PSLE: A Staring Incident

You were in the shopping mall when you saw two teenagers quarrelling.

Downtown East was buzzing with life. Everyone was busy shopping for bargains. I was at the shopping mall browsing for the perfect gift for my elder brother, Jason, whose seventeenth birthday was tomorrow.  I was like his shadow for we were very close. 

As I was looking around, I heard a commotion. Someone was shouting, creating a racket. Something was amiss. Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to take a look. I meandered past the stalls and spotted from afar two teenagers infuriated at each other. One of them looked strangely familiar. I came closer and got the shock of my life. It was Jason! He was in a dispute with a teenager of similar age.

“Why are you staring at me?” shouted the stranger.

“If you don't look at me, how do you know I am staring at you?” my brother rebutted.

Both refused to let the matter rest and resumed shouting and ranting at each other. The gangster was spewing expletives at my brother, his eyes as red as hot coals. Both were totally unmindful of the unpleasant stares from the crowd. The onlookers were staring at them disdainfully. My instincts told me that things might turn ugly any minute.

“You dare to fight?” the burly youth issued a challenge. “Are you a weakling?”

My brother did not reply.

 

Before anyone could intervene, the teenager charged toward my brother like a demon. I froze momentarily not knowing how my big brother would react. With the gauntlet being thrown, he rose to the challenge by turning to one side to dodge his attack and punched him in the eye. A blue-black bruise appeared instantly.

The hoodlum was infuriated! He became mad – real mad! His hazel-brown eyes flashed in simmering anger and fury was practically radiating off his pores. My heart was lodged in my throat. What would the mad man do next? He brandished a penknife at his pocket. “I will kill you, you bastard!” he bristled and zoomed toward my brother like an arrow shot from a bow.

I was dumbfounded! He wanted my brother dead? I could not believe it! My face blanched white in trepidation. The scene struck fear in my heart! I was at a loss of what to do!

My brother tried to dodge but to no avail. Slash! His penknife plunged into my brother's heart in a split second. My breath hitched in my throat and an audible gasp of horror rose from the crowd. All movements ceased as my brother collapsed onto the floor in his own pool of blood. Crimson liquid was oozing out of the gaping wound.   

My mouth was agape in shock as I stared in dismay at the horrible scene. For a fleeting moment, my legs turned to lead and my mind convulsed with the reality of it all. Everything came to a standstill as my legs took flight towards my brother and I shook Jason's body, pleading, “Jason! Jason!”

Jason was as lifeless as a corpse. His breathing was laboured and slow. “Please, please press on! Somebody, please call the ambulance!” I cried out to the watching crowd. Jason flashed a weak smile and was already getting in and out of consciousness. “Jason, your birthday is tomorrow. We are supposed to celebrate it together.   If you die, I will never forgive you. Never!” I implored, trying to spur him not to give up. Tears flowed down like an open tap.

It was useless. My worst fear became a reality. Jason breathed his last and joined the angels. As I cradled his cold body in my blood-soaked arms, I could not help but cried buckets of heart-wrenching tears. The murderer was arrested on the spot and was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment as he was underage.


No matter what punishment he has received, nothing is going to bring back my brother – absolutely nothing.