Forms 4 - 6 : Continuous Writing

Week 7

An Incident I Would Like To Forget

          There are many unforgettable incidents in our lives. Some that make us smile and others that will leave a scar in our lives. This is one incident that I will never forget for it changed my life forever.

          It was a Saturday morning, like any other weekend and I was on the way to school for extra classes. I had to take the city bus to school. As I walked down the street from my house, I noticed that the road was very crowded. Buses, cars, taxis, motorcycles and pedestrians created a hustle and bustle that would easily unnerve anyone. I kept my cool as I walked down the pedestrian path towards the bus stop. My thoughts were however far away, as I was preoccupied with the mid-term examination that was just around the corner. Suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, a motorcyclist who whizzed passed me, tugged at my bag, which was dangling from my shoulder. I felt a harsh pull.

          I spun around and reeled from the force of the moving vehicle. Within a split second I was sprawled on the pavement. I felt numb and everything around me became blur. I heard people shouting, but I was in a  daze, too shocked to utter a word. I do not remember anything after that. When I regained consciousness, I was in hospital and my legs and arms were bandaged. Yet I felt no sensation or pain. I was just too weak to even move.

          "What happened?" I kept asking myself. "How could this have happened to me?" I thought. My parents, my sister and my brother were there and their grim faces told me that things were not right.The doctor finally broke the devastating news to me. I was now paralysed and would not be able to walk again. I was aghast and did not know what to say. There was a lump in my throat. The tears that rolled down my eyes slowly wet my pillow.

          I am now stronger but must learn to be more confident of myself. I have learnt to pray and hope that I will be able to move around in my wheelchair. This is one incident that has changed my life and I will never be able to forget it.

Vocabulary

hustle and bustle             -    noisy activity
unnerve                                 -    make a person feel uneasy
preoccupied                        -    thinking of something
around the corner          -    close, nearby
a bolt from the blue        -   something unexpected
spun                                         -   turned around
reeled                                       -   moved in an unsteady fashion
harsh                                        -   severe, strong
sprawled                                -   lay down with the arms and legs spread out in different
                                                          directions
numb                                        -  no feeling
regained consciousness   -  woke up and is able to see, hear and think
sensation                              -  feeling
grim                                          -  serious