TITLE: A HERO WITHIN

OURSELVES

2000 WORDS
 I wiped the sweat as it dripped between my brows, and I furrowed in disappointment,

thinking what have I ever done to deserve this. Being a normal human being, I think no one

deserves to see me suffering internally. They would always regard me as a very strong person

but no, I never was. The conflicts inside me are surging like waterfall waves, and I believe that I

am going to regret this decision I make for the rest of my life.

My mind was spinning, my hands were clammy, and my body was drenched with sweat

as I looked over the window into the depths of my old school. My mind immediately raced back

to the time where I first stepped into this school. Being a very shy and awkward person, going to

this private boarding school was my dream. Being surrounded by all this people around my age

with so much talent and ideas makes me want to be among them too. I remembered asking my

father for the permission to go to my dream school. He immediately said yes. I was overjoyed,

jubilant, and my heart leaped for joy. I vow to always do my best in order to get the scholarship

to attend this prestigious institution.

simply words are not enough to foreplay how I felt. After all those burning the midnight oil

moments, studying for the exams, all the mind-games I had to endure for 4 days and 3 nights was

simply worth it. I held my breath as I opened the letter. I felt disappointed as there was no

scholarship form. I flipped the paper thrice and blinked hard. I thought, this is simply impossible,

I have tried my outmost best, went over the profounds of a 12-year old person yet, I did not get

it. My mother whispered sweet words of consolation into my ear but nothing could hold back my

surge of screaming. Father was extremely upset, even my little siblings understood how I felt.

They looked at me with droopy eyes and even went up to me and gave me a pat on the knee.

They were being utterly adorable to me yet I still felt empty thinking of how my future would

turn out into.

Well, all of you must be wondering why I badly need this scholarship, well the reason

being is I am not from a rich family. I am so far from that. The mere thought of having a perfect

meal per day is something that I have never experienced before. Father is a hardworking clerk at
a primary school and mother sews baju kurung’s for a living. I was never ashamed of their jobs,

instead I was proud. They are really educated people and would always tell me to strive and do

my best in everything I do. They make me feel like working hard and trying my best to be the

best at everything for a reason. As mother would always repeat to me everyday “always try to be

the best although you are not that best”. Well, father has another different perspective upon

school as he would always say to me “try to have fun but not too much fun. But I took both

words of wisdom from my two beloved parents at heart. I would always focus in class and

express myself more. Finally, I found what I am truly good at which is public speaking. You see

if you combine two things at once that it would not be possible for you to obtain the best results

one day.

Days passed by and father called my family in for an urgent meeting. Well, the last time

we had this meeting was when me and my siblings were caught for wrapping our vegetables in

tissue papers and putting them inside the dustbin. technically that was years ago but I still feel
bad about it. As I descended the stairs I saw my father and mother looking at me with a very

solemn expression as he sat at the dinner table. He cocked his head to the side as a means for me

to better sit down as I sat. He explained to me that he could already sense how heartbroken I was.

As a loving parent he feels like this is his obligation to fill his children’s needs as a responsibility

from God. I stood up abruptly after hearing my father’s explanation. It is impossible. We could

hardly eat a proper meal per day yet he wants to send me to this over-priced school. He said that

he would do everything he can in order to fulfill my needs including working overtime every

day. I burst into tears and clung onto my father’s shirt, soaking them with my happy tears. I was

extremely thankful to God and thanked him inside my heart. Oh how God wants to help me and I

could not help but feel thankful. This was the happiest day of my life or so that was what I

thought.

Weeks passed by and I could not contain my excitement. I counted the days off my

calendar and marked the days off. As the registration day arrived I was a bundle of nerves

combined. I was worried that they might not accept me for who I am and would judge me for
coming from a rural area in the heart of our capital city, Kuala Lumpur. I was surprised as I

arrived I am greeted by smiling faces of teachers and students. They greeted me warmly and

ushered me to meet my designated usher, Ally. Ally was a year older than me and she had the

brightest smile you could ever imagine. With her glasses perched on the crook of her nose and

big brown eyes, she warmed up to me immediately. She explained to me all the rules and

regulations about this school I am entering and would always reply each of my questions with

the same enthusiasm as me. I liked her immediately. She also treated my parents with the same

amount of respect despite the fact that my father was dressed in a simple polo shirt with trousers

and my mother who was wearing a very loose t-shirt. She did not disrespect my family at all

even if we are not like the other families there, coming to the school all dressed nicely, riding in

the latest Masserati and Lambourghini. Ally is certainly a wonder.

It was already time for my parents to drive back to our cosy cottage, with tears in my

eyes, I clutched onto Ally’s hands and bid the farewell. Still, I was proud of myself for being the
120 students in Malaysia for getting the offer to study in this institution. The next morning didn’t

go at all well for me, as I woke up late. Not being able to adjust my body clock to this new way

of living is frustrating. I tried my best to wake up and retold myself multiple times or so that I am

putting up a fight here, I am here under my parents’ money and I am here to make them proud.

Coming from a family who does not stress much on fitness and exercising became my liability.

On the first week I almost passed out multiple times due to the fact that I cannot run at a constant

velocity. I could see that all of the other people did not have any difficulties at all and simply ran

with a smile plastered on their faces. I felt like dying and I almost called my mother to come pick

me up from this hell-hole school. Not to mention that the other students who were older than me

kept on teasing me for my physical looks. As you can see, I am not all sticks and bones but

simply fat and water. A ball of fat walking around the corridors of this famous institution. I

really felt like giving up and I almost rung my mother up to come and fetch me from this

torturous place. I don’t feel strong enough to endure all this mental and physical torture that has

been bestowed upon me.

light to my darkest days and she was always there to pick me up if I was down. She told me that

there is simply nothing impossible in this world and you just got to believe in yourself. I took her

word at heart. I trained every day before going through those excruciatingly painful running

exercises and I learnt how to overcome this problem where they would just tease me which is

simply ignoring them. Let them say all there is to say about you and do something impactful.

Well it is true because moments after that the teasings have subsided. They would no longer

tease me and due to all the excessive trainings I have done, I am no longer fat and water but now

I am all muscles and bones. They looked up to me for what I have achieved as I entered almost

everything there is to offer at that school, making sure that the money my parents invested on me

was worth it. From orchestra to swimming to aquathlons to debate, you name it and I have been

there. I did try my best to succeed in my studies too but it is true that you can’t always be good in

everything. Mother was quite disappointed and she threatened to pull me out multiple times but I

persuaded her saying that all of this new experience I am gaining cannot be bought or gained
somewhere else. It is simply from the depths of our heart and if I do not try now then when will I

have the chance again.

Week after week, month after month, year after year and it was already my third year in

this prestigious boarding school when my father passed away during the end-year school holiday.

My family was in pieces. To add more pain to the wound, he passed away immediately after I

got my national examination results, without getting the chance to even have a quick glimpse at

my results. Mother walked away from me and my siblings and disappeared as she told me that

the pain was too strong for her to handle. She was not strong enough. I was furious and

heartbroken, imagine the pain of losing two of your loved ones at the same time. I was alone,

with my two little brothers. Hence, I decided that it was now my turn to sacrifice for my little

brothers.

Here I am, standing in front of the school which has managed to change me in all aspects.

Giving by, this is the hardest decision I will ever have to make, sacrificing my future for two
little brothers. The moment the principal who I have grown to admire handed me the school

leaving certificate, I burst into tears. He explained to me that this was the hardest decision for

him as I could have become the next head girl. All in all, the school was sad to let me go and it

was equally hard for me too knowing that my future ceases to exist.

Father was right, there is a hero in everybody as father was my hero when he offered me

a chance to study in my dream school. Zoey was my hero when she picked me up when I was

feeling down, not to mention mother was my hero too when she cared for me since I was a baby.

Now, it is my turn to continue my father’s legacy and become the hero to my little brothers. It is

true what my father used to tell me there is always a hero in everybody.