Ring! The bell rang, signalling the end of a tedious day of school and the beginning of the long-awaited December holidays. Eagerly, my classmates burst out of the classroom like a horde of prisoners set free. “Everyone, do you want to come over to my house to play soccer?” I asked my few good friends. They agreed without hesitation as all of us loved to play soccer.
After I retrieved the soccer ball, I headed to the void deck to start our soccer game. Pointing to a signboard on a wall, Max warned, “The sign says that we are not allowed to play soccer in the void deck.” “What’s wrong with playing soccer in the void deck?” I retorted.
I flung my soccer ball casually at Jason as I eagerly pushed a dustbin aside to make room for our soccer match. Max tried to dissuade me and suggested playing in the field as it was not risky. Unfortunately, his advice fell on deaf ears and he was quickly dismissed. “Don’t be a killjoy, Max!” I mocked. As I walked away, I shrugged despite his worried look. I reassured Max that nothing bad was going to happen.
My friends and I quickly got into formation and the match began. The soccer ball whizzed back and forth between players. I was excited to start the game but annoyed that Max was being such a spoilsport. The game quickly escalated into chaos. Boisterous shouts and yells resounded through the area as we played. All of us were engrossed in the game. I found that I had a clear goal from the side. As the coast was clear, I struck the ball with great strength. I was shocked at the sudden turn of events, as the soccer ball sailed across the void deck and went through the opened window into my neighbour’s house. My face turned pale and I watched with my mouth agape as the soccer ball headed straight for the glass bowl of my neighbour’s living room.
The ball traced an arc in the air before colliding into a glass bowl on a table in my neighbour’s living room. Crash! A deafening sound rang out, followed by a shocked silence.
Tiny glass smithereens lay scattered haphazardly on the floor. My friends and I stared helplessly at the mess. Paralysed by fear, I begged my friends to help me. However, all of friends decided that it would be a good time to leave and quickly left me in a lurch.
I was stuck in a dilemma. What should I do now’should I confess or take the easy way out by lying that one of my friends had done it? I deliberated over my options.
Out of the blue, I heard footsteps and the unlocking of the door. It was the owner of that house! My blood ran cold as I stared at the smithereens all over the ground. An old lady opened the door and looked at the glass smithereens all over the floor. I did not dare to look at the lady’s furious glares. “Who broke the window?” questioned the lady. Tears welled up in my eyes and I was shaking uncontrollably. Mustering up my courage, I informed the lady of my misdemeanor. “It was me. I played football in the void deck and broke the window unintentionally. I’m really sorry.”
The lady sighed heavily upon hearing me. However, her actions surprised me. “I am glad that you decided to own up to your mistake. That glass bowl is not valuable to me so I will forgive you.” I heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the lady profusely. The lady reminded me not to play soccer in the void deck in the future.
Reflecting back on the situation, I should have heeded Max’s warning. I learnt that honesty is the best policy and it is always right to be truthful no matter what one has done.
