PSLE: A Blackout

Sirens wailed down the looming tarmac streets. “Dad, please don’t sleep! Please!” I cried as silvery tracks of glistening tears rolled down my cheeks. Dad laboured for his next breath but it was getting weaker every passing second. It was all my fault. If I had not insisted, Dad would not be so severely injured. Memories of what had happened earlier coalesced into a random stream of images…

It was New Year’s eve and it was our family tradition for my daddy to bring me to the Marina Barrage for the annual countdown. The place was crowded with a sea of visitors. Deafening music was playing in the background and many were singing and swaying to the catchy rhythm. All were wearing happy faces and they could hardly contain their excitement. Countdown was approaching fast and all were looking forward to the display of fireworks in the ebony sky. 

As for me, exuberance was bubbling inside me as we waited anxiously for the countdown to start. The celebrity emcees on the stage started counting down. Everyone was counting together. “Five, four, three, two, one! Happy new year, everyone!” Instantly, the sky was illuminated with brilliant captivating fireworks! They looked like huge glorious golden flowers blooming in the sky and they then transformed into a zillion shooting stars falling towards us. Wow! It was such a spectacular sight!

Everyone was on cloud nine, cheering and clapping when suddenly, the entire barrage was plunged into darkness. It was as if someone had switched off a giant switch and the place was instantly blanketed by pitch blackness. It was a power failure and we could not even see our hands in front of us! Terror punctured the air. The scene of pure exhilaration and joy was replaced by an outrageous scene of pandemonium. People started shoving, pushing and running.

A chill ran down my spine! What was going on? Weren’t they supposed to stay calm? A thousand questions whizzed through my mind. I suddenly realized that Dad was not with me. “Dad, Dad!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. My cries were immediately drowned out by all the cries and shrieks. Despair hit me like a champion boxer’s punch! Fortunately, I heard a familiar voice calling, “Kaiying, Kaiying, where are you?”

It was Dad who was close by but how on earth was I going to locate him in this chaotic darkness? Momentously, anxiety coursed through my veins as I could not find Dad at all in this pitch-black madness. I could only pray fervently to find Dad - fast.

Just then, a strong arm caught me! “Kaiying, I’m here!” a reassuring voice called out. It was Dad! Phew! I was so immensely relieved to find him that I cried tears of joy. We held hands in a death grip but unfortunately, Lady Luck did not stay for long.

In the midst of the chaos, a few fell and another and another. A stampede followed and everyone started trampling on one another. A domino effect broke out among the crowd. In ridiculous frenzy, everyone was stomping and pounding their feet on the fallen victims as they could hardly see at all. Alas, Dad and I fell too on the cold, hard ground. 

Ouch! Ouch! Merciless footsteps were treading on us like heavy elephants but Dad instinctively wrapped his body around me so that I could receive minimal impact. Oh no! Dad was sacrificing himself for me. He was taking in all the stamping, stomping and trampling, suffering intense excruciating pain while I was safe and sound as if I were in my mother’s womb. 

All of a sudden, lights returned back to the barrage. I looked at Dad. His face grimaced in painful agony. He looked ghastly pale and blood streaked from the corner of his thin lips. His spectacles twisted and the lens cracked. His shirt was ripped and covered with countless footprints. Horror besieged me and my face blanched in trepidation.

“Dad, Dad? Are you alright!?” I cried but all he could do was to flash a very small grin and blacked out. 

Soon, police and paramedics arrived to render help to the injured. Dad was whisked immediately into a waiting ambulance. Sirens wailed aloud as it sped to the nearest hospital. There was a sudden, loud ‘beeeeep’ sound on the machine. The paramedics were in a flutter of frenzy, trying to resuscitate Dad. All was too late. Dad was gone for good.