2011 Commonwealth Essay Writing Competition

Tricia Tan Wei Qi (11), Singapore

Silver

Grandma Saved The Day

As I looked at the torn pieces of the photo of my grandmother in my hand, I was overcome with guilt and sadness. I realised how much my grandmother loved me, to the extent that she was willing to do anything for me even sacrificing her life. I always thought she was irritating, naggy and a burden to me but only today did I realise it was all for my own good. Why? Why had I realised it so late? My heart ached with regret as I remembered what happened

My mother had gone out with her colleagues for lunch, leaving me alone with my fragile old grandmother. Not wanting to stay in the stuffy four-room flat, I decided to go for a walk at Bedok Park near Bedok reservoir. Forced to bring my naggy grandmother along, I sulked the whole time during the walk as she told me to look out for this and that. I started getting really irritated when she tried to engage in a conversation with me. Trying to be polite, I said, Ok, Grandma, just shhhh I want to listen to the chirping of birds. My happy grandmother agreed readily.

After a while, my grandmother started mumbling something incomprehensible to herself which was getting on my nerves. I finally lost control and flew into a rage. Grandma! Would you just shut up! I snapped, gritting my teeth. The words I had uttered pierced her wounded heart. I could tell that my grandmother was on the verge of tears, but I was just too irritated to control myself and I let my anger fly. I ran as far as my legs could carry me. I had no idea that she was running after me.

I looked behind. My grandmothers legs wobbled as she ran towards me. Instead of apologizing, I took out the picture of her in my wallet and tore it into pieces in front of her and threw them onto the ground. My grandmother was too shocked to say anything and stood there like a statue. Tears streamed down her cheeks and fell to the floor like scattered pearls. She forced her fragile body to pick up the pieces of the photos on the ground.

Utterly shocked at what I did, I stammered, Grandma Im sorry I ran across the road, not caring about any cars on the road. I wanted to kill myself on the spot, realizing what I did to my grandmother was terrible. A driver spotted me running across the road and was about to hit me. He stepped hard on the brakes and sounded his car horn to warn me. Terrified, I stood rooted to the ground, as the car came screeching towards me. Suddenly, I felt a strong push which shoved me out of the way of danger. Everything happened so quickly. I quickly stood up and saw an elderly person whose face was bleeding profusely my grandmother.

No words could have expressed my agony as I realised my grandmother had sacrificed herself for me. I saw her lips move as she summoned the last inch of strength to tell me the three words which moved my heart. I inched closer to her, I l l love y you With that, she closed her eyes. I wailed on the spot, overwhelmed by the turmoil of emotions within me. Anger, guilt, sadness rose within me as I realised the love she had for me even though I had treated her so badly. I could never forgive myself.