“Ring! ” That irritating alarm clock of mine woke me up at the crack of dawn with its shrill wailing. Cursing, I slammed my hand on the clock and banged it against the cupboard. It immediately stopped. Satisfied, I promptly turned around and fell asleep. “Jeremy! Wake up! You are going to be late for school! ” my mother’s high-pitched scream permeated the silence, shattering all my hopes for stealing more sleep. I glanced at my alarm clock. I was so startled by what I saw that I tumbled out of bed and landed on my bottom.
It was already seven o’clock! I had less than an hour to get to school! I dashed to the bathroom to wash up. To my chagrin, I slipped on a wet patch of tiles and banged my chin against the basin. I felt my tooth break off and tasted blood. Ignoring it, I went to brush my teeth. A missing tooth was better than facing the wrath of my form teacher! I swooped down the stairs like a peregrine falcon, grabbed my school bag and rushed off to school.
I ran like the wind all the way to the bus stop, where I was just in time to see the bus chugging off. Wait for me! ” I hollered, chasing after it. The bus, as if in reply, coughed out a cloud of black smoke and roared off. It was futile to try and chase it. Sighing heavily, I decided to run to school. By the time I got to school, the parade square was deserted and voices were streaming out from every classroom. I walked resignedly to my class and stood outside the door. Bracing myself for the explosion, I took a deep breath and walked in. “Well, don’t just stand there daydreaming, boy!
Get to your seat and take out yesterday’s assignment! ” Mr Lim barked at me. Sighing with relief that I did not get an earful, I crept to my seat and plopped myself down. I opened my bag and to my utmost horror, I found myself staring at a Mickey Mouse book. I groaned inwardly. I had taken my sister’s bag by mistake! Suddenly, a black shadow descended upon me as I looked into the glaring eyes of Mr Lim. “Detention for you! ” she shrieked, and stomped away.
Trudging out of school, I recalled with painful embarrassment of my detention of cleaning the toilet. “Those kids really do not know how to keep themselves clean,”I muttered to myself. Suddenly, I heard a ‘splat’ and felt something warm land on my head. Argh! Bird shit! I whipped out my handkerchief and wiped vigorously at the offending spot. I screeched vulgarities at the errant offender, only to be greeted with another barrage of ‘crowning glories’. I ran all the way home, screeching like a madman. I had all I could take for one day!
