The Cane
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.
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One Step from Disaster
When I was studying at Playfair Primary School, I had to cross the road near the junction of Paya Lebar Road and Airport Road. One day, I stepped off the central divider without paying attention. A lorry whizzed past my face, inches from my nose. Had I taken one more
The Empty Gate
Every afternoon after school, our mongrel would wait behind the metal gate. The moment he heard my bicycle bell, he would jump up and wag his tail so hard his whole body seemed to bend with it. One rainy week, I came home and the gate was empty. I parked
The Samsui Woman's Advice
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
Be Someone
The elders always said, "Strive to become someone." Otherwise, you will be a nobody. After sixty years of trying to become someone, I finally became myself.