The sky was ink black, empty of stars and moon. Unable to get to sleep, I slogged my way to the living room in the late darkness of the night. As I look out of the window just beside me, I found myself witnessing a car accident. A car moving with an enormous velocity was seen crashing into a tree at the roadside. In a moment of sheer heroics, people near-by went rushing to the scene. The seriousness of the victim's injury was still largely a mystery. Family members of the victim lumbered into view moments later. They were crying in anguish, bursting into tears all at once.
Taken aback by what had just happened, one of them called the ambulance. The ambulance came in the nick of time and the victim was carried away by the medics.
That night, there was no place in my heart for rational thinking. The thought of the accident drove every other consideration from my mind. I was lost in a sea of confusing emotions, the debilitating infusion of fear and doubt controlled my mind. That accident reminded me at once how vulnerable life can be. For 17 years of my life, I had experienced joy, sorrow, setbacks and also rejection. In spite of all that has happened, I still remember very distinctly a teacher whom has changed my life tremendously. She is Mdm Fazidah. She was my form teacher when I was in Secondary One. For as long as I live, I will never forget the words she spoke to the class on the first day of school. "The greatest mistake in life is to repeat the mistake you had committed.", she said. I was once a person who did not have a vision in life, all I did were to go home and play computer games everyday. As a result, I did badly for PSLE, scoring an aggregate score of 194. Upon hearing her words, I started to reflect on my life, recalling what kind of person I was in the past. I began having a vision in life: that is to top the class academically. That was the turning point of my life.
Indeed, all work and no play make Jack a dull boy. I topped my class for two semesters, securing 8th position in the whole level. That year, I received a scholarship worth $500. Time flies, and soon the academic year ended and I was promoted to Secondary Two Express first class (201). It was a dream come true for me. Having my life totally transformed, I could hardly describe the gratitude I had for Mdm Fazidah. She was always there for me when I needed help, giving me advice on handling the setbacks I faced.
It has been nearly a year since I graduated from Changkat Changi Secondary School in 31st December 2005. The four years I spent there had been a meaningful and enjoyable one. Last but not least, I would like to say to Mdm Fazidah, "Thank you for being such an awesome teacher. You're the best teacher whom I have ever met. Thanks a million!"
John
7/9/06
