to converse with the locals. Well, probably that caused him to have a low self-esteem.

However, if there was something he liked about this new ‘habitat’, it would probably the fresh air. He could now breathe easy since the number of smokers was minimal. His mother was glad that with this atmosphere, the outgrowth would likely stop growing or slow down. This could only mean one thing, the operation would not be necessary. Due to this reason, she thought it would be better to stay here so that he would be better of. No more trips to the specialists; no more breathing difficulty; no more irritating sneezing. That way he could lead a normal life. And hopefully, the outgrowth would disintegrate although she knew that the chances were slim as doctors had prescribed. They suggested surgery to ease his breathing difficulty, thermal radiation to shrink the size of the outgrowth and chemical sprays to slowly reduce the active outgrowth cells. But his parents decided not to follow their suggestions mainly because they thought that a young boy could be traumatized or possibly would not survive the surgery since it involved blood capillaries to be cut off. Furthermore, the outgrowth could appear again even after removal through surgical methods. This was the outgrowth called ‘sinusitis’ which was common. It affected the patient with variable allergy such as dust or pollen, continuous sneezing, excess production of liquefied mucus, breathing difficulty when exercising and sleeping causing more fatigue and the outgrowth simultaneously kept growing as he got older till it would fully block the nasal cavity. Although it was not inheritable, he would have to carry it all his life unless he went for surgery.

A blessing or a curse one might decide, he only knew that this imperfection was already with him since he was born. He decided to move on and let go of the desire to remove this little imperfection. After all, it could be a gift from above which made him to feel inferior in some ways so that he would humble himself. Until he received the calling from above, he planned to live with it all his life, why alter one’s imperfection when it made him more humane, less boastful about perfection, always believing that every imperfection has a perfect reason behind it.

Years passed and he finally mastered the foreign language, enabling him to socialize with the local islanders with confidence. They no longer laughed at his pronunciation or grammar mistakes or even comprehending what he was saying. After years of adapting to a new culture, new place to live in, he began to grow fond of it. Well, not entirely because his hometown would remain in his heart. The thought of the nanny he had lost made him feel so down at times. Though now, he has grown into a fine, young man, part of him still was attached to his nanny. He thought that he could now repay her tireless effort bringing his up from a toddler but he has not heard from her for quite a long time. His departure would probably mean the end of her services and loyalty to the family.

The author wants to remind smokers out there to stop their addiction because for every cigarette lit, not only you will suffer, others like the character mentioned above are likely the ones who have to bear the consequences he did not cause. Smoking is never a must; it is a choice which one can turn away from. So when someone offers you a cigarette, it is always courageous to say no and turn away. You do not need to be a peer to someone who branded you as a coward for turning away because they do not know it takes a whole lot of courage to uphold your beliefs.

Measure Of A Man...

The others had left the village but he decided to stay put. “They are going to kill us all, we should depart right now.” The village chief said to him. He replied, “She is coming, I know she will be here.” The chief could not change his stubborn mind. He tried his best to tell him that it was pointless to put one’s life just to wait for someone he loved to turn up. The chief was the last to leave the village to escape from the invading barbarians.

The man waited for her by the lake. He was certain that she would be with him no matter what happened. He began to drown himself in deep thoughts while waiting for her. He remembered the time when he first met her face to face. She was painting picturesque scenery of the lake one evening. He watched her from a distance, noticing her delicate hands decorating the canvas with so much passion and tenderness. He approached her and said, “Hi, my name…” She snapped, “I know.” He was puzzled. She placed the brush on the palette and put them aside. She began, “You are always here when I’m around. I was beginning to wonder when you would come up to me to introduce yourself.” He smiled in embarrassment. She too replied him with a rosy blush. Their first meeting was the beginning of a beautiful relationship, it started with a smile.

They met again several times and each time, they got closer. They started to open up and shared their life experiences. Every conversation was filled with joy and laughter and ended with a feeling of lost when they had to leave. But the following day, the cycle kept repeating till a point of time. She was on the verge completing her painting when he was leaving. He walked away after saying a simple farewell. She turned around as she watched him slowly fading from her sight, leaving his footprints on the sandy ground. She rose from her seat and called out, “Please, don’t leave…” He hesitated and froze. By then, she was already behind him. He could see her shadow, standing still behind his back and gave a final turnaround. They stood motionless for a moment as they looked at each other once again. “Please, don’t leave me here.” She pleaded again. “I won’t.” He said almost immediately. They ended that solemn dusk with a comforting hug. He held her tight in his arms so that she could hear his heart beating at a frenzy pace. It gave her a sense of security and warmth that she would never want to let go of. “I will be there for you if you should ever need me by your side, I promise.” He whispered in her ear.

Time flew as if no one cared. However, for them every minute they were apart seemed like a lifetime. And when they were together, they refused to let any moment slipped away. This time, they were alone by the placid lake, undisturbed by the commotion at the heart of the village. She willingly rested her head on his shoulder and let her feelings drift. That look in her eyes and the sound of her laugh made him decide that she was the one for him. Sunset over the distance warmed the evening once again, the waters reflected orange, lucid rays. He told her, “You know something, this argument between your village and mine seemed to escalate faster than I had anticipated. I wonder if…” She suddenly interrupted, “Shhh. We will run away together if we have to. For now, just let’s just leave things as they are.” The long wait had blossomed into a kiss. Perhaps this was what they called as love.

Relationship between their villages turned sour and it looked as if nothing was going to change the fact that they were eyeing for war to solve their dispute. No one was allowed to have contact with the opposing village dwellers, let alone leaving the village. They did not visit the lake after that. And now, he put his life on the gallows by waiting for her by the lake. He regained his consciousness from his retrospection when he heard footsteps resonating from afar. It was her. She did not leave him and so did he. She leapt into his arms with tears flowing from her eyes. Three months of separation was overwhelming for them. The feeling of lost and loneliness was instantly dissipated into thin air. Time and distance had made their love stronger for every passing day. “You did not leave me just like you promised.” She cried. “I always keep my promise.” He responded.

This bliss however was short-lived. Danger was still lurking. “We have to leave now, there is not much time left before they hunt us all down. We are the last ones.” He exclaimed. Just before he began to run, pulling her hand, she stood still, rooted to the ground. “Will we be back here?” She asked. He paused for a minute. He answered in a saddened voice, “Someday, we will walk this road again, we will breathe its fresh air, we will.” Little that he knew, the evening was the last sunset they would ever saw. The soldier appeared with their pointed bayonets. They cornered them to the edge of the lake. The barbaric soldiers did not care who they were. Those bloodthirsty beasts would not be satisfied till they created a haven of carnage. They thrust their bayonet at their abdomens. He held her hand tightly and said, “Stay close to me, I will never let go of you.” They trotted forward again and stabbed them with great force that they were thrown into the lake. Screams of pain was echoing throughout the village, cold, red blood gushed out, over-pouring the lake waters. The water turned red immediately. His arms were wrapped around her as they tumbled into the deeper waters. Water entered their nostrils, blocking the passage for breathing. With much blood lost, they were too weak to get themselves out of the silent blue.

As such, their bodies continue to rapidly descend deeper. Flashbacks electrified his mind, playing the scenes when they were together, just like a roll of film showing a slideshow. He made sure his arms locked her so that she would not be carried away by the current. To her, spending her last minutes in his arms was worth waiting for. They reached the bottom of the lake, resting peacefully till they were deprived of oxygen. And so their tale ended in tragedy. Although this was what they called fate, fate too decided to allow them to perish together in death. Perhaps ‘till death do us part’ may not be proper anymore because who knows, fate might just create another opportunity for them to be together in the afterlife.

This story is inspired by “Measure of a Man” by Clay Aiken.

Grand Finale...

The arm of the clock pointed to seven sharp. The evening looked gloomy that day with grey clouds decorating the azure sky. He was comfortably sitting at home, all dressed up in black and white. He donned his father’s black Versace suit and checked himself in the mirror before he headed for the evening ball. With shoes polished and outfit neat and clean, he was certain that he looked proper for the formal occasion. To him, this event was meant to mark the end of his legacy so that the future generation can take over his position and reach out to greater heights. He felt it was time to let his juniors shine like stars lighting up the night.

He arrived fifteen minutes ahead of scheduled time. He met his friends who were in the same boat as he was. Smartly dressed with ties, dark colours on their clothes were the haute couture for the evening. The ladies were splendid in black. Elegance if he could call it. Teenagers were transformed into young adults just by looking at their dress code. This was what he had always dreamed of, seeing people around him grow up to be fine-looking ladies and gentlemen. He waited for the invitation to proceed to the hall where the main event was about to begin. As he waited, he noticed the girl who he had asked to dance with earlier on. Should opportunity arrive; he would gladly take her hand and bring her to the dance floor. He decided to wait for the right time for the moment to come in his way.

Later, together with his friends, he walked into the chilling hall where everyone was patiently waiting. The candles placed on the hall front brought about a serene ambience. As they walked further, other guests stood up and applauded for their arrival. Roaring applause and cheers filled the room, lifting everybody’s spirits high. He sat by the dining table reserved for him and his fellow merry young men and women. The guests of honour came shortly were warmly welcomed by the audience. One of them made the first speech of the evening. She featured the history of peer support leaders of temasek secondary school and thanking every single one of the graduating students for their selfless contribution to the school. Such was her speech, accompanied by words of encouragement and praises because this evening was meant for them.

The event started off with a formal dining. The buffet styled dinner was perfect for the occasion. Food served was simply mouth watering and the taste, simply heavenly. He grabbed some food and returned to his seat. He proposed a toast at the dining table after which they began to nimble on the dinner. They discussed about the future peer support leaders, the farewell party and of course, the food. Then, the emcees made a sudden announcement after most of the guests had finished their food. It was time to reveal the best dressed male and female icon for the evening. He was startled. Four names were called out, two from each gender. They were paired up to dance together with more than forty pairs of eyes watching intently on their every move. His name was called out. His partner was not the girl he had asked earlier. He stepped up to the challenge anyway, not wanting to spoil the mood. He was determined to overcome the two left feet he had. His partner was a professional dancer. To him this was tough considering that she had experience while he had none.

He took her hand and made his way to the centre of the hall with spotlight shining over them. He placed his hand around her waist while the other holding her hand. Her arm was resting on his shoulder and with this they were ready to dance. The soft music started to play, gradually amplified so that the whole hall could enjoy this mini performance. Stunning cheers could be heard across the hall as they made their first dance steps. As the dance progressed, she began to take the liberty to lead; after all she was a natural dancer. All he could do was to follow her lead and made sure that he made no mistake. Though being raw and inexperienced, he got everything under control. Cheers lasted for a few minutes, ending only when the dance was over. Then, the guest cheered on again. This was his first dance with a girl with an audience around to see them sway and spin. Being the centre of attention, the pressure was piling up. How glad he truly was when the dance was finally over without any mishap. However, deep inside, he felt regretful that he had missed his only opportunity to dance with the girl he would like to dance with. All for the sake that his dance partner would not lose face in front of so many if he refused to perform with her. He gave up his desire so that everyone could remain jubilant even though he had waited for this chance, and when it came it slipped right through his fingers. Coincidental one might say but he knew everything happened for a reason.

The solemn ceremony began soon after. It was a memoir, a presentation displaying pictures dated years back. This was followed by the chairman’s speech. She spoke spontaneously. She described that peer support leaders are a big group, making a family out of different people with different talents to achieve a purpose. She only hoped that the legacy she had made will be passed on to the future, promising leaders and that this committed family members will forever be one, undivided regardless of differences. She cried after delivering her speech because her wonderful and fulfilling journey as a peer support leader had to come to an end. So did every graduating students and him. Her speech made him moved in a way, making him realize that he had to go no matter how much he wanted to stay close to his second family, to his committee, to his ever-smiling, supportive juniors who believed in him and to the people he regarded as more than just friends. This is a reality that every senior faced, young or old; that the final test of a leader is that he left behind in his juniors, the conviction and the will to carry on with or without him.

The ceremony of lighting the candles soon started. It symbolized the passing of authority to the next generation. The whole audience quietened down. Next up was the presentation of a token of appreciation for every graduating peer support leader. Name by name was called. His name was then called. He rose from the comfort of his chair and an abrupt, thunderous cheer was showered upon him till he received the certificate of appreciation from one of the guests of honour. Never had he imagined that he would receive such heartwarming response. All he could do was raise his hand in the air, a sign of thanking them. Pride was all he held on to as the certificate was handed to him. When he first walked into the school hall for the first time, he had never thought that his last year spent in this school would involve being recognized by the school for the effort he put into this leadership group. This would always be a significant and touching experience for him throughout his whole life. This was his grand finale.

Soon after, the newly elected chairman made his speech in three different languages, English, Malay and Chinese. This was a very entertaining segment for the audience because he was not able to speak Chinese. Nevertheless, plucking up the courage, striving to give his best, he managed to capture everyone’s attention. The audience was extremely delighted when he ended his undoubtedly, unique yet entertaining speech.

The aftermath was all about wild and crazy photo taking session. It was fun. His aim was to share those photos he took with the ones in the pictures. This way, he gave them a part of himself and they gave a part of themselves to him. It was the invisible network of companionship which could only be felt with heart. The joy of youth being teenagers should be spent in this way. This was the part and parcel of growing up one should not miss because once he missed it, he would never experience another. This was the grand finale he had ever wanted, to walk in with a good name and to walk out, leaving behind a good name and footprints in others’ lives. And for girl he had missed the chance to dance with, it would only be fair if one day, they could have eyes on them, dancing in the moonlight, just like in this ceremony so that he could make it up to her as well as keep his word.

This story is based on a real account. The author wants to thank the peer support leaders who certainly had changed his life in a more positive light. He hopes that through this story, every peer support leader will experience such heartwarming feeling when he or she finally graduates from the school as a peer support leader, lifting the school reputation soaring. All the best for the future of Temasek Secondary Peer Support Leaders!

Special thanks to:
Adam, Erni, Shamsydar, Izzati, Nuriman, Florence, Jovita, Ryan, Abishek, Anavil, Michele, Anand, Ruo Ning, Anthony, Aleem, Nikita, Xinyi, Huiwen jr & James.

Not forgetting:
Mr Oh, Ms Lee, Mdm Wan, AV crew, Sec 2 PSL, Sec 3 PSL, Sec 4 PSL, Sec 5 PSL, Shuyu, Firdaus, Caroline, Cheryl, Eric, Wen Bin, Michelle & Marcus for making this event a meaningful one for the author.

This story was inspired by “I Knew I Loved You” by Savage Garden.

Love Will Find Its Way...

The time has finally come, it was abrupt but both of them must have known that it was now or never. They have been friends for five even years. Feelings did develop ever since they met but neither was ready to express them. And so they waited, they kept their feelings deep inside. Their friends tried every means to get them together but all of them were unfruitful. It all started at the school bus stop. He was waiting anxiously for the bus to come. When it arrived, she appeared and got in his way. Knowing that she was his classmate, he let her board the bus first, he thought that he should behave as a gentleman even though he was just a tender, thirteen year old boy. Things developed ever since. In classroom, he would look her from his seat. Though he sat right behind her, never did once they had a good chat or a simple ‘hi’. The boy thought that it was all his infatuation. But his perception changed after a trip downtown.

The class went on a field trip. One of his friends told him that someone had a crush on him. First person he thought was her. However, he began to doubt the news. He noticed her from afar and true enough she was not smiling. In fact, she looked sad. From there, he knew that someone else was into him. But he asked himself, why she appeared down; there is no reason for her to feel that way if there was nothing going on between them.

There was a time when she tried to talk to him, to socialize perhaps. But he walked away briskly. He thought to himself that if he were to talk to her, he might end up blurting out what he felt towards her. In her mind, his ignorance towards her equates to dislike. Time went by, he noticed her many times waiting for the bus home and he would lean against a cross-stitched fence, watching her from afar. He did not care if she even bothered to see him or not. He thought that if she saw him, at least he got noticed, if she did not, maybe she just did not know he was there all along. And of course, they rarely talked though months have passed. He knew that the end of the month was her birthday and he got this reliable information from a guy who shared the same birthday as her. On her birthday, the class sang a birthday song to her. And he did give her a present and a simple birthday card. Plucking up courage to give a girl who he rarely talked to seemed odd to his classmates. And this could only mean one thing, rumours about the two of them.

Their friends would tease them that she liked him or he liked her and sometimes both liked each other discreetly. It spread fast, all thanks to him for daring himself to approach her. And this went on till his birthday. He received a note and a pen from her. In her note, she mentioned that she was thankful for the gift she received and congratulating him for his birthday. He was grateful though he never expected a present on his birthday. After all, how would she know about it? A few days after, the class was made to stay back by the teacher during recess. She talked about relationship, advising the students that this point of time, students’ duty was to study first before having a boy-girl relationship. He wondered if she knew about the strange going-on between him and the girl he liked.

He believed that one day; something might just happen, empowering him to say what he wanted to say. Sadly, that day never came. All he could do was thinking about her, watching her from afar, never took the initiative to do the basics of socializing. Maybe that was what he lacked. All these while, he could write things about her but when it came to speaking up; he just froze. It was his feelings that made words harder to be spoken. He was unable to hide it but he wanted to keep it from her. He feared one thing, rejection. He would rather hurt himself inside living in his own dreams that she probably liked him than finding out that she did not feel what he felt. To her, it may sound stupid and totally ridiculous but that was his character. Introverted, cowardly, childish could be what she thought about him.

To him, stealing a glance or two was enough. Sometimes when they bumped into each other, smiles were carved. No special words were spoken, just a grin and some blushes in their faces. Soon after, they would get away quickly, erasing their tracks so that others would not know. However, one day, he decided to take his chance. He was determined to take her picture, so that he would have a part of her when he returned home. He successfully got what he wanted, a picture of her with her father. He placed it safely in a frame and allowed it to stand on his desktop. His friends were shocked when he approached her father to take a picture. They just never thought that he was bold enough when others would give it a pass. He earned his friends respect from then on.

There was once this classmate of them tried to get in the way between them. She was the daughter of a teacher and he heard that she got a crush on him. He was never interested in her so when she tried to have a chat with him, he would find every means of way to get away as quickly as he could. She was persistent to find ways to talk to him and somehow she got the wrong date of his birthday. So when her gift arrived, it was long overdue. He would sometimes laugh when he recalled how she responded when he told her that she got the wrong date. But the most critical moment was when he heard that the girl he liked no longer had feelings towards him. He guessed that it must have been karma for not talking to her more often. He figured that all she wanted was to get to know each other better but the wait proved to be too long.

Another event was when another classmate of theirs had a rather, easy-going conversation with her. He would talk as if no one was watching and joked around to amuse her. It was his rival ever since he enrolled into the school. His rival topped the class annually and he had never got closer to beating him academically. To him, this rivalry was no longer about academic performance but also included getting her attention. But what could he do, just by watching them laughing away from afar, the rumour of her having lost the feeling seemed to be more vivid. Perhaps he was kind of envious that he had never had such a friendly conversation with her all these while. His friends told him that it was just a conversation and he would soon get over it. And he did, somehow as he just ignoring what was right in front of his eyes.

What she did not know was one of his friends actually took the trouble to draw a portrait of her. He too was infatuated. Right after recess, he would sit a distance away from her and with him was his trusted pencil and eraser which he thought would create a masterpiece of her portrait. He truly felt so useless. This guy was not even good with his art and yet was giving his best to draw her and what he was doing made him think that he had actually never done anything special to her. There was once he wanted to buy a flower for her but he held back. All because a part of him was telling him that it would make the two of them feel so embarrassed that they would never be able to face the class anymore if he were to hand the flower right in front of the class on the last day of their primary school days. Although the impact if he really did that would certainly change the course of their future for the better, he just could not bear to put her in a spot to willingly accept the farewell gift. That day, the class took a final class photo which he still kept till today.

He recalled those days when he had time luxury of time to talk to her on several occasion but let them slipped away right through his fingers. How he regretted that. He was determined to change his old ways and start to grow up, stop living in his own world and to step forward and venture to the unknown.

End of the year came and both of them made it to the school of their choice. But, that was when the road started to split. He thought that it was all over, he had wasted so many opportunities to say what his heart wanted to. However, the unexpected happened, time and again after going on their separate ways, they would meet once in a blue moon. To him, it was something he could never think of. Is the world that small? Time flew. He was more open this time, at least able to talk to her. She grew up as well, learnt to treat him just like a friend. He knew that she treated him so differently compared to when she talked to her friends. At times, he would email to her or chat online. He made her laugh, smile, feel curious and more. He even tried to win her heart slowly though it was sometimes too obvious. He had always thought that perhaps only words can reach her. Through words, he made dreams come alive, made feelings known and made her somehow feel attracted to him in one way or another. It was just his thoughts and not reality. In reality, he never knew what she was really thinking. It could be that she was just pretending or did not care at all. She could be just toying with his heart or slowly telling him to give it up. He only believed that she was being honest when she said things either good or bad about him and herself. He trusted his instinct that she would one day felt what he felt. Such was his mere, random thoughts that made him believe in himself that he should keep going. They once promised to tell each other what they felt the next time they were face to face. This time he was confident that they were more than friends, something more than friends which he could not express.

That day came a few years later. They chatted as he walked her home one night. Discussed about life, school, future goals but one topic that hinted him that it was time was relationship. He did not know what made her suddenly asked him about it because all these while never had she come up to discuss about the most sensitive subject for teens. Perhaps she thought that it was his due time; time to let everything go after holding on to keep things sweet and simple as more than friends for so long. She wanted to know the truth and tell her his side of the story. Just before she stepped on her doorstep, he confessed. He told her that all about him liking her since those childhood days were true. He told her that all those gifts he gave were not tools to make her fall for him. They were given because he just wanted to willingly present someone a part of himself. He told her everything. He confessed his feelings that he held on dear to all these while to her. It must have been pressurizing for her to finally learn everything she had to know. She remained silent for some time, allowing time to stand still after hearing what his heart had wanted to express to her. She plucked up courage to tell him what she wanted to say, just like she promised to him. She said, “Don’t wait for me.” Those four simple words were enough to numb his heart and slowly piercing right into his weakest spot. He asked himself, “So, is this what she has been trying to say? Could she have been pretending all these while? Is she telling the truth? Is she really listening to her heart or has her mind dominated her feelings? Perhaps she wants to end it this way? But why did she say that?” His heart did tear apart just like that. But no matter how tried to appear strong, deep down he was bleeding to the core. He just did not expect the worst case scenario. What happened to those laughs, smiles and blushes? Were all of those fake? Five years he was kept in the dark only to be told to quit. He was out of words to reply. At last he said, “Alright” with hopes dashed within that short moment. To her, she might think that he must have got the idea and seemed to follow her desire. But in actual fact, he was felt something was amiss.

“Why would it take her so difficult to say that? Could it be that she did not want to hurt me directly? But how can that be, what is wrong with her? Shouldn’t this end up in a positive light?” he continued to question himself. He asked her to look him right deep into his eyes and tell him that she wanted him out of her life. But she could not bring herself to do it. She must have felt guilt that it brought her so much pain to say it. She tried to appear strong but in his mind, he kept holding on to believe that what she said was never true. He thought that she would probably regretted saying that and would drown herself in her tears as she closed the door, slowly fading him from her sight. It looked as if it was not meant to be another fairy tale happy ending in reality. He finally understood the pain. He left after fetching her home through the halcyon of the hurtful night. One question remained, was it really what her heart that wanted to tell him that he was never had a special place in corner of her heart?

The following night he visited her again. Just like the day before, she appeared cold without warmth. He looked at her and told her, “About yesterday night, you told me not to wait for you. It must have been difficult for you. One thing I learn, if I have to wait for you for another hundred years, I’ll wait…” She remained silent, not knowing what to say. He thought that she probably was thinking something like, “Why are you doing this to me? Why can’t you understand? Why won’t you leave? Didn’t you hear what I said yesterday? Are you serious?” He told her, “If you have something to say right now, just say it; just let your heart say it.” But she did not reply. After waiting for some time, killing time in silence, he thought that maybe she really cannot give him the feeling that he gave her. He told her that he shall take his leave since he thought she probably has made up her mind. In his heart, he had hoped she would change her mind as he walked away. Instead she shouted, “All the best.” If only he understood what she meant. If only she knew about the message he left behind on the photo he had always dreamed of, to be captured in the same frame with her, just the two of them. He could not help but to walk away, hiding his tears so that she could walk away without having to worry about him. Though he picked himself up on his way home, the scar remained. Could this be the end of the road?

Maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow or the day after, maybe it will never happen. But he knew that somewhere in her heart, she was aching as she watched him leave, slowly fading away, just like the sun setting on the distant horizon, over the ocean. Like the one he had pictured his mind, if only there was an opportunity to spend an evening by the beach with her, watching the sun sending its beautiful rays on the water surface, reflecting a kaleidoscope. That picturesque would certainly make the words he wanted to say more meaningful, more alive as he looked right deep into her sparkling pair of eyes. Maybe the time will come, not tomorrow, not the day after, maybe they have to wait for another hundred years when love has found its way and crossed their fate, to be part of their lives.

Love is a beautiful feeling, but it cannot be forced. Love needs time and maybe this is not the time yet. Love will find its way through time and time only; that was why he would wait till the end of time if he had to. “If I have to wait for another hundred years, I’ll wait for you…” as the words lingered in his ears.

This story was inspired by “More Than Words” by BBmak.

Love Triangle Finale...

Conclusion one: Wait For Me…
After some tough decision, he finally decided, "This is who I want to spent the rest of my days with, I cannot hope for any better than just being with her. I will choose her." He rushed to his car and sped to the airport. He called her on the way but she did not pick up his calls. He tried again and again. She finally decided to pick up his call and he told her, "Wait for me, I’m on my way. Please wait for me, just a little longer." She hung up all of a sudden and walked away.

He increased his speed as he come closer to the departure hall. He left his car in a hurry and proceeded to the immigration gateway. When he arrived, he searched for her but she was nowhere to be seen. He thought it was all over that he had finally lost her for good. But something unexpected happened. She walked towards him from a distance and stood on the spot, not too far from where he was. He turned his head and he was jubilant to see her. She was dressed elusively in her white dress. He stepped forward and both of them leaped into each others’ arms. "I’m sorry." He told her with tears in his eyes. "I’m sorry too." She replied with tears flowing down her rosy cheeks. Both of them were willing to give each other one more chance to embrace their love…

This ending is inspired by "One More Try" by A1.

Conclusion two: My Angel…
After some tough decision, he finally decided, "This is who I want to spent the rest of my days with, I cannot hope for any better than just being with her. I will choose her." He rushed to his car and sped to the restaurant. Hastily, he entered their favourite place and found her waiting patiently, sitting alone in one corner of the room. His heart beat faster as he approached her. She was well-clad in a white gown, looking deep and straight into his sparkling eyes.

As he sat, he told her, "You truly have fascinated me and to me, it is precious." She replied, "You have given me comfort, just being close to your bring me warmth I’d never want to let go of." He took her hand and smiled. To him, she was the angel he must have been waiting for. He realized that she is so close yet so far back then but now, he only wanted to spend this moment to cherish his time with her. She expressed her true feelings for him and told him how much she loved him from that accidental moment. And her feelings grew but she was too afraid to show it to him. Now, she was more than grateful to finally made things clear right in front of him. Candlelight dinner was what both of them were looking forward for, just the two of them and the flame that resembles their undying love…

This ending is inspired by "Girl in the Moon" by Darius.

Stop Hiding From Yourself...

He has always thought that this motivational course is useless because he feels that motivation should come from the heart not by people talking to students. But he went ahead anyway, together with his class. The first day of the course started when this man presented himself with confidence and arrogance in front of the audience. He walked for a while, watching each and every pair of eyes looking at him. And then he introduced himself. From the time he started he did not mention that there will be lecturing or practicing just talking and listening intently. He thought, “Alright, we will see.” From the minute he started, his mouth never stops for more than three hours straight, joking around and it looked as if he was digressing most of the time instead of getting straight to the point. He laughed at his silly jokes of course and thought, “Alright, this is different.” The whole day just involved laughter, smiles and joy. His spirits was lifted up somehow but only by a fraction. The mentor told, “I want you to do one thing when you arrive home. Just three simple words, I love you. Say it to your parents, alright.” When he arrived at home, he did not say it.

The second day went on smoothly like yesterday with one particular exception. The mentor asked, “Did you do what I asked you to do yesterday?” Some put their hands up but majority kept their hands down. Furious, he started to flare, “What is up with this attitude? I just asked you to say that three simple words to your parents and you did not even give a damn about it!” The lights in the room were switched off. He continued, “Do you know that what I asked you to do will give so much to your parents. Just think about it, all of you in this room are champions. Among millions of the sperms from your father, you swam all the way to fertilize your mother’s egg. You only have twenty four hours or you will die. And do you know that the distance to be covered in human context it is as if running from Sentosa to upper Thailand? Just think about it, why you managed to fertilize the egg instead of the other millions. It is because you are the best of them all. Everyone in this room, listen up, you are champions. During labour; your mother experience excruciating pain, half of your mother’s feet in on earth, the other in her grave. Every time your mother gives birth, half of her life force is drained out. And the one thing she wants was to hear your cry. She would even sacrifice herself or undergo caesarian so that you will be born into this world. Nine months you give her pain and worry if you will turn out to be a normal embryo. Your father, he worked his guts out to provide for the family. He may not be able to express his feelings, but deep down he cares. Just imagine how hurtful for him when you ignored him, when you cursed him because he discipline you harshly. One day when your father is buying something you like, he met with a fatal accident and time just stops. How will you feel? The breadwinner is gone forever not having the opportunity to feel your love, to receive your apology. You just do not know that parents loved you so much, supported you since you are young and this is the way you repay their kindness, with ingratitude and hate! You will beg and cry and scream out loud should your parents die right now in this moment and there is nothing you can do to stop it.”

He cried and cried, hiding his face under his arms, ashamed and guilty. He continued, “You lie to your parents, blame them, complain about them but in reality, you are just giving excuses, you are the reason why you lie, you blame, you complain. Stop hiding behind you mask, stop hiding from yourself! We are all human living in a less than perfect world, so accept it, but do not give up that you are unable to achieve your goals in life. When you take off your mask, you believe in yourself, you give a hundred percent, you ignored what people say about you, you cherish those around you, you don’t feel ashamed, you become who you truly are. So, open up to your parents, to your friends, to your teachers and to yourself. Do what is right and your goals can be achieved only if you persevere, be yourself and you have people to back you up. Parents may hurt us in some ways, but we should move on, learn to forgive and forget, leave the past behind, act in the present and dream about you future, that is life!” His heart just felt as if a lightning had struck him, cries and whines were heard across the room, every single one of them broke into tears, they cannot lie that they are strong anymore, they are weak. They admit their mistakes; they learn to be humble, to feel inferior. To him it meant so much because he has not made the best of his life at least appreciate his parents especially to his father who was working overseas, only visiting him once in three to four months. To his classmates who he thought are just individuals, pretending they are friends. To the people he knew who he has not expressed his true feelings about them. He felt hurt and regretful. He never knew this kind of feeling, neither everyone in the room. It was tears that wiped away their sorrow, guilt, regret and pain. He came out of the room, reborn and rejuvenated. But the real test was yet to come.

The third day came along; parents were gathered in the hall together with the students one late evening. The mentor started explaining what has been going on for the last few days but he did not mentioned that we cried. He then said, “Parents, now I would like some of your children here to come up and give their testimonial about you, their teachers, their friends and most importantly themselves. This is their time to grow up.” Some people went upstage and gave their speech. He sat watching them one by one appeared on stage being honest to themselves with his heart aching. “I want to go and make my parents proud, to tell them that I have overcome my dreadful past and turn over a new chapter in my life.” He finally went up to stage when third speaker ended her speech. He came unprepared with a speech but he knew as long as he is true to himself, the words will find its way out and reach out to the hearts of those who listen to him. True enough, his class cheered him on, giving him the drive to give it all. He knew, some of them would never thought that he would do something like this, courageously address the audience in front of his parents, the principal and the vice principal, the teachers who taught him this year, the other two classes and other people’s parents. This was the moment he knew he did not want to miss out because this is the time to shine, to grow up, to put an end of hiding behind his mask and be himself. In front of so many people, he asked his mother who was only present then to stand up while he gave his speech. He told her how much he loved her. He asked his teachers to stand up as well, telling them about his ambition that he would give a hundred percent for them and to express his gratitude. He then explained about his father, “The symbol that I have chosen is my father. He may not hear me because he is not here today. But from young, I have always looked up to him. He may not show his love for me but I know he will be there when I need him most. He taught me to me who I am today and without my father and my mother, I would not be here today. When I saw this school for the first time, I knew right away that I want to go here. There is something that attracts me which I cannot explain why and in this school I have met dedicated teachers who supported and guided me thus far.” He saw he mother crying. By then, he knew he has made his family proud of him and hundred pairs of eyes will be witnesses that he will grow up to leave this school with ‘A’s written in his certificate. His class cheered once again, but this time the others as well. He felt so high; he felt that he was a changed man. When the closing ceremony ended, his class gathered together to sing a song. The hall turned itself to blend with the night sky. He sang with all his heart, swaying together with his classmates. After which, he searched his mother and gave her a hug that he had never given him for seventeen years. And also he hugged his teachers who made a difference in his life. It was heartwarming, it was when he took off his mask, plucked up the courage he had never known he had and he made every single moment counts to express his feelings. It was more than experience, it was the moment to truth that he would like to share with those people important to him; it was more than he can ask for. He knew that it was perfect and only time to stop hiding from himself.

This story is based on real account of the author. The author would like to thank the mentors of this motivational camp, Mr Ramesh Muthusamy for giving him the drive to believe in himself and Ms Cherie Lim for sharing her life experience and conducting the camp. It is only when we believe in ourselves, great things we thought we never could have done, could happen in our lives wherever and whenever we wanted it to happen.

Love Triangle...

Dilemma soon sets in. He was caught in the middle, should he go for someone he truly loves who hardly respond to him or should he accept the fact that accepting a new love could probably solve all his worries. He sat on the wooden bench facing the picturesque scenery of the lush, green hills across the clear water lake, thinking on how he can make the right decision.

He recalled the school days when he spent his treasured childhood with the ‘earlier’ girl. He met his first love when they were in kindergarten and they have been classmates for decades. He gave her a box of chocolates during Valentine’s Day, she gave him a fond smile and that was the end of it. The following year, he gave him a stalk of rose; again she gave him a smile, no more than that. There was one occasion when she was bullied by the bigger boys, he stood up and stepped forward despite his frail-looking physique. He was beaten up while she escaped. He threw some weak punches with little impact on the bullies and they replied by outnumbering him, bashing him up so badly that blood smeared on the white walls and canteen floor. Teachers soon arrived and stopped the fight. He came out alive out of the onslaught with face battered badly. The girl approached him the next day after school at the courtyard, gave him a letter and kissed him on his cheek as a token of appreciation. But that was all, and the letter she wrote dashed his dreams of getting closer to her.

Teenage years came by; they were still in the same class. He often looked at her from his seat at the back of the classroom, hoping she would at least turn around but she did not. In class, there was never a communication between them making looked as if they were strangers. Her ignorance made him feel disappointed but deep inside her heart; she has some feelings for him although not as strong as he has for her. Both remained just classmates till he was forced to transfer to another school. She approached him again on the last day in that school. His buddies who presented him with a farewell gifts, made way for her when she appeared on the door front of the class. She handed him a small memento, a farewell letter. He read her letter on the spot, realizing that she finally decided to speak her mind. But, the waiting game and the pain of being ignored and rejected seemed to have overshadowed his mind. He returned the letter to her and told her to keep it, “The time is not right, I need time to mend my heart which you have broken into million pieces.” Despite saying this, he still left a room for her in his heart, no matter what he had said.

He took out an old photo he took with the ‘latter’ girl. He met her when he was transferred to the new school. He got to know her when she bumped into him in the hallway. She offered him a tour around the school realizing that he was a new student. He agreed and from there she became fond of him. He compared her with his first love and he found that this girl is simply fascinating. She turned his orderly world upside down, she spoke her mind about everything under the sun and her carefree attitude made him realize that she probably could be the one he has been looking for all these while. Although he could almost feel it right on the tip of his fingers, he was still attached to the past he was unwilling to let go. And he remained dormant about his feelings.

Often, she flaunted her charisma and tried to make him engage in conversation which she has succeeded. She began digging up his likes and dislikes, found out about his one of a kind personality and enjoying being in company with him. She hoped that she would one day melt his heart and make him stop being a dreamer. Through the years, her feelings for him grew stronger but he never responded in the manner she wanted him to. Nevertheless, she kept trying, giving her hundred percent.

The day has finally come, the day to choose between the two. The ‘earlier’ girl was leaving for London to further her studies, waiting for his arrival before she departed. His arrival could probably change her mind to go abroad. The ‘latter’ girl was waiting for him at their meeting place, a French restaurant, hoping to express her true feelings for him directly when he arrived. He looked at his watch; it was ten minutes to five. Time seemed to be running out and he still could not make a decision, he could not bear to let any of them down and his final ten minute decision would determine his future. Only one of them was going to be sharing the holy matrimony with him after a decade of waiting. After some tough decision, he finally decided, “This is who I want to spent the rest of my days with, I cannot hope for any better than just being with her. I will choose…”

The author wants the readers to pick for him who would be the most suitable wife for the character mentioned above and why she deserves to be his wife. Your decision will conclude this story. Whoever you may choose, the two of them will live happily ever after, leaving one broken hearted.

A Life After Death...

He stood by the coffin, looking at him with a dampened heart. Beside him was an angel, waiting for him to let go all his desires and to bring him to heaven to have his judgement. He finally decided that it was time to leave although his heart felt as if it was breaking into pieces to see his loved ones mourn over his death. He told the angel that he wanted to attend the funeral before he met his maker. The angel accepted his request and vanished into thin air.

His tomb was well decorated with flowers, the fragrance so alluring yet it brought tears to those around. Everyone was dressed in black, some kneeling, some standing but they all came with one purpose; to say their final goodbye to the man they used to call a friend, a husband, a father and a man whose death was inevitable. He looked at her, tried to place his hand on his wife’s shoulder but he could not feel her warmth. He tried to look at her in her eyes but it looked as if she could not see him. The angel approached him and said, "Pardon me, but it is time to leave, my child for He is waiting." He tailed the angel and left his burial site. "Hold my hand." The angel said. He grabbed her hand and soon he was lifted high above the azure sky. He closed his eyes as he was raised to His kingdom.

The angel uttered, "You may open your eyes now." He slowly opened his eyes and before him was faces he recognized, his father, mother, grandparents and others who were related to him. They were all deceased along time ago and here they are in a reunion. The Almighty sitting on his majestic, holy throne asked him to come forward. He then asked him, "Welcome to my eternal kingdom, my child. You have spent a valuable lifetime on earth with those you loved dearly so I have decided to invite you here and give you an eternal life to stay in my kingdom. Throughout your life, I have noticed your sincerity, your pure heart and your maturity and I am impressed with what you have done on earth. But I sense fear and sorrow in your heart right now, tell me child, why do you feel so?"

He muttered calmly, "My Lord, I have not done much in my life and I missed those I loved. I cannot imagine what their future will be like without me around." He answered, "My child, I shall let you visit your past and your generations’ future and may be you will find the key to unlock all your sadness. And if you passed my test, I shall let you have the freedom to choose whether you would like to be reincarnated or stay here and be part of our holy kingdom." He thanked Him and the angel brought him out of the throne room. "Past, Present, Future… you shall visit all of those realms and watch yourself and reflect if you have made the right decision. These realms are meant for your eyes only and cannot be altered. I shall be with you till you decide to meet His Grace one more time." The angel said to him.

He nodded and opened the door of the Past. As he entered the room, he could see a baby in the crib. Two adults seemed to be delighted and they played with the baby. "You were the jewel of your parents, their first born and your birth brought joy and bliss in their lives." Then he noticed, a boy walking across the room. He searched for a set of colour pencils and a blank paper then began drawing his family. "You loved your parents as much as they did to you." Later, the boy turned to be a teenager. The teenager looked outside his room window and noticed a pretty girl by the gate. He rushed to her and she gave him a letter. Both of them giggled and soon parted after exchanging smiles. "You were adorable and charismatic. Many fell for you yet you chose a simple girl, your neighbour, the girl whom you shared your childhood with." Grey clouds began to overshadow the teen’s house. The teen was crying, together with his mother and relatives by the bed. The doctor shook his head, gave a regretful sigh and left the room. The teen watched his father rested on the bed, there was no movement at all; he last saw him that odious day. "You were deeply grieved by your father’s passing and ever since you began cherishing life while you can because you have missed occasions where you could have at least give your father a comforting hug or just a warm chat." He visited his past event after event and each time the angel comforted him. Upon reaching the door end, the angel said, "You have a wonderful past, filled with innocence and purity. And these are major factors that created the man you will become in the Present. I am certain that your past have shown you what you did not see back then." He nodded and told her that he was more than satisfied to understand what he did or what those events were meant for. His regrets for the past gradually disappeared.

He then proceeded to the next door, the Present. He opened the door and saw his family in the living room. His wife had a sullen expression across her face, his three daughters stuck close to their mother trying to comfort one another. "They look sad, grieving upon your departure. In their moment of loss, there is nothing more important than to mourn." His eyes became teary but he could not feel the warm tear drop as it flowed down his cheek. He then took notice of his tomb. It was beautifully adorned with flowers and people whom he knew visited his tomb to give respect and bid farewell. "You will be remembered by those who knew you, even after your death." The Present had less to offer but at least it gave him a relief to know that his family was not traumatized and he found their bond to be closer somehow. The angel showed him the secrets that his wife and his daughters kept, mostly written in a diary.

"June 23rd, Dad came home late as we expected. Luckily, we waited for him and we saved his birthday cake. We had our first birthday celebration for Dad in a candlelit living room. It was rather romantic but I prefer the chocolate, black forest cake. Oh, happy 47th birthday, Dad…if you happen to see this. Love, Claire"
"May 3rd, Mom and Dad are having their wedding anniversary today. I wonder what they are going to give each other. From what I know, Dad always comes up with something new every year. Just last year, he bought her a mini piano. Mom has always loved playing piano. And guess what, she could play that mini piano with ‘a whole new world’ tune. Oh, I guess all of us are going to take a peek tonight in the living room, I bet it is going to be one of a kind. Love, Lisa."

"December 26th, Merry Christmas everyone; it is snowing cold. It is a great time to build snowman and have snow fight. I’m not going to lose again, Dad. You will not believe it, Dad, last night I had put a plate of cookies and a glass of warm milk by the table downstairs, near the telephone. And in the morning, they are all finished and I found candy sticks in the red sock I hung by the fireplace. Santa must have sneaked in last night. I’m going to catch him next year. Love, Beth."
"April 1st, to my wonderful husband, I have hidden your car key in the kitchen and I am glad you did not find it till this afternoon. You panicked that you will be late for work and desperately searching for your key high and low. Claire, Lisa, Beth and I were giggling away seeing you behave. Revenge is sweet. I hope you learnt your lesson and I will appreciate it if you do not hold any grudges on this matter. Love, Elena."
"To my handsome prince, I have been waiting for you to say ‘it’ for a long time. Now that you have admitted ‘it’, I think our relationship can start to blossom like the rose you gave me a few days ago. I was kind of nervous when I waited by your gate to give you my letter and worried that you would not come. But you did and that really make me feel so…you know, (blushing). Hope to hear from you soon. From your princess, Elena."

He smiled after looking at their writings; he did not know how much his family loved him. The angel said, "Love is a beautiful thing. And I am glad that you have such loving family and you must have felt the same towards them. But nothing last forever, even so, their memories of you will always have a room in their heart. Death is temporary loss, but all those memories will always live." He understood what she meant and continued to open the final door.

"Beyond this door is unpredictable." The angel said. After hesitating for a while, he entered the room, the Future door is opened. He saw emptiness at first but slowly, there was light, then there was life, water, air, plants, animals. He found a fountain by the garden. He walked towards the fountain and looked at the reflections on the water surface. Elena became a widow all her life, had adorable grandchildren and she still looked beautiful even at her old age. Claire married a rich man who loved her deeply. Lisa remained single, working as a vet and opened her own pet clinic. Beth is doing very well in school and received a scholarship to London to pursue law. Yet after decades of his death, his tomb was well maintained and flowers still were being placed. "Their future is bright and so will your next generations. They will walk the path you have taken and all of them will grow up to be just like you. There will always a part of you in all your future generation." He smiled but remained silent. The angel continued, "Let us go, there is nothing left that I can show you." Both of them head back to the throne room where His Majesty was waiting.

He asked him, "It was quite a trip, wasn’t it? My child, it is time you decide. Would you like to stay here and watch your family from afar or would you prefer to be reincarnated to be close with your family? Both ways, you win. You have impressed me from time to time when you are on earth and I want to test you once again and if you pass this test, I shall give you what you seek." He thought for a moment and made his decision…
"My lord, there is nothing I shall want. It was you who brought me to life and it was you who brought me here. The Past, Present and Future do not matter to me, I may have left those I cared for, but I have cherished every moment when I was alive. Now only my spirit remains and what I brought back together with this spirit worth much more than being reincarnated to be close to my family. And watching my family from afar would not gain both my family and I with anything. I would be glad to commit myself to you. There is nothing I shall want, My Lord." He answered.

"My child, you are special yet you are not arrogant, instead you are sincere and willing to let go of your desires. I no longer sense any fear and sorrow in you. You are true to yourself and I am impressed once again. Very well, my child, here is your final judgement. You will be sent back to earth as a guardian angel just like the one who brought you here. You will live an eternal life in my kingdom and shall never be reincarnated to feel pain, shame, guilt, lust, greed, anger, sloth and fear. You will be welcomed to the table of the Last Supper just like everyone here. Go now, spread the good news about my everlasting kingdom and lead the lost sheep back to the Promised Land, where life is everlasting."

There is peace in his heart, mind and soul. He received a life after death, an everlasting life for those who walk on the path of heaven. There is nothing he shall want…

Out Of The Picture...

He has finally crossed the finish line; exhausted, sweating and thirsty. It was his moment of joy; the feeling of triumph was just overwhelming. Never had he imagined that he would finally make it. He was later crowned a winner, a champion and a hero. But deep inside, he knew it was time to be out of the picture. It was time for new blood to rush down the race track and be the first to finish the race.

He first started as a junior, a second year student, when he joined the team. He was rather quiet and keeps to himself. He never takes the initiative to practice, always waiting for order from his seniors and coach. He felt that his team was in a broken state, uninspiring for many for they had never won any competition. And he became just like his seniors, skipping practices and never tried to do his best. A year was wasted on boring trainings.

By the end of the year, he was called out by his coach. He said, "You have just been promoted to the senior team. Well done." He was shocked. How could a sportsman like him managed to gain entry into the most prestigious team. Without any ideas on what to expect, he walked into the senior’s training session. All eyes are on him. He coldly looked at those brimming eyes and searched for a place to sit down. He remained silent throughout the session. By the end of it all, he has evaluated them; one by one he found a common trait and a strong desire to make things run. A revolution perhaps, but he refused to believe it and he waited till the time is ripe. Another year was wasted well, not as much as last year’s. There was much improvement in his attitude and the way he interact with his teammates.

Then, the juniors arrived. They were lively, outgoing and simply friendly. Being in charge of them, he thought that it was going to last, all their smiles will turn sour and their laughter will be long forgotten. The coach told him that he wanted his team to win this year and appointed him as the captain. He had no choice but to accept the job. He knew it was not going to be a smooth sailing journey till the end. There will be storms, lightings and the ocean’s rage. Nevertheless, he felt something was different as months passed.

His prediction did not come true. His juniors who he thought to be a burden had become the fuel that drove his motivation to move on. They practiced together from sprints to long distance running, rain or shine and what more surprising was that his juniors kept smiling and fatigue did not seem to bother them at all. They stuck by him, listening to his every command and instruction. And they put in extra effort when they trained. This made him worked even harder. He changed soon after. He became more committed, more blissful inside and more confident about what he was doing. After trainings when his juniors had left, he would do extra rounds. Before trainings, he would be one of those who came early. He grew to like his team which somehow changed him to be someone different in a positive light.

Months passed and the competition was finally here. The team was more than ready but there was always some doubts and setbacks along the way. The race soon started. He looked back on those trainings his team had, those smiles of joy, those grins and all the hard work. Two years was wasted and on this moment, he was determined not to let history repeat itself. He led them with confidence as they walked towards the race tracks. The crowds went wild, cheering, making all sort of noises he could not make out. The atmosphere at the stadium was tense. It was the first time he felt such feelings as if chills ran down his spine. When the gunshot was heard it was show time. And yes, he made it across the finish line.

It was a great success that the coach praised him for leading these rookies to have their first taste of victory. It was almost an unbelievable achievement of his life and he knew he owed it to his juniors who lifted his spirits high to soar. The victory was celebrated back at the campus where a mini farewell party was conducted. His juniors were behind it all, surprising him greatly. And a small farewell gift was presented to him. It was a farewell card. It almost brought tears to his eyes but he held back. He just did not want to cry in front of his juniors. It left a special meaning in his heart. He had never thrown his seniors a farewell party let alone gave a farewell gift. To him, this was unexpected and probably the most beautiful thing that had happened to him throughout his time in the school. He could not react that he had forgotten to thank them all. How he wished he had at least thanked them for caring, a significant event that showed that he would be missed but not forgotten…

This story is based on a real account. The author wants to share his past experience with his juniors and his point of view. Plot has been partly altered to protect privacy of those involved in the story.

I Want To Finish What I Started...

He was given the job out of the blue, not realizing what lies yonder to reach the summit of mount success. He was inexperienced on the job but he has no other option but to take on the challenge. He began making preparation for the big occasion himself. With help from his committee, he planned the event tirelessly and cautiously. And so he started his job with an open mind and a determined heart.

From time to time, he would call for meeting. As he had expected, some would just dozed off and pretend nothing has happened and other simply play dumb, not wanting any attachment regarding the project. He could only make use of those remaining members who sacrificed their time and effort to help him. Soon, he discovered each of their unique talents, one by one. He made use of their abilities to the fullest, assigning them to duties of their caliber.

Soon came the time when students are informed of the big event. Many signed up mainly due to the low fees to pay and interesting concept. The committee was delighted. The committee suggested many ideas to keep the excitement level soaring. As such, during this time, the committee began to gel; a form of bond is formed. It was not obvious but he was sure everyone could sense why the committee has been doing well and members contributing and sharing with the committee. He knew; the next generation of his committee will have a bright future in front of them.

This was followed by negotiations with sponsors and beneficiaries as well as suppliers whom we have chosen to provide us with the necessary equipment. He believed that by letting the juniors to do this job, they would gain some life skills of communicating with strangers and negotiating prices. Not only that there were some occasion where some members have a formal meeting with the beneficiaries. He was accompanied by several members mainly juniors to experience the atmosphere of a formal meeting with some directors and high ranking officers in charge. It was nerve-wrecking yet managed to leave a good impression in their heart.

There were some occasion he would do the dirty job such as buying the equipment directly from the factory which was located at the far end of the island, members to count necessary equipments and collecting fees from the students. Hardly a type of job people would be willing to perform, knowing the degree of difficulty. But he knew someone had to do it, for if it was overlooked, things might just go wrong and the project might be in the danger of failing to live up to its standard.

Months passed quickly than expected. The big day was bound to arrive in just a week’s time. He was feeling rather worried although everything seemed to be running in order. What could have gone wrong? Time and again, he would review his plans, making corrections and adding updates that may alter the whole event. Nevertheless, he was determined to solve every problem that came in his way. He was willing to sacrifice his entire holiday just to make sure things are going in the right direction. Not only that, he even apologized to one of the sponsors for being careless on the task he has given.

Then the tide turns. He learned that his grandfather went ill and has gone into a coma. He was just on the brink of completing the project in one week’s time and this shocking event turned his orderly world upside down. He wanted to visit his grandfather in his homeland but at the same time, he did not want things to go wrong especially during the last, crucial week before the event. He was in dilemma. He wanted to stay to oversee the project, yet he felt he needed to be by his grandfather’s side during his critical time. He could only hope that he came back in time after visiting his grandfather to be once again in a position to be the overall in charge of the event. He told himself, “I want to finish what I started.” after consulting to his teacher in charge.

He could not tell the future if the event was going to be success but he was certain that he would do whatever it takes to make sure that the preparation run smoothly and the event went well. As for the result which was yet to come, he could only rest his fate on the students. The students played major roles that determine the success of the event. They needed to earn at least $8500 on that big day. Only the future can tell…

This is a real story based on the author’s life being in charge of a committee, assigned to oversee the event. This story is written specially to his committee members who have contributed to the progress of the event to come on 3rd of July 2005. The author hoped for one thing from all the school population and his committee, to lend him all your support, mind and heart for the success of this event. He could only promise that he would do his part and he wanted his committee members and school population to do their part. There is only one aim the author wanted to achieve “To finish what he started” since it was his last year being part of the school, the leadership group and being a mere human who has a dream to be realized…There is only one question left to ask, “Will you lend him your strength once again to reach the final lap?”

We Will Meet Again...

They met by the river. The boy was out to accompany his grandfather fishing. The girl accompanied her mother picking herbs and happened to take a rest by the crystal clear stream. He was on one side of the bank, she was one the other, separated by the wide, flowing waters running down from a nearby mountains, eroding wilderness to reach the ocean. They could not do much but to look at each other in distance. Much as the want to get to know each other, they walked away knowing such thing would never happen now. He went back to his doting grandfather, helping him to look for live bait. She continued her journey with her mother through the woods. They never met again.

Decades passed, he was now a young, charismatic teenager while she became a kind and almost angelic teenager. They met again, this time in the city’s underground train station. They were waiting for their trains on the same platform, not knowing they were sitting back to back. It was when a toddler crawled towards them; they turned their attention to him almost simultaneously. It was then, those childhood visions and memory rekindled. They somehow just felt that this was not the first time they have met. Just as he wanted to ask whether they have met before, their trains arrived. Both stood up and walked towards the oncoming train. He was heading to the East; she was going to the West. They never looked back and once again they were separated.

Years flew by; they met again, this time at the airport. He was walking towards his plane when he accidentally brushed on a young lady walking in the opposite direction. Piles of paper was scattered all over the cold, sparkling floor. He rushed to apologize and helped to clear the mess. She knelt and began picking her paperwork. As he returned the papers to her, he saw a rather familiar face. She too noticed him with a familiar aura. She thanked him soon after. He then apologized again for causing the mess. She tried to ask for his name when an announcement was heard across the meeting area, “Attention to all passengers leaving for London. Gate E2 will be closed in 5 minutes time.” Upon hearing the abrupt announcement, he left the scene hastily.

As he dashed to his plane, he knew it was the same feeling when he met her on his last 2 encounters. He asked himself if it was the same person. To her, when she set her eyes on him, it felt as if it had happened before. She asked herself if she has meeting the same person time and again. But, both soon felt it was just a coincidence and certainly, they would not meet each other ever again. But things turned out differently.

Another year passed. He returned to the river where he once spent time with his grandfather. She also returned to the same river, trying to recall her past childhood she spent with her mother. They met again. He was standing on the one bank, she was on the other. Both looked at each other with a strange feeling. He turned his head towards the nearby waterfall and so did she. They noticed something has changed. There was a newly built bridge across the river. They walked towards it and finally stood on the bridge. They began posing their questions such as, “Have I seen you before?” and “Weren’t you the girl I met on the train stations decades ago?”

They curiously asked each other and revealed each other’s identity till dusk arrived. They were still standing on the wooden decorated bridge, talking happily with smiles carved on their faces. Perhaps it was fate that separated and brought them together all these while.

As they looked upon the moon, they wondered why did fate did not bring them together earlier. All of a sudden, a white horse appeared and took a sip from the river. They looked at it with a surprise. There was never a white horse in the woods. It was just a nature reserve and a horse could not have sneaked in. The horse neighed soon after and vanished. It was as if it had gone with the wind. They thought that white horse might just be their guardian angel.

Their fate is like a road. Sometimes it splits into two but it will always meet again at the next junction.

I Want To Be Your Canary...

She sat by the balcony of her room and played her tune. It was her violin and her voice that started to fill the atmosphere with beautiful melodies that even doves came to listen. She recalled her past every time she played her violin when she was a young princess hoping to see the world instead of being trapped in the clutches of her royal servants and dominant mother. The opportunity came when a troupe of actors performed a play for the royal family. She sneaked out of the castle with a pure, white hood and somehow managed to escape into the actors’ vessel unnoticed.

She hid herself in the actors’ room when she bumped into him. Blonde-haired and full of charm, he asked what she was doing in his ship. She tried to run but he pulled her back. Later, she lowered her hood, revealing her beautiful face unmatched like no other princess in the whole country. She introduced herself being the heir to the Alexandria’s throne, a princess on the run to see the world outside her prosperous kingdom. She pleaded him to hide her and let her travel until the ship arrived at its destination. He was rather surprised to see her but he willingly accepted her request. He knelt and said, “I hereby would willingly abduct the princess of Alexandria and swore to protect her majesty till we arrive at her majesty’s preferred destination.”

It was not a pleasant journey from Alexandria. The ship endured the frequent ocean’s rage and had to stop at neighbouring harbour to stock up supplies and repair the damages. He accompanied her wherever she went fulfilling his duty. There was once she tried to communicate with the locals however, her language usage was too complex after all she was used to speaking the nobles’. He then offered to teach her to use the locals’ with warmth and patience. She gladly accepted his offer and with few practices she managed to have a smooth conversation with the townsmen. Her quest to see the world has just begun by communicating with those around with the common language they used and she knew she only has one person to thank to.

Soon, her friendliness attracted the thugs who wanted to take advantage of her. But he was there to stop the harm to resume and rescued the damsel in distress. They spent time together eating, talking and discussing about their dreams and ambitions. Soon, as expected, he grew fond of her nature. There was once he told her about his past adventures, the pain he endured and how he overcame them. There was something that kept her hooked on his words and stories. She wondered how such a robust and ocean’s-best-friend man could talk about himself full of truth and sincerity of sharing his doubts on his life and his chained legs to his awful past. Unassuming and being true to oneself, it just was not his usual self when he was around with his fellow actors and friends. Perhaps, it was another side of him he often kept to himself.

All these while, he regarded her not being a princess on the run but as someone he could talk to. He did not care less about portraying himself being in the lower class in front of her. This was all she ever wanted besides seeing the world, and he had given her the most valuable treasure, seeing her as a human, not a high class royalty. Well, her trip came to an abrupt end when she learned about her mother’s passing. And, now her people needed her back to take the throne despite her being just a teenage princess, unprepared to be crowned as queen. She was forced to return to Alexandria and with a heavy heart, she left the troupe alone to find a way back. He found her escaping in the middle of the night, asking her to stay. However, she was obliged to fulfill her duty as heir although she did not want it. Once again, he knelt and told her, “I’m sorry that that I cannot protect you anymore, princess. It is here that I end my journey, your highness.”

He could only watch her leave as going back to Alexandria would be probably his death wish after abducting the princess. She cried as she went away, wishing she had more time to spend with him. She went to the nearest Alexandria’s outer post so that the royal guards would be able to recognize her and brought her back to her homeland. Back on the vessel, his crew told him that letting her go just like that was a mistake. They knew he had feelings for her but letting her leave without confiding his feelings was absolutely a blunder. He told them, she was going to be a queen; soon she might never need him to protect her. The Alexandrians would certainly fight till their last for the queen’s life. Feeling all gloomy, he returned to his room to reflect.

Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months. He missed her so much that every minute he would sigh. By then, she was entitled as queen, doing what every queen does, to rule the country. Time and again, her memories with him came alive in her dreams. It just reflected how she was drowned in despair. Doing what needs to be done was never in her agenda yet she did her best for the sake of her people. It was sacrificial of her to put her people before herself and her dreams. She knew her late mother had done the same thing and it was her turn to carry on the burden of ruling Alexandria alone.

A few weeks later, Alexandria invited the Tantalus to perform an act called, “I want to be your canary”, Alexandria’s favourite play. It told about a lowly peasant and a princess falling in love only to be chained by the hierarchy. The main actor in black hood appeared as the queen silently watched the performance, paying little attention to what was going on. He said, “Long nights I have waited for this day to arrive, where art thou my beloved canary? Have you forgotten the melody we embraced together?” He continued asking where his beloved had disappeared to for they had promised to meet on that very day, to escape from the castle, to join him on an adventure of a lifetime. Finally, he said, “Is it because of this tattered hood and this hideous cloak that thou cannot recognize? If so, I shall present myself before thee. Where art thou my canary?” He lifted his cloak and hood and stood at the centre of the stage was someone she began to familiarize. With haste, she jerked up her throne and rushed down the spiral staircase and headed for the stage. Upon nearing the stage, her royal pendant passed on to generation after generation slipped out and fell to the ground. She looked back at her fallen precious memento of Alexandria’s treasure. She decided to let it go and dashed to the stage where the man she had been waiting for stood with a smile carved fondly on his face. The pendant was no longer seen as the crowd started to engulf its visibility from the corner of her sparkling eyes. A passionate hug ended the final conclusion of the act. And it would not have been complete without the long-awaited canary to return to where it wanted to be in the first place, right into his arms.