Unexpected Essays

My mother taught me to treat all people regardless of their race and differences with respect. However, I never
took her advice seriously until the day I met Kate, a physically handicapped girl, who had blessed me with the gift of
friendship.
It all began one uneventful Monday morning. My alarm clock resonated through the air like clockwork, signalling
the start of another stress-laden day at school.
As I set foot into the classroom, the noisy chatter of students resonated throughout the room. Before I knew it, a
distinct hush fell over the classroom when Mrs Tan stepped in. Beside Mrs Tan was a scrawny girl with a smooth
complexion and shoulder-length hair. She was confined to a wheelchair. Sadness and a tinge of loneliness were written
all over her face.
Stunned, all of us were speechless as we stared at the girl, not knowing how to react. Tom and his friends, who
were known to be the notorious bullies of the class, began to jeer aloud and made fun of the girl, much to the vexation of
Mrs Tan.
Needless to say, Mrs Tan began to reprimand them. She then went on to reveal that Kate had been paralysed
from the waist down as a result of a car accident. As such, she had spent a year in hospital recovering from her injuries.
Mrs Tan then gestured to Kate to sit beside me. I began to remember what my mum had said and I greeted her
with a warm inviting smile. Kate peered over at me and managed a faint smile. I then battled with feelings of inviting her
to hang out with me. Brushing aside thoughts of what the other students might say, I instinctively knew that I had to do
the right thing and listened to the prompting in my heart.
When the school bell pierced the air, marking the start of recess, I mustered up all my courage and cordially
asked Kate if she would join me at recess. Visibly taken aback, Kate looked like she had not expected anyone to do so.
Kate tried to maintain her composure before politely accepting my invitation.
This marked the beginning of our special friendship. We became close companions. I would wheel Kate
everywhere, laughing and having fun together. Soon, we were inseparable. I discovered that although Kate could not
walk, she was like any other child with hopes and dreams. As time passed, everyone in class including the infamous
mischief-makers came to accept Kate and respected her.
As I reflected on my special friend, I am so grateful that I had heeded Mum’s advice. I have learnt to look
beyond Kate’s physical handicap and would accept her for who she is. She has blessed me with the most unexpected
friendship!
Hannah Lim
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“No!” I screamed, struggling to fight back my tears. Waves of agonising heartbreak and despair threatened to
swallow me up. Why must this unexpected tragedy happen?
Mere hours ago, I beamed as the cool night breeze caressed my face soothingly. The ship bobbed gently on
the waves. My family and I were on the biggest passenger cruise ship, the RMS Titanic. We were four days into our

 Unexpected Essays
voyage and my Father, Mother and I had consumed our dinner. People thronged around the majestic staircase in the
first-class lobby, which was furnished with shiny and polished wood.
“Time to go back to our cabin,” said Father, yawning. Reluctantly, I followed my parents back into our small but
elegant cabin. Since we were travelling first class, we had golden silk fabric for our bed. There were also three dining
rooms and swimming pools with heated water for first class passengers! I smiled just thinking about it. No wonder the
Titanic was called the unsinkable floating palace.
Just then, a slight bump on the ship startled me. I glanced at my parents but they did not look alarmed. The ship
would not sink, I reassured myself, trying to quell a growing sense of dread.
Or would it?
Just as I was slipping into a fitful sleep, a knock on the door jarred me awake. My parents, too, sat up.
Minutes later, we heard a knock on the door. A steward had come to summon us to the deck. We were also told
to put on our life jackets. Feeling bewildered, our whole family went up as instructed.
“Unsinkable. Unsinkable.” I whispered the word to myself like a prayer. Fear, like a giant snake, reared its head.
My worst nightmare seemed to be coming true. Finally, we arrived at the crowded deck.
An officer came hurrying towards us. “Women and children, only,” He said sombrely. “There is a lifeboat about
to leave. You must go at once. The ship had hit an iceberg!” Then the truth hit me! The Titanic must be filling up with
water. It was sinking! I suddenly felt dizzy. My knees buckled. Despair swamped me. I felt myself being pulled to the
lifeboat. “No!” I screamed, refusing to be separated from my Father.
My Father shook his head. “Go!” he said as my Mother and I were pushed into the lifeboat. Tears poured down
my face. Suddenly, there was a deep booming sound. The entire ship catapulted forward. People fell, toppling like
dominoes. I felt numb, as the bone-chilling waters splashed on me. My eyes, full of tears, were fixed on my Father in the
troubled ship. As our lifeboat was rowing away, I buried my face into my Mother’s bosom.
Just then, the ship caught everybody’s attention. The entire bow was underwater and the stern had risen toward
the sky. It groaned and sparked. Black smoke poured from its funnels. The lights flickered. It seemed to be fighting for its
life. Suddenly, the groaning stopped. The lights went dark. The ship sank into the water, shattering my heart into a million
pieces.
“Read all about it! Titanic survivors! More than fifteen hundred people dead!” A newsboy screamed. I covered
my ears as tears spilled out of my eyes. I could not stop the painful memories from resurfacing.
That fateful day, I had lost a family member in this terrible and unexpected tragedy. The hull of the Titanic was
presumed to be watertight and unsinkable. Who knew that an iceberg could sink the mammoth vessel? If only we had
not made this maiden voyage, my Father would still be alive.

Zhang Yao Jia

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