micro memoir
When I was 16 and waiting for my O-Level results, I worked for a few months for my brother-in-law, who ran a small construction company. I drilled concrete floors until my whole body shook from the vibration. I used a grinder to smooth the edges of window
micro memoir
My cat loved to meow and rub her head against my leg. She was my constant companion. One day, my mother relocated her to a wet market three bus stops away. I thought I had lost her forever. Then one day, out of nowhere, I heard a familiar meow. It
micro memoir
My friend led me to the edge of a tall building. The only way down was to jump toward a pole jutting from the side and slide to the ground. If I missed my grip, I would plunge to my death and shatter like an egg on concrete. My legs
micro memoir
50 people were interested. 20 joined the race. 4 started running. I wonder how many will reach the finish line. Every challenge teaches the same lesson: enthusiasm is common, perseverance is rare.
micro memoir
On the morning she left, a glass of water came first. Seven-year-old Pei Ming carried it carefully to his mother and said softly, "Mummy, drink some water." The small act of kindness shattered Kong Xiu Ping's composure. Pulling him into a tight embrace, she
micro memoir
Every evening, my six siblings, my mother, and I waited for my father to return from his carpentry work. Only then would we begin dinner. We ate whatever was on the table. There was no such thing as refusing food or buying something else. When there was a chicken drumstick,
micro memoir
As a boy, I learned that dinner was not optional. If I was late, the cane would come looking for my butt. Its success rate was 100 percent.
micro memoir
Between our kampong house and the coffee shop was a 200-metre unlit path. Whenever my mother sent me on an errand at night, I dreaded the journey. There was a wooden bridge over a longkang and an old attap house beside it, surrounded by banana trees. After hearing too
micro memoir
My first best friend in secondary school was a very quiet student, much like me. He was a person of few words and rarely mingled with anyone. We enjoyed each other's silent company and often sat together without saying much. One day, he told me he did not
micro memoir
Our family shared a single bicycle. It stood outside our kampong house, leaning against a wooden post. When I was about twelve, I decided I would learn to ride it. The bicycle was too big for me. When one pedal reached the bottom, my foot could barely touch it. I
micro memoir
In Primary 6, my teacher, Mr Tan Ngiat Lian, made an unusual offer to the class. If we paid attention and did not disrupt his lessons, he would tell us a Bible story afterward. Through those stories, I was introduced to Jesus Christ for the first time as a loving
micro memoir
On windy days, the sky was filled with kites. It was the season for layang layang, or kite fighting, where children tried to cut one another's kite strings in mid-air using strings coated with crushed glass. We made our own kites from bamboo sticks, newspaper, and glue