True or False Stories?

Story 1

Year 2001. September 11^th. The terrorists attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon sparked massive fear into people all around the world. Rumours that the attacks are being planned on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and on the Statue of Liberty in New York, just like how the Twin Towers were attacked. Tourists desperately cancel their holiday to the States, in fear of more terrorist attacks on the country, despite the huge losses that they are making.

Global economy collapsed and as a result, air tickets to the States were at half their usual price. Having completed my PSLE that year, my father decided to bring my whole family to America, before my bother and I started a new chapter in our educational life. Polytechnic and Secondary School respectively.

All my relatives thought my father was a little out of his mind, as part of our was to drop by San Francisco for a couple of days, and the rumours didn’t really help much. My family still went ahead with the trip though. I mean, it was like a childhood dream fulfilled. Almost everyone would have wanted to visit Disneyland when they were in their childhood, and I was no different, and my dreams were fulfilled. Visited five cities in a span of just over 3 weeks, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland and Vancouver (Canada). But it was more then Disneyland. I think I have experienced some other things more then what other kids could have never or would never have the chance to do.

I remember I was on board a plane, an inland flight from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon, when the plane stopped over at San Jose, before continuing on the rest of the flight to Portland. During the transit time for the rest of the passengers who were flying from San Jose to Portland, I could say that I had another childhood dream fulfilled. Which kid would not want to attend a cockpit, sit in the pilot’s seat and wear his hat, and that was what I exactly got and seated right in the cockpit during the flight to Portland. I mean, its just amazing, my experience I there, would be once in a lifetime. Besides that, before I left Los Angeles, I got the chance to hold the official revolver and rifle for all Law Enforcements in US, the Sig P228, and M16 respectively and got photos taken for both occasions.

I was thinking to myself, ‘Vicson, are you dreaming? You have been into a cockpit before and you have held a real revolver before. Are you fortunate or what?’

Story 2

A game of street soccer was perfect to end of a day of school, where it been nothing else but worksheets, tests and books. It has been quite a while since I last felt the awesome feeling of the afternoon sun shining down on me, after all, my O levels were just round the corner and I didn’t want to waste another year in secondary school.

The sight of my house’s silver glittering gates and a brilliant shade of mesmerizing blue for my main door was just insight, a couple of more meters and I would be home. I was looking forward to having a nice warm shower, catch a quick nap and hit the books after that. But I realized that it wasn’t the case as I struggled to find my house keys. Calming myself down, I removed everything from my bag, only for my keys to be… missing!! Quick run down to back to school, only for my friends and canteen vendors to tell me, ‘ No, I haven’t seen your keys.’

Walked home reluctantly.

Was back outside my house’s main door. Just the stupid wooden door that was separating me from my house, from my dog. Hearing her whine, sniffing through the small gap between the door and floor, I felt for her. Just that very moment, I realized that the window beside the door was open, and for your information, I stay at a corner flat and at 16^th storey, and the window was slightly opened. I reached over and tried to push the window fully opened. It worked, the window was wide open and it was wide enough for me to climb in.

That was what I did. Slowly hoisting myself up the ledge, knowing that one false step could potentially cause me my life, but it just wasn’t in my dictionary at that very moment. The huge step over to cupboard that was behind the opened window was all that was needed for me to get into my house safely and it simply took forever. Giving myself unnecessary fear by looking down, not once but twice.

I made it, like obviously; otherwise I wouldn’t be typing this. The moment I felt solid ground beneath my feet again, I broke down.

I took a risk and gambled with my life and it paid off, but never was I going to do it again. Never again.

True or False? You decide.

Huang Yixi Vicson

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