NO PAIN NO GAIN

Ah Mee often wished that she could have some fun like other
girls. Some of her friends, she knew, were always going to see the
latest films, eating meals in most expensive restaurants and always
wearing smart clothes. Ah Lan, for example, had at least three
party dresses and many cheongsams. "My life is all work," Ah Mee
said to herself one day.

It was indeed all work, because Ah Mee's mother was dead

and so, as well as working hard all day in a departmental store in
the large town in which she lived, Ah Mee had to look after her
father. She cooked all his meals and kept the house spotlessly
clean. But she did not want to spend all her life doing this and so
at night, when everything else was done, she was teaching herself
to type and to do shorthand. She went to classes for this in the
evenings sometimes and on her day off as well. One day, I will get
a really good job as a secretary to an important man, she used to
think. Then I will have much more money and I will be able to send
some home to my father, so that he can pay someone else to do
his housework for him.

So the weeks and the months passed, each one of them

seeing Ah Mee working harder than before. Work at the
departmental store was tiring. She was very often on her feet all
day from morning until night and sometimes, the customers were
difficult, unpleasant and hard to please. Ah Mee worked at the
meat counter and sometimes, the buyers were never satisfied.
One piece of meat would be too fat, another too lean and people
grumbled so much, if they could not have exactly the right join of
pork. Ah Mee did not like this job at all and if she had to work in a
store, she would have preferred a chemist's or a smart ladies'
gown shop. However, like many working girls, she needed the
money and so she had to persevere.
 Work at home, too, was hard. Although, she had only herself
and her father to look after, the house, still got dirty and needed
to be cleaned. The rich spiced pork dish that her father liked so
much, took just as much trouble for two, as they would have done
for four or for six people.

"It will all pass, if I work hard enough", she thought as she
walked with her shorthand book to the Commercial School, where
she learnt shorthand and typing. The room was busy as she
entered it. Other girls and boys were already seated behind the
typewriters which were all new, since the school had only just
opened. The pupils were putting long pieces of white papers into
the machines and setting the spaces and margins. Soon the tap,
tap, tap, of the keys could be heard as the class began its evening's
work. Ah Mee became absorbed in hers. She was very tired, but
she tried her best to concentrate, looking all the time a the copy
lying beside her typewriter.

"You have a good touch", said a voice. "I have great hopes for you in
th eDiploma examination next week". She looked up to find the Principal of
the School standing by her desk. This was indeed as honor. "Your shorthand
speeds are good too", went on the Principal. "Try hard in your examination
and then I will help you to find a job. Remember to practice your shorthand
at home. If you have no one to dictate to you, the voices on the radio can be
used instead." He walked to the next desk leaving Ah Mee to her work and
wondering just what time she could find to fit in any more practice.

The Principal was right of course, as they usually are and Ah Mee
obtained her Diploma with very good marks. Now, she is the private
Secretary to the Principal himself and has a pleasant job with a good salary.
She helps her father to pay for a woman to look after them, and although
she is still very industrious, she now has time for pleasure and recreation.
She worked hard to achieve the congenial life she leads now, because at an
early age, she was wise enough to realize that without pain there can never
be any gain.

739 WORDS
WRITE A STORY ENDING WITH 'I WAS GLAD THE DAY HAD COME TO AN END.'

The landslide occurred at 6 a.m. just as we were getting ready for school.
We heard a loud rumbling sound coming from the direction of the hill slopes.
Although we rushed to the balcony of our apartment on the tenth floor, we
could not see anything. The whole area was enveloped in bleak darkness. I knew
that the heavy rain during the past week must have taken its toll on the hill
slopes. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and went about having my
breakfast.
By the time we got ready for school, Dad called out to us. We rushed to the
balcony where Dad was standing. The sun was already up and in the dazzling
brightness, we could see boulders the size of bulldozers resting at the foot of
the slopes. A neighbor informed us that a major landslide had occurred. We
rushed to the basement. We saw that rescue workers were already there and
were removing buried vehicles from the rubble. The landslide had also cut off
the only road to town.

Office workers and school children were left stranded. We were not
allowed to go anywhere near the area where the rescue work was in progress.
We could not do anything but stand and watch helplessly. There was also a
power failure which meant that we had to suffer the heat and on top of it, could
not watch television.

During the initial stages, we were told that the residents from the two
apartment blocks may have to be evacuated. This caused residents a great deal
of anxiety. Later, when the police, firemen and various authorities met, they
decided against the evacuation. Everyone was relieved.

We spent the whole day just watching the rescue workers at work. We prayed silently
that the whole episode would soon be over. We were told to go back to our apartments and
remain there until further notice. Later that night, we were told that the access road had been
cleared and that there were no casualties or massive damage to property. We all heaved sighs
of relief when we heard this. Mum led us in saying a thanksgiving prayer. We had a lot to be
thankful for. As I got ready to go to bed that night, I recollected the events that occurred that
day. I was glad the day had come to an end.
WRITE A STORY BEGINNING WITH: 'I COULD HEAR FOOTSTEPS FOLLOWING ME...'

I could hear footsteps following me. I stopped and turned to see who it was. The
dim street lamp did not allow me to see far and it looked like I was alone. I could not hear
anything other than my heart thudding away. Was it my imagination?
I was returning home after a late music lesson. My parents were attending a
neighborhood watch meeting so I had to get home on my own. The distance from my
music teacher's house to my home was just
500 meters. The street was darker than I had expected but I was not very worried about
the short walk home. I was busy thinking about my upcoming music exam when I became
aware that I was being followed.

I continued on my way, alert for any sound. There it was again, the sound of
someone walking behind me. Fear gripped me and I hurried on. My house was just
around the corner. I decided to run. To my horror, whoever was following me began to
run too. I glanced behind me and saw a dark figure catching up with me. The next instant,
I ran into a dustbin by the road and fell flat on my front. I felt a hand grip my arm and I
screamed in panic. The hand released my arm and I pushed myself off the ground, getting
ready to run again. I found myself looking at a startled young lady dressed in a dark
tracksuit.

Next moment, there was a rush of footsteps and someone calling my name. To
my astonishment, my parents appeared together with a few people I recognized as our
neighbors.

The young lady who looked anxious at first now seemed as relieved as me. We
were all shepherded to our house which was just two doors away. As my mother put
ointment on the bruises on my arms and legs, I was asked to explain why I ran away from
Jagdeesh, the young lady. After listening to me, Jagdeesh laughed. She told us that she
was new to the neighborhood. She had gone jogging that evening. On the way home, she
was walking behind me when she heard footsteps followingher and she decided to run
when she saw me run. It turned out that what she had heard was the neighborhood
watch group patrolling the street. When I fell, she went to help me up, which
unfortunately led to my screaming out in fear.

The night ended with us having supper together. Indeed, it was a strange
introduction to the neighborhood for Jagdeesh. However, after that, we became firm
friends.
WRITE A STORY BEGINNING WITH : 'THE WHOLE CLASS BURST OUT LAUGHING ...'

The whole class burst out laughing as Mohi rushed into the classroom. He was a
strange sight. His half-buttoned white shirt revealed a red striped pyjama top
underneath, and instead of white school shoes, he had on a pair of bright green sandals
that were two sizes too big. The physics teacher's hand froze in the middle of writing a
formula on the blackboard.
Mohi mumbled, Sorry, teacher,' and scuttled to his seat. Mr Tan glared at the rest of the
students. The chuckles quickly subsided. Mohi's classmates always looked forward to
Mondays. Nine times out of ten, they would be entertained by Mohi's late arrival and his
odd appearance which usually included inappropriate clothing. That day, it was the
pyjama top and the green sandals.

Mohi lived just a street away from the school. He walked to school daily. Students
passing by in buses would yell his name in unison just to see him jump and stop in his
tracks. When he spotted the merry bunch in the bus, he would wave good-naturedly.
Although Mohi was likeable, he was too lost in his own thoughts to make friends. His
classmates found him amusing but they ignored him most of the time. Only Hamed, who
sat next to Mohi, tried to be his friend.

The following Monday, Mohi did not turn up at school. His classmates were a little
disappointed but quickly forgot about him. After school, Hamed decided to walk over to
Mohi's house to check on him. As he approached the gate, he could hear violin music.
Mohi must be listening to music, he thought. The gate was not locked. Hamed let himself
in. He called Mohi's name a few times but there was no response. The music played on.
Hamed peered in through a window. His eyes widened in surprise. In the middle of the
living room, Mohi was playing the violin. His eyes were closed in concentration as he
drew the bow over the strings expertly. He played flawlessly, so much so that it sounded
like a recording. Hamed left quietly.

When Teacher's Day came around, Hamed had a plan. It was the tradition of the
school to have a concert for the teachers. Every class had to contribute an item. Hamed
convinced the class to let Mohi perform. Short of ideas, the class agreed. On the day of
the concert, both the teachers and students were surprised to see the school's clumsiest
student walking on stage with a violin. When he started to play, the audience fell silent.
Jaws dropped. As the last note ended, there was a moment of silence. Then the audience
erupted into thunderous applause. Mohi became a sensation and had many fans in his
final year of school.
 Today, Mohi and Hamed are the best of friends. Mohi is on a scholarship pursuing
music in Austria. Some days, he still arrives to class wearing an inside-out shirt or a pair
of mismatched shoes.
WRITE A STORY ENDING WITH : '... WE SHOOK HANDS AND BECAME FRIENDS.'

The house next door had been empty for more than a year. Then one day,
workmen arrived and started to clean and paint the place. My siblings and I were curious
about who would be moving in.

We did not have long to wait. A week after the house was spruced up, a lorry
arrived. We watched with interest as the movers carried the furniture into the house.
The furniture looked expensive. Our new

neighbours must be wealthy people. However, it never occurred to us four

children that rich people may not be interested in befriending us. Our house badly
needed a new coat of paint. We were clean and tidy - most of the time - but our clothes
were clearly old and worn. Father drove an old car that we could hear coming down the
road long before it was in sight. We were simple, ordinary people.

When the new occupants arrived in a big and shiny car, we jostled one another
to get a good look at them from our bedroom window. Mother had forbidden us from
hanging around our gate. She said our
new neighbours needed privacy, whatever that was. A beautifully dressed lady
got out of the car. To our delight, we saw a boy and a girl about our age following her
into the house. They did not look excited to move into their new home though. That did
not deter us from wanting to get to know them.

The next evening, we were playing hide-and-seek in the garden when we spotted
the boy and the girl watching us. My siblings and I went to the fence that separated our
gardens. My eldest brother Kian called to the pair. They looked at us unsmilingly. Their
mother appeared next, took one look at us and shooed the two into the house. We were
disappointed to have such snooty neighbours. We decided to leave them alone after that.

It was two weeks later that we heard screams coming from next door late one
night. Father picked up a stick and ran over to the house. Man followed suit. They found
the boy and the girl weeping beside their mother who was lying at the bottom of the
staircase where she had fallen. She was unconscious. Father called for an ambulance
which arrived within minutes and took the patient to the hospital. Father brought the
children back to our house. Mother fed them some hot soup to calm their nerves. The
children, whose names were Vin and Nora, told us that they had just returned from
Indonesia. Their father was still there. Father helped them to contact their father who
assured them he would catch a plane and join them as soon as possible.
 Vin and Nora stayed the night with us. My sister and I had to give up our room to
them but we did not mind. Before they went to bed, we shook hands and became friends.

Samuel was optimistic about getting the job. The managing director who
interviewed him sounded encouraging when he told Samuel that he would be contacted
in the next few days.

The following Saturday, Samuel and his friends went out to celebrate. Samuel had
indeed got the job, his very first after graduating with honors in Economics from the
national university. His other friends had also obtained jobs. They could not contain their
joy and elation.

Samuel's father lent him his car for the evening. After dinner, the happy group of
five young men adjourned to a club to talk, listen to music and drink. They felt proud that
they were now of legal age to drink. Although Samuel was the designated driver that
night, he did not refuse alcoholic drinks. It was past midnight when they decided to leave
the club and go home.

Walking unsteadily to the car, Samuel and his friends sang, slapped one another
on the shoulders and talked a lot of nonsense, their speech slurred. Samuel sped down
the road, not thinking or seeing clearly. When he saw the motorcyclist in front of him, it
was too late. His car hit the motorcyclist with such great impact that the poor man flew
several meters into the air and landed head-first on the street. The motorcyclist died on
the spot.

When Samuel recovered from his minor injuries the next morning and found out
what had happened, he wished that he were dead. One of his friends had serious injuries
while the others had escaped unscathed.

All of them had to appear in court for encouraging drunk driving. Samuel was
sentenced severely for manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. But it
was too late for regrets.