Page 56 - 2018 Kaleidoscope 4th Edition

Students’ Works
potlights shining in my face, cameras clicking
off in a corner, thousands of people chanting
Smy name…and then, it snapped. I jolted
awake from my daydream, dazed as a stern teacher
glared at me, obligating me to give her a reasonable
explanation for my wrongdoing. You see, being a
celebrity was always a dream of mine. An infamous
celebrity always seems to get whatever they want.
Celebrities are like a superior race, and everyone else
is just inferior to them. They have an extravagant and
glorious lifestyle, and more often than not, they hit
the red carpets with glamourous, if not revolutionary
looks. They are always at the center of the crowd,
and are extremely influential at whatever they do.
A celebrity could be eating ramen with cheese,
and next thing you know, ramen with cheese blew
up in popularity. Everyone praises it and expresses
gratitude towards the celebrity for introducing them
to what seemed like a scrumptious and palatable yet
simple dish. I guess simplicity really is the ultimate
sophistication. Alas, being a celebrity is ultimately a
dream, and one that has a slim chance of becoming
true, or at least that is what I thought.
On what seemed to be an ordinary day, I
carried out my mundane weekend tasks and went to
get groceries with my mother. Just then, I heard a
voice calling out in distress. I spun around instantly,
only to see a girl of my age choking on what I
assumed to be a slice of salami at the food aisle. Her
mother stood next to her, stunned with her mouth
gaping wide. The people there were dispersed, and
no one seemed to notice the dangerous and possibly
fatal incident. Equipped with knowledge about
emergency assistance, I thought to myself: “I guess
it has to be me then.” I rushed to the girl’s side
immediately and asked her to lie down. I knew that
I had to hook out the piece of salami first to clear
the airway, but there was no suitable tool in sight.
I sighed as I stuck my fingers down her throat, and
hooked out the remnants of the salami. Meanwhile,
her mother collapsed to the ground, petrified at the
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sight of her daughter turning purple. I heaved the
girl to her feet and pushed in on her abdomen, and
after a few tries, she gurgled, coughed and gasped
for air as the last piece of salami went flying across
the room.
The people gathered around the area of the
event had their phones out. Some of them were
thrilled, some of them were stricken with horror,
and some of them expressed relief, but one thing for
sure was that they were more than willing to capture
the teeth-clenching moment. They applauded my
courageous action and fast-thinking, while the girl
and her mother thanked me sincerely and offered to
pay for the groceries. As for me, I just thought that
it was miraculous for me to be at that exact place at
that exact time. It was almost as if it was all destined
to be. I figuratively gave myself a pat in the back and
applauded myself for a job well done.
On the next day, I crawled out of my bed
to the buzzing sounds radiating from my phone.
I answered the call and put on a nasally voice
purposely, hinting the caller that he had disturbed
me from my precious and much appreciated sleep.
On the other end of the phone, my best friend leaped
and screamed frantically and mumbled a mouthful
of words. Her voice immediately boomed across the
room and echoed off the walls, leaving my hearing
impaired for a split second. I was startled awake and
attempted desperately to calm her down, but all my
efforts were in vain as she continued to yell at the
top of her lungs into her phone. After what seemed
to be a lifetime, I finally made out her words:
“You’re famous!”