Fighting Cancer

by Shannen Doherthy Agang (5 Bestari)

Everyone says life is easy, but it’s not for Diana. She was my best friend. She was a
charming girl who was shining warmly on the earth. She seemed to bring happiness whenever
she went. We were always hanging out together. I loved her so much. She always made me
feel happy, but not after she was diagnosed with brain cancer. I still remembered when the
doctor broke the news to her; tears kept falling down her cheeks. She told me that she was
afraid to die.

Since that day, she became a quiet person. I knew she couldn’t focus in her studies
because she was always thinking about she would never be the same again – healthy,
energetic and youthful. I tried to console her and motivate her that everything would be alright. I
knew she didn’t believe what I had said. She told me that her time was running out. “Lin, there is
no use I am having treatment every week. I know I will leave the world soon,” she mumbled
tenderly as she wiped her tears with her hands. She was extremely miserable, I could hear from
her trembling voice; so I hugged her tightly to give her comfort.

She started her treatment a week later. Chemotherapy was an agony. She hated the
numerous pills that she had to swallow and nightly injections she had to suffer. It was such a
terrible experience for her. She hated herself and she hated the merciless disease. She felt she
wanted to die immediately rather than waiting for each moment to pass. As expected, her hair
began to fall, causing her to lose her confidence. Many of our friends at school had known that
her hair was truly beautiful, which was cascaded down her shoulders like an Egyptian princess.
Unfortunately, chemotherapy made her hair fall. She was shocked when she found out her head
was almost completely bald. She did not want to go to school. She was ashamed of herself.

Her pain lingered on, spreading just like her cancer. She always vomited. The food she
ate had gone to waste because of the vomiting. She lost her appetite too and she was getting
skinner, showing her cheek bones. Crying was the new habit that I found in her. She always
cried at night. No matter how hard she tried to keep herself calm, she was still engulfed with the
thought that death was ahead of her. However, she was lucky to have a supportive family
around her. They never let her alone at the hospital or at home.

Seeing Diana was depressed, her parents thought she should meet her friends, to take
things off her mind for a while. So, her parents forced her to go to school even though she was
reluctant. Her brother then drove her to school. When she reached the classroom, she closed
her eyes and waited for the other students to laugh at her bald head. Unlike what she had
anticipated, no one laughed. She opened her eyes and she couldn’t believe what she saw.

Everyone was bald. Just like her.

Every single student in the class was bald, including me. Everyone – boys and girls, had
shaved their heads to give their support and encouragement. She was touched by our actions,
our support and our sacrifices, shaving our beautiful hair. She came towards us and a group
hug was formed. “Oh my god! I’m so lucky to have you guys as my friends!” she cried as she
scanned each and every one of us with her reddened eyes. Our effort worked. She became
more confident and optimistic so that she had the strength to continue with her fight against
cancer. I could see the changes in her behaviour. Her sharp brown eyes were shining and her
spirit to survive was unbeatable.
 One day in the class, Diana fainted as she was too weak due to the chemo treatment. All
of us gasped when she fell on the floor, and immediately we informed the teachers. I tried to
wake her up but to no avail. Placing my mouth nearer at her left ear, I whispered, “Diana, you
can do it. We believe in you!” After what seemed like an eternity, a loud siren filled the air. When
I looked up, an ambulance came, the doors were pushed open and two paramedics ran towards
us. Quickly and efficiently, they whisked off Diana to the hospital. My knees were still shaking.
“Diana, don’t leave me,” I murmured quietly as the siren slowly faded.

As I arrived at the hospital, I could see her family was still waiting for her outside the ICU.
Diana’s mother leaned her forehead against the wall while closing her eyes, trying to calm
herself. Then, I saw Diana’s father, his bloodshot eyes were teary. Tears welled up in my eyes
before they rolled down my cheeks. I saw a man in white heading towards us, adjusting his
spectacles and let out a sigh. “She is stable now. I must say this is a miracle. Her fighting spirit
is so strong that she beats cancer,” the doctor’s eyes were gleaming with positivity while
informing us. I was relieved to hear the good news. Diana’s mother hugged me tightly.

I believe our actions had made an impact on her to fight the horrible disease. She had
support from families and friends, and I believe that is the cure for cancer. Slowly, Diana
opened her eyes and when she saw me, she mouthed her lips and I could read it easily, she
said, “Thank you.”
 My ex-boyfriend
by Viviana Sheila Anak Giri (5 Bestari)

It was a blustery morning and the light breeze was blowing from the bay near my home.
The deafening sound of the alarm clock on the dresser had jolted me awake from a deep
slumber. In the distance, a rooster crowed as if welcoming the arrival of a brand new day. I
jumped out of my bed and walked towards the window. I inhaled the sweet scent of roses that I
would love to enjoy the landscape view.

Looking at the roses, I was thinking about him. Once I had received a bouquet of roses
from him. It was pure bliss. But, it had been ages since I last set eyes on him. He had left five
years ago when I decided to end our relationship. I closed my eyes and memories of the distant
past came flooding to the threshold of mind. How I wish I could turn back the clock so that I
would not be losing sleep for the rest of my life.

We had been bosom friends since we were in high school. We enjoyed a unique
camaraderie with each other. When we were living through the troubled years of adolescence,
our relationship blossomed into love. With the passage of time, my love for him waned and I
ditched him for a better-looking guy outside there. That day, I could see his tears slowly trickled
down his cheeks but I didn’t care anyway. But then, realisation dawned on me that what goes
around, comes around – I was betrayed by a guy that I met a week after the breakup.

Back to the present, the sun was already high in the sky as I arrived at the café to meet
my friend. I was sitting across Clare and we enjoyed our drinks. We were laughing at our own
jokes. Out of the blue, my eyes stared wildly in disbelief and widened in dismay. When I saw
him, I lost my focus on Clare at all. I held my breath and bit my lips. He looked greater than I
thought – more handsome and refreshing. I was surprised to see him again.

I walked towards him, hoping for his good response. I grabbed his hand and when he
turned around, our eyes met each other. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he noticed me.
Luckily, he was mature enough and smiled at me. Then, I let him joined Clare and I together.
Both of us talking a mile a minute.

“So, Vee. How are you doing? I almost forget about you. You look different than before,
prettier. Um… married?” he asked while his beautiful eyes gazing into mine made my heart race
a thousand miles per hour. After all these years, I still missed him, even after we had broken up
and never contacted each other since. So, I told him, “I am fine. Thank you for your sweet
comment. I don’t think that I want to tie the knot yet. How about you?” I dared myself to ask him
the same question even though I was scared to know the truth.

His silence made me feeling uncomfortable. “So, you are…” I stopped there as I heard a
woman calling him. “Honey, there you are! Oh, hi! Sorry for disturbing you guys. By the way, I
am Hans’ wife, Lisa,” she introduced herself without us asking. My heart was shattered into
million pieces after hearing that. “Meet my wife, Lisa. So sorry that we have to leave now. Nice
seeing both of you,” he said that but just before he stood up and wanted to leave, I explained
apologetically to him about the past and he told me that he had forgiven me already.

Nodding my head, I waved them goodbye. I breathed a sigh of relief when everything
was over. Looking around, the sun had slowly disappeared from the horizon, just like Hans and
I – all hopes that I had of getting back together with him had vanished into thin air. Soon, it
would be night so Clare and I went back to our home.

When I reached home, I laid on my bed. I closed my eyes and smiled. Even though it
really hit me, I have to accept the fact that Hans has already married and he is living happily
with his loving wife. Well, in retrospect, at least I feel glad that I had the chance to apologise to
him.
 My First Love
by Alvina Puyang (5 Anggun)

“Stop! Don’t disturb me!” I shouted in a high pitch voice as I glared furiously at Daniel
who was attempting to destroy my sandcastle.

Daniel and I were best friends since both of us were in the kindergarten. Many people
assumed that both of us were a couple but in reality, we were just best friends. That time, I was
always bullied by the other kids and Daniel would be my hero – protect me from being bullied.

One day, Daniel came to my house with his eyes teary and he broke into loud,
uncontrollable sobs. He brought bad news that his father would move to another place and they
must leave Long San. Kuala Lumpur is the biggest city in Malaysia. Many people in the village
like me, who was from the countryside have a dream to visit Kuala Lumpur one day. I couldn’t
hold my tears anymore. Yes, Daniel and I were very good friends. If he moves to KL, who will
become my shield? My good brother? I felt chills down my spine and my whole world just
collapsed.

Sometimes one hello makes you never want to say goodbye. I calmed myself down,
accepting that farewells and goodbyes would happen very soon. But life must go on even
though it would leave a deep cut inside our hearts. I knew Daniel felt the grief rose in his throat,
choking him but he swallowed it back. He would not cry – not here, not in front of me. All of a
sudden, Daniel knelt down on the ground, opening his small hand with a small ring made from
rattan.

“Crystal, promise me that you will never forget me and for your information, I really love
you!” he confessed his love as he knelt like a gentleman and stared into my eyes earnestly. My
whole body froze on the ground. How a 12-year-old boy could say something like that to a 10-
year-old girl! Putting the ring into my finger, he waited for my response. But before I could give
him a nod, his mama called him to leave. That was the last time I saw him.

Someone tapping on my shoulder and it jolted me back to reality. All the memories
vanished into thin air as I turned around. It was Jesseca, my housemate. She pointed at the
clock. It was 7.30 in the morning. That day, both of us went to morning mass at Saint Joseph
Cathedral since that was my first time joining a mass in Kuching.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son; whoever believes in him
shall not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16.

The word of the Lord made me recalled something but I didn’t know what it was. The
sound from the person reading it was very familiar. Out of the blue, my eyes stuck at someone
in front who was the first reader. I strained my eyes and tried to identify who he was. Dang! It
was Daniel! My long lost best friend! There were incredulous look on my face. “This couldn’t be
happening!” I continued to shake my head in denial. For more than 20 years I had never met
him until now.

Since that day, we bonded as best friends. Daniel and I became closer and closer each
day. Every day was a good day for me and my stomach was full of butterflies every time I
waited for him to text me. I realised that I was ready for the next step – I’m going to confess my
love for him.
 One day, Daniel texted me and we were having dinner at a fancy restaurant. I was on
cloud-nine after seeing the text as I quickly put on my best dress and some glamourous make
ups.

Upon reaching at Lara Lanyau Restaurant, I saw Daniel waited for me patiently with a
candle light on the table. This would be the most romantic dinner ever, my body was filled with
adrenaline as I couldn’t wait for the moment to arrive.

When we had finished out dessert, he told me, “Crystal, I have something to tell you. It
may hurt your heart. As you know, both of us are best friends last time and everyone thought
we are a couple now. But I want to say that I’m sorry. I can’t.” Then, he stood up and left me
alone with my jaw dropped and my eyes widened. “He just left me? What is going on?” All
puzzling questions flooded my mind but no one would explain to me.

A strong person is not he who doesn’t’ cry. A strong person is he who cries and sheds
tears for a moment then gets up and fights again. Everything that had happened will be
remembered for my whole life. Although I didn’t know what was the reason he left me without
any explanation.

Looking into the mirror, it was the day that I’ve been waiting for. My wedding day.
Nobody is going to ruin my wedding as I felt a little bit nervous and happy. I had made a
decision that there is no turning back anymore so I accepted the proposal of my future husband,
whom I met at a café, Alvin. I saw my dad was ready in front of the entrance of Saint Joseph
Cathedral with his smart black tuxedo. Only then, I realised how handsome my dad was, even
after all these years of taking care of me.

As I walked through the aisle with my veil covered my face, I couldn’t see everyone
clearly but I knew that many eyes were staring at my dress. Some even said that I looked so
stunning with my elegant white A-line dress and my eyes gazing earnestly into Alvin, whom I
love so much. My hand held tightly on dad’s arm and beautiful flower girls threw the petals of
roses along the aisle.

When I arrived in front of the altar, I was speechless when I saw a familiar figure at the
altar. I had a bolt from the blue when I knew the man at the altar was Daniel. No! It was Father
Daniel – my first love.

Memories of childhood were dreams that stay with you after you woke up. All the
questions lingered in my mind before had been answered. Life is not a problem to be solved but
a reality to be experienced. He left me for one reason – he loves Jesus more than me that he
heeded his vocation for priesthood. With a smirk plastered on Daniel’s face, he smiled and
muttered, “Congrats Crystal.”
 Second Chance
by Clairesa Mary (5 Anggun)

Sunlight filtered through the window blinds and as I took a glimpse at the world outside,
the skies were captivatingly blue. It was as if Mother Nature was welcoming me home after a
long stay in the hospital. A sudden surge of emotions swept through me as I packed my bags to
leave the hospital. My excitement was hard to contain as I took my first step into the outside
world.

I was afraid to meet everyone who always made my world perfect – my family, relatives
and friends. I heaved a deep sigh as I tried to accept that I was not like before anymore – my
face that was as white as snow was covered by bandage and my silky long black hair, which I
cascaded down my shoulders like an Egyptian princess since two years ago had been cut. My
whole world just collapsed like an avalanche when I saw the first sight of myself in front of the
mirror.

It took one accident to change my whole perspective of life. The day it happened was my
birthday, 29th July. After having a splendid celebration together with my family and friends, I
drove home alone. As I was driving smoothly on the concreted road, like a real-life movie that
played out before my very eyes, a speeding lorry lost control and rammed right into the car that
was ahead of me. I couldn’t stop my car and unexpectedly the lorry swerved into my path and
our vehicles collided with much force – I was thrown forward while the lorry somersaulted. The
windscreen that shattered into thousands of fragments cut through the skin on my face. I felt a
throbbing pain before everything turned black.

When I woke up, my mother was sitting at my bedside. The hospital had gotten in touch
with her the previous day. She stroked my hair and told me I had crushed ribs and a broken
femur. I felt my face a bit sore and then realised it was covered. My mother reassured me and
gave me words of strength after delivering the news – I had to be hospitalised for a few months
for treatment. I was flabbergasted upon hearing the news.

Tears started flowing non-stop when the ruthless fact sank in. the accident flooded my
mind once more, regardless how hard I tried to discard it far, far away. I wept once more. I
screamed my heart out. And I also tried to open the bandage that covered my face. But, it didn’t
work at all – the doctor came to calm me down.

“Why must God treat me this way? Why must it be me?”

These thoughts kept swirling in my head and depression soon followed suit. My family
and friends realised the drastic change in my personality – I was in a world of my own, with
misery as my only companion. Everyone who visited me tried their very best to lift my spirits, but
their attempts were pointless.

One day, a blind girl was hospitalised in the same room as mine. A few days of spending
time with her, I noticed she was full with joy and happiness even though she couldn’t see
anything – she could survive in the world even she had to face many challenges in her life. This
sight brought me to my senses. “Why should I waste my life and let downheartedness chain my
soul?” Why should not I feel grateful for all that I have?” It was an eye opener for me.
 Since then, I tried to accept the changes in my life. I also tried to think positively and
conclude that everything happens for a reason.

Back to the present, I was eventually discharged from the hospital. I took a deep breath
as I walked into the outside world. Even though my heart was palpitating to meet my family,
friends and relatives that were waiting for me, I continued my step as they would always be by
my side – giving me support and words of strength.
 Blood is thicker than water
by Philomina Ping (5 Anggun)

The gloom was lifting. I stopped sipping my coffee, looking at the horizon to the east from
the balcony of my hotel room. The sun would rise in a few seconds. Slowly, imperceptibly,
darkness was defeated by light. Ever so steadily, the great ball of fire rose in the sky,
illuminating the night sky with the colours of rainbow. Fantastic cloud formation looked even
more fantastic as the sun rays hit them at an angle, showing the contrast between light and
shadow, colouring everything in a bright orange. It is the day.

Everyone was busy in my room, wearing their high heels, putting on their make-up and
also updating their social media status. I, sitting on a chair while my make-up artist put on a veil
on my head. Since last night, I hadn’t seen mother, even my father. Sasha, my little sister told
me that they had a fight yesterday. I hoped that they would resolve their problems soon. No one
is going to ruin my wedding, I became so nervous as the day that I had been waiting for had
arrived.

I walked through all the flower stands, four flower girls were throwing red rose petals on
the ground in front and my father wasn’t here yet. Where is he? Before walking along the aisle, I
waited for father. I got more nervous when the guests starred at me, then looking at their
watches. Some politely praised that I looked stunning with my elegant gold mermaid dress. All
of a sudden, I could feel a hand suddenly grabbed my arm. Father. He looked so angry. I
scanned around and I still didn’t see mother.

“I now pronounce both of you as Mr and Mrs Gonzales,” the priest raised his hands and
the hall erupted into thunderous applause.

Everyone was dancing and having a good time. Still, I couldn’t find mother. Where is she
on my wedding day? I then went towards father who was standing behind a banner, alone.

“Father,” I touched his shoulder from behind. “Don’t touch me! You’re not my daughter!”
he shrieked. Our eyes met for a second then he quickly turned his sight away, avoiding me.

Dumbfounded, I stood rooted to the ground. After what he had told me, between dreams
or reality, I couldn’t accept it. On my wedding day, I was told that my real father was a stranger
my mom had slept with while she was having an affair. Father, who stood in front of me and
really loved me, had now changed.

Out of the blue, my husband’s voice jolted my back to reality, he said, “I shouldn’t get
married with someone like you. Your status would soil my name!” how I wish that Alvin didn’t
know about it but like a real-life movie unfolding before my very eyes, everyone was looking at
me like I was a piece of trash. There were whispers and murmurs all over the dinner tables.
When I held dad, he pushed me away and went out from the hall.

Sitting on the white sand at the beach with my wedding dress, I was terribly devastated.
Why me? Out at sea, I could see a lonely fishing boat rocked and swayed on the waves. Just
like my family now. The wind blew strongly and a figure sat beside me. Sasha. She then hugged
me and said, “Philo, you don’t have to cry. Everything will be okay soon. Trust me.”

“How can I trust an eight-year-old kid like you?” I replied, “You don’t understand, Sasha.”
 “I do! I heard everything and now we are going to find a solution, aren’t we?” she
comforted me. Yes. She was my motivator. That conflict may have ruined my wedding, but not
my family.

When I went to the hotel, I saw mother was at the lobby, holding her luggage. Her eyes
was reddened and turned moist when she saw me. “I’m so sorry honey,” she stammered. “I
want to explain to your father but he won’t listen.”

I grabbed mother’s arm and brought her to meet father who was in my room. Father was
not uttering a single syllable. He was still disappointed with mother.

“You don’t understand, Michael. I was being raped by your best friend, John when you
were not at home. I tried to tell you but he kept on threatening me that he would hurt our
daughters. You might know the truth but not all of it,” mother explained while she was kneeling
on the ground.

I then hugged father, “I may not be your biological daughter, but your seeds of love had
grown in me until now and I love you father.” He suddenly cried and apologised for being so
reckless and impulsive to take such quick judgement despite he didn’t really know the truth.

Finally, we got back to being a loving and caring family. Even though I had to end my
fairy-tale marriage with Alvin, thank God that I had saved my family from being broken like
shards of china. I have learned that conflict is not a problem that ruins everything but it is the
challenge that will help you to strengthen your relationship to be even stronger.