A Lost Friendship

The heavy rain poured down mercilessly on the city of New York. I was late for school. Dragging my heavy school bag behind me, I grabbed my mackintosh and rushed out of my house. I hurried to the taxi-stand and waited impatiently for the cab. Luckily, a taxi appeared in the twinkling of an eye, and I flagged it down immediately. Lady Luck was definitely on my side!
Just as I were about to board it, I heard my name being called. It was not very faint, but somehow, I just couldn’t make out who was calling me in the heavy downpour.

As I glanced at my watch from the corner of my eye, I was already fifteen minutes late for school! I would have to face the music! I scrambled into the cab. However, I could hear the distinct voice calling me over and over again. This time, I turned my head hesitantly, and caught sight of a misty figure. The mysterious figure was waving his arms frantically at me and trying to catch my attention. “Who could it be?” I wondered.

At that moment, the taxi was about to leave the taxi-stand. I stopped the driver, who was beginning to get frustrated. I was afraid he might blow his top, so I muttered a series of apologies and got out of the taxi, afraid that I might take up his precious time. The driver drove off in a flurry, with the taxi splashing muddy water from the road at me.

At this juncture, I heard my name being called out again. This time, I could hear it almost quite clearly. I looked up and saw the figure getting closer and closer. Wild thoughts raced through my terrified mind. Could it be a ghost? I wasn’t sure.

Almost immediately, I could make out a smiling face of the figure. All of a sudden, I stammered,”Don’t… tell…me!” Although I could not recognize his voice, I could recognize his face anywhere I go. Before I knew it, the figure was standing right before me. I cried, “I thought you really had left me!” Without second thoughts, I flung my arms around him. That ‘him’, was my ex-best friend many years ago.

Darren was one of the most loyal friends I’ve ever had. However, a quarrel brought a full stop to our friendship. We had quarreled over a rare coin we had found. I had lost it, and Darren, who had thought that the coin might have been paid to the bus conductor by mistake, was seeing red. He wanted me to retrieve it back, which I had stubbornly refused to do.

Not long after, Darren moved away with his family out of hatred and anger, and then, not only did we lose a most treasured friendship, but also contact.

And then at that moment, there was Darren right in front of my eyes! He was the misty figure I had seen! The fog had made everything look misty, and to think I thought he was a ghost!
“Darren… I… was…” I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth. Darren gave a little sign, and said,” I know. We were both wrong in one way or another. We had been silly!” He gave a laugh, and I laughed too. I was relieved that he was not furious with me anymore.

Given the opportunity that he was there, I asked for his contact number, which he gladly gave me. After all, opportunity only knocks once at our door. I should answer it, shouldn’t I? I then waved goodbye and hurried off to school.

Although I was late, and was reprimanded severely by the head-mistress, I was still in the cheerful mood to joke and talk. I had not only found a lost friendship, I had also found a treasure in Darren. I knew he would be the generous soul he always was, and a forgiving one too.

Darren was a bit harsh on me because of that incident, by moving away and all that, but he had forgiven me. Have you ever heard of these words of wisdom? A best friend runs the race with you regardless whether you’re winning or losing. Darren is not angry with me anymore, and we’re in contact now. Forever.

It’s a Drunkard

“Oh! That’s the one! That’s the one! I’ve been looking for it for ages, and here it is! It’s exactly the same one I had seen in that fashion magazine!” I exclaimed, hugging a pretty dress, complete with pink trimmings.

“Oh, really?” my mother snatched the dress from me and search for the price tag.” Look dear, this dress is very costly, so…”

“So, you can’t buy it for me!” I grunted. As I stomped off. I wondered why Mother was so ‘stingy’ these few days. However, Mother and Father had still brought me to this newly open department store, so I knew they still cared for me.

As I slipped my tiny hand in to my father’s, there was a loud piercing scream. Before I could even turn my head, there was a loud crash as I stared wide-eyed at people running in different directions.

“Father! Mother! What’s happening?” I whispered, as the usual easy tears came into my eyes. My parent started to comfort me.

Father glanced around the chaotic department store, “It’s a drunkard. ‘ He said.

“A drunkard? What’s a drunkard?” I asked, as my innocent-looking eyes darted from the left, to the right, and to the left again.

Just as Father was about to explain to me what a drunkard is, Mother stopped him. “Do not pour any poisonous stuff into young Felicity’s ears!”

CRASH! This time, it was so loud that I had to cover my ears and close my eyes. Father hurried Mother and me out of the department store. Nearing the exit, I caught sight of a man swaying to and fro, as though he was doing some sort of a silly dance. No wonder so many people were running, I told myself. They wanted to avoid this silly- and dangerous- man.

All of a sudden, everything happened quickly. It was as though I was watching Jackie Chan’s latest movie. A security guard pounced onto the man, and they began to wrestle. Woman screamed and covered their eyes.

Sirens could be heard in the distance. Policemen, as fit as could be, ran up the escalator and made their way to the store.

The police stopped the man, pressed him onto the ground, and handcuffed him. People cheered and clapped wildly.

After an announcement, everything returned to normal. I watched the police car drive away till it was out of my sight. Poor guy, I thought sadly, buy he’s still dangerous.

Hand in hand with my parents, we made our way back to the department store. I found the dress again and pleaded with my parents to buy it from me.

“Please?” I pleaded.

“No way! It’s way too expensive!” insisted Mother, her two beady eyes glaring at me.

“Fine then!” I said, knowing that it was of no use to continue pleading.

When I got back home, I wrote about the drunkard in my bedroom, feeling very pleased with myself. However, I will never forget this incident- my first encounter with a drunkard.