Page 32 - kaleidoscope 2024 - 20.3.25

GROUP 4
– SENIOR MIDDLE 1
Champion:
LEO OH QIN YAO
Class: 4S Xiao
Write a story that begins with:
My grandfather
once said,
“One day you will leave
this world behind,
so live a life you will
remember.”
My grandfather once said, “One day, you will leave this world behind, so live a
life you will remember." These words echoed within every fibre, every cell of my body,
growing louder with each passing second. The chimes and gongs that would shake even the
strongest of people were drowned out by the flood of thoughts that floated in my mind. The
surrounding view was black and white, everyone grieving in their own way, some covering
their faces while sobbing, others looking down, unable to hide their sadness. Our gazes
were all fixed on that one monochrome picture of my grandfather, surrounded by the warm
glow of candles and incense.
My name is Jason, a classic household name. I was born a healthy boy, with no
health issues and no deformities. I grew up in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, living in a
single-storey terrace house with my family. I shared a room with my brother, and we wake up
each morning to go to school, coming back in the evening. My parents paid their bills and
taxes, and I never got into trouble. I had average grades, decent social skills, and normal
habits. I never did anything that would catch people’s eyes, nor did I ever try to show off.
I would go through the effort of picking the most normal clothes you could think of when
going out, as to not attract any attention to myself. To put it simply, I wanted to live a quiet
life, free from any troubles or attention.
One particular day, my family returned to our hometown in Kuantan to visit our
grandparents. I was fourteen at the time. Being my grandparents' favourite grandchild,
30 ......... English Essay Writing Competition
I would always receive some pocket money whenever we visited. It was a typical family
reunion, cleaning the house, going out for dinner, hanging out with the neighbours - you
get the gist. Time flew by and soon it was midnight. My parents, tired from cleaning, my
brother, a growing child, and my grandmother slept early no matter the occasion. Only my
grandfather and I stayed up to watch a reality television show. The soft hum of the lights, the
vibrant colours popping off the screen, the goofy sound effects that accompanied the lead
actor’s jokes—it all felt so nostalgic, a glimpse into life in the simpler, underdeveloped town
of my parents' youth. My grandfather, bored of the show, started asking me about school
and life. I described my social network, performance in studies, moderate way of living life
to my grandfather. Any normal person would have already been snoring, but my grandfather
just kept listening, gazing into nothingness with the eyes of someone filled with wisdom. After
listening to me go on and on about my life, he told me, "One day you will leave this world
behind, so live a life you will remember." Not understanding his wise words, I dismissed it
and we both headed to bed. That night would become my final memory of him.
Two months after the event, my grandfather passed away peacefully on his bed.
News spread like wildfire, and everyone in our family tree knew about his passing. In the
blink of an eye, I was surrounded by both people I knew and people I did not know, all in
black and white attire. The scent and smoke of the incense wafted through the air, along
with the heat of the smouldering sum made it unbearable. The cries and whimpers of the
attendants were incomparable to the pounding of my grandfather's last quote. Everyone was
grief-stricken, the adults crying, and the children following their cries, even without knowing
the concept of death. I was stuck in-between both sides, able to comprehend the concept
of the afterlife but unable to understand how to feel. It was not until I saw the wooden metal
box enter the blazing furnace that I finally understood what my grandfather meant. It was
then, for the first time, I ignored all sense of avoidance and dropped to my knees, wailing,
the sadness and emotion flowing out of my eyes in the form of a liquid. I let myself be myself
for the first time.
It was not easy to cheer myself up from that incident, but I grew out of it. Deciding
to change my life, I adjusted my living habits. I started to take things more seriously, focusing
more on how it would affect me rather than how others would think of me. It took a while
to be able to open up and finally feel genuine towards other people. I still remember the
look of surprise and shock on the faces of my friends and family. Naturally, this newfound
transparency allowed me to connect with people on a deeper level, while also allowing for
new connections and opportunities. Then, for the first time, I joined an event organised by
the school on my own accord, rather than other peoples' nominations. My grades improved,
my social life was wonderful, and I was happier than ever. I graduated with flying colours,
impressing even my peers, as well as The Tokyo University of Engineering. I was offered
English Essay Writing Competition ......... 31