PSLE: Responsibility

Japheth never knew what responsibility was.  He was highly irresponsible and always pushed the blame on others.  However, an incident on a fateful day took place and it has changed everything.  Japheth has become a very reliable boy but he has paid a heavy price for it…

It was evening time and Mother was cooking in the kitchen.  The smell of curry lingered in the air and Japheth was not hungry at all.  He was playing Clash Royale on his mobile phone and food was definitely not on his mind. 

“Japheth, Mum needs to run to the shop to get more coconut milk.  Could you be responsible enough to look after the fire for me?” Mother’s voice asked.  Japheth nodded without even looking up.  He was too engrossed to give a reply.  With that, Mother darted out of the door and locked the gate.

Meanwhile, the curry was boiling furiously.  The heat was intense and a light burnt smell began to permeate the house.  Japheth noticed it but he could not care less and continued playing.  A few minutes later, a loud crackling sound was heard and he was breathing in wisps of smoke.  Curiosity got the better of him and he finally decided to check what had happened.

As he marched into the kitchen, he saw the whole pot of curry on fire!  The flames were jumping about in the pot.   Oh no!  His lack of responsibility had gotten him into trouble!  He decided to act quickly and filled a bucket of water, ready to put out the fire.

It was a really bad move!  The splashing water caused a loud kaboom! and tossed him a few meters away.  Japheth’s eyes widened with horror and his jaws dropped.  His face blanched with trepidation and panic filled his heart.  He wished he watched the fire closely but he was too late to regret. 

By this time, half of the kitchen was engulfed with flames and the paint on the wall started melting. Thick black smoke was spreading fast.  The kitchen was burning like a charred chicken and the rampant inferno was spreading fast.   Stricken by terror, his heart pounded like an African drum.  He ran to the gate, trying to escape but the gate was locked and there was no key in the house!

“Someone, please save me!” he hollered and walled aloud.  He never knew that his irresponsibility would have landed him in such a dire state.  Fortunately, a resident had already notified the fire brigade. Within minutes, the sirens wailed down the street.  A fire engine had arrived and some heroic firemen broke the gate and doused the fire immediately.  Japheth’s immense anxiety instantly turned to relief when the flames were completely extinguished.

By the time Japheth’s mother was back, the kitchen was burned down.  Mother found out what had happened and gave Japheth the mother of all dressing-downs.  It was pointless for there was no way Japheth could turn back the clock.  However, the boy learned an important lesson.  He finally understood the importance of being responsible even for the most minute task.  It was definitely a heavy price to pay for such a valuable lesson.