* SECTION A : CREATIVE WRITING Crotenging Essays for C7’ Level 32. A telephone call changed your life. —_—_—_—_—$—$<—_—_—<—_—_——__— that Title: Money need not change everything ; “Hello” | answered drowsily. “Hello ..... tam calling from .....” started the caller on the line. By the time the conversation had ended, | had become half a million- ire! | sat down in a daze. My brother who was having his breakfast of coffee and bread with cheese, looked at me casually. He did not ask me anything though. Inside of me, my heart pounded. My mind was in a state of confusion. | could not think clearly. Should | tell him? Should | tell anyone for that matter? | am rich! Rich! Rich! Rich! After a while, | decided not to tell anyone yet. It would be a test, | thought, on how sincere my friends and family have been to me all this while. I joined my brother at breakfast and ate silently, listening to the golden oldies on the radio. The money safe in my bank, | slowly began to change. | did not notice it myself though. | became self- conscious. | became paranoid, Everyone was up to some- thing. Everyone wanted something. That was how | began to look at other human beings around me. | even became suspicious of people | did not know or who did not know me. Every morning | checked to see that my savings account balance was right to the last zero before | caught the bus to school. In the bus, | thought of all the things ! could do with the money, | did not even have to take the bus. | could afford a chauffeur-driven limousine. | thought about my family, My mother, still unaware of her oldest son's good fortune, was still doing night duty at the factory in Ang Mo Kio. My father had passed away many years ago. How could | be so heartless, | thought to myself. What was | afraid of es 82 Zroinstam Itis @ subtle approach that we see here, The essay has been dea with much on a psy. chological level, The change is psycholag. cal at first and this ig what the essay has fo. ‘cussed on. That is fine 0 long as change ig shown to happen. One may also go for obyi. ‘us changes at the first and aclimatic or other. wise ending, This topic is open to your imagi- nation, Just ensure that you describe the change. (1) Narrative Essays (stories) Scanned with CamScanner aNCrotenging Essays ror” Love At school, | became less friendly. Friends and foe alike began to notice the difference in me. “Why so hostile, Meng?” asked one of my favourite friends one day. | did not answer him. My mind was too full of thoughts. My studies deteriorated, | just managed to pass the preliminary examinations. | was shocked when | received my results. Was | really testing friends and family? Why did | have to do that? Then one day | sat alone upon a bench at a park near my house, | realised that | had let the money control me. | had become a slave to it. | had let it happen to me on my own. | felt so ashamed of myself. My mother, who was past fifty, was still slogging to feed my brother and me. It was the money. | was afraid it would change my life for the worse. Yes, that was it. | had been subconsciously thinking that the life and the person that | had grown to love so much would change and that was why | had been keeping it a secret. | had been foolish to think such a thing. Yes, the money would change me life; but then | know that | only wish it to change for the better. No longer would | have to see mother’s tired face walking into the dingy one-roomed apartment every morning. Things were going to change around me, my life would change too, but the person that | was in the past, would always be with me. If | allowed that to change, no amount of money in the world would be able to make me feel happy with myself. (588 words) SECTION A : CREATIVE WRITING 83 assay Z, analysis The essay deals with man's attitude towards money. The telephone call had triggered the character's confusion caused by the sudden existence of a lot of money. At first the change is subtle. Psy- chological tothe extent of philosophical, bt the change was there. In the end, the character decides to manage this change so that he has control, and not the money, The essay is filed with soul search- ing. At one point or an- ‘other, something can trigger off soul search- ing in a man and in this case the call did it, (1) Narrative Essays (Stories) Scanned with CamScanner eeoreesneee