24 Things To Remember

Your presence is a present to the world.
You are unique and one of a kind.
Your life can be what you want it to be.
Take the days just one at a time.

Count your blessings, not your troubles.
You will make it through whatever comes along.
Within you are so many answers.
Understand, have courage, be strong.

Do not put limits on yourself.
So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
Decisions are too important to leave a chance.
Reach for your peak, your goal and your prize.

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
The longer one carries a problem the heavier it gets.
Do not take things too seriously.
Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

Remember that a little love goes a long way.
Remember that a lot......goes forever.
Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
Life's treasures are people being together.

Realize that it is never too late.
Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
Have hearth and hope and happiness.
Take the time to wish upon a star.

And do not forget...

For even a day...


HOW VERY SPECIAL YOU ARE!!

by Masqueradez... Wishing everyone a wonderful life!!

Super Powers

"If I had super powers, I would kidnap the Ginnie and force him to grant my every wish!" Joshua told his elder brother, Edwin while he was just five. "Well, if I had super powers, I would do everything, yes Joshua, everything to make you happy!", assured Edwin. It was the most memorable day for Edwin and Joshua, for they are both in black suit and white rose clipped onto their chest pockets, looking smart, sending their last regard to their parents. Just two days before this, Emma and Charlie was happily on their way attending a friend's wedding and who knows fate spoken in such sudden, and they are now gone, leaving Edwin to look after his little brother, forever.

Edwin is a great brother every sisters want and every girls wish to own him. His smart, intelligent, dedicated, caring, kind and most importantly, loving. He is an early matured in thinking boy comparing to his buddies. He tends to know every consequences that might happen for what he chose. Lucky for Joshua, God bestowed this priceless brother to him. Contrary, Joshua is a childish boy, even now that he is already thirteen. He always do things for his own benefits and never think about others. He is greedy and timid, and an easily loose canon he always be. But he takes every talent of himself for every granted and dreams big, much bigger than Edwin ever thought of - to become a well-known artist in the world.

Carrie, Emma's sister is the only family Edwin and Joshua have left. She has been supported the brothers' life for years since the death of her dear sister. She always holding out her hands rather than pointing a finger on them. She is irrevocably an angel came out from nowhere and "poofs" into the brothers' life.

It was Christmas Eve. As usual, Joshua will join his brother and aunt for the dinner on this sanctity night. A bowl of Aunt Carrie's Potato Salad is prepared so lovingly. It brings back every bits of good memories for them by just putting a piece of it in your mouth, let it melts warmly like butter on your tongue. The turkey is resting on the table, roasted so perfectly you can even feel the crisp of the caramelized skin by just looking at it. Apple pie is freshly baked and served on the table for three, leaving the aromatic and lusty scent of apple in the ambiance of the holly night. What a night! After their dinner, Carrie brought the brothers to church for blessing. There was barely even a shadow on the road. The happy family were singing songs on their way,

"Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle all the -" HONK! WHAM! BANG!!

Came from nowhere, a huge truck loaded with logs crashed into the little cooper so violently. There was nothing to be felt, except their own hasty breath and the cold in the air. Before Joshua could know, Aunt Carrie has left him and Edwin forever. It was a total deja vu, only now that they are both experiencing the incident happened eight years ago.

"If I had super powers, I would ask the Ginnie to make Aunt Carrie live again," Joshua told Edwin in Aunt Carrie's funeral. "Well if I had super powers, I'll just make sure that no one will suffer our pain in this world, and do everything to make you happy," cried Edwin, heartily.

Edwin is now a twenty-five young man and is already mastering the field of psychology treatment. He always wants to help others who lost their loved ones like he did to put down the present and walk out a future. Joshua, has developed much in his creativity, brother-ship, humanity and most of his virtue. He is in his sweet sixteen and studying in a well-known art school, majoring in sculpture designing. The brothers have suffered four hard years with not much cash flow after Aunt Carrie's death.

One evening after the stressful studies of everyday, Edwin is ready to head home to relax. He only realized that his wallet has left in the desk of his classroom when he got to the bus stop. Just at this moment, he met a friend, Jeffery who is born into a wealthy family and have everything Edwin doesn't have. He then gave Edwin a ride home in his new Porsche. As soon as Edwin reached home, he called Joshua out from the house. He pointed at Jeffery's car and whispered to Joshua, "hey, see that Porsche? Isn't it grand! One day, I'll buy this car for you." All Joshua could reply was, "yeah, right..."

Life is getting better for the next three years. Edwin got a great job giving lectures around the country and he bought himself a Porsche! Joshua has entered college studying advance sculpturing with full scholarship.

It is Joshua's first sculpturing competition tomorrow and all he ever wished is to have his brother being there in the studio supporting him and giving him every inspiration on it. But Edwin is 200 miles away and no way he is coming back for this important event. "So much for 'do everything to make you happy'... I hate you Edwin!!" And Joshua threw the phone on the floor with every anger and disappointment.

It is the big day. Joshua reached the National Youth Art Studio at 9.00 a.m. It was a crowd there and everyone seems to be professional and well prepared. Competition starts at 10.00 a.m. sharp, and every participants were given the title "Love". Tension rises. Joshua has not got a piece of idea what to do. Starring at the big marble block, he is totally numb.

Ring..Ring...Ring... "What now Edwin?! I'm in the middle of competition and losing. No thanks to you! Edwin? Hey, Answer me! Edwin?"

"Hey there my sculpture boy... Well, I canceled the last lecture to come over... I really did... I tried... Sorry..." Comes an unrecognized sound of Edwin from the phone. It sounded much more like growling of pain rather than excited.

"What do you meant 'sorry'? Hey, you alright? Edwin? Edwin! Hey, answer me!! You there?"

Five minutes after the call, two policemen came into the studio, looking for Joshua. He has been told that Edwin couldn't make it in a road accident just outside the studio.

Tears splash everywhere flooding the studio. No one knows the pain like Joshua does in this world, for losing every family in a flick of eye. He is condemned, crushed, soulless... Just at that moment, he got what he wished for, the inspiration from his late brother. He carved out the Grand Prize sculpture around the studio - a live size Edwin, and now everyone in this world would know the bitter in the yonder heart of a young sculptor.

Walking up the stage, where thousand pairs of eyes watching at you recording the sour memorable moment, I was asked to give a speech on my sculpture. Every words choked my breath and I cried silently for a moment. Thinking of what I have been through, I finally spoke, "Edwin, guess what? I have SUPER POWERS! But it seems like Ginnie can't grant me every wish though...Thanks for accompanying me for these eighteen years..."

Yes, I was really a self-centered person, and I changed. I know what are my super powers now - to cherish and love everyone around me. I succeeded!

Thank you, Edwin. I will see you real soon...



by Masqueradez... This is my essay during exam for May 2009...I edited a little though...

Tonight's Memory, Tomorrow's Sunrise

Dear Diary,

It has been a year. One eyear that had seemed to stretch on forever. This day, a year ago, is burned vividly in my mind as if it was yesterday. It is a memory I can do better to give up. Yet, a memory etched foerever in my mind like words on stone. -

Here, I stopped writting, dropping my pen to keep the tears that treatened to overflow at bay. I looked out of the bedside window. The stars that I had grown to know so well over the past year shone brightly tonight. Their light was the only comfort I had on these nights I barely slept. Now, I gazed at them, looking with unseeing eyes. They were all I had tonight - the stars and the memories of the many times I had wished upon them.

Yet, with all those wishes, I had asked for only one thing. To see her again.

But I will not see her again.

I do not see her now. There is only the deafening silence of the night and the emptiness. For me, it will always be this way.

Loneliness pressed in on me from all sides. In the pale light of the moon, I felt myself succumb once again to the flow of memories that flooded back in torrents. Im my mind's eye, again, I saw the malevolent glint of the silver knife and the blood that splattered everywhere. Her blood.

I let a single tear roll down the side of my cheek and splash like a crystal on my palm. I looked down upon it. A single tear that seemed to represent everything that I had gone through in the past year. My mind slipped, and for a moment, I thought I could see the night that it happened reflected in its depths.

It had been one of those magical nights. We were strolling by the beach, hand in hand, blissfully unaware of the tragedy that was about to unfold hours later. The waves lapped at the shore. The sand was silky under our feet. All was well.

I hold her hand tightly as we walked the length of the beach. Thee cool night air, the smell of her shampoo in her hair and the feel of her smooth fingers interlocked in mine, they all leapt out at me in the perfect peacefulness of the night. I held her close to me as we walked and was content. Words were unnecessary between us. The silence said all there was to say. And for hours, we sat on the velvety sand, her head on my shoulder and eyes closed, listening to nothing but the constant crashing of wave after wave againts the shore.

What happened later that night was hazy in my mind, as if my subconsciousness was trying to shield me againts a terrible memory. I had offered to walk her home. I remembered the revving of a motorbike close by and a man wearing a tinted helmet leaping off the bike to thrust a long flick knife into her chest. Then, an arm snatching her handbag forcefully and finally making off on the bike again.

The whole series of events took no more than twenty seconds. Now Rachael lay limp in my arm, blood spilling and spreading in a circle, from a gaping wound directly over her heart. A cold numbness took me. It did not take a genius to see that she would not live to see tomorrow's sunrise. My eyes were pleading as I shook her. "Stay with me," I beseeched silently. My body racked with desperation. But it was not to be.

I fell to my knees. The unyielding pavement was cold againts my body. The pearly moonlight reflected off Rachael's face, making her face seem to glow palely. Her head was rested on my heaving chest and her breathing was shallow. I watched with helplessness as her life ebbed slowly but surely from her. That moment, I hated mysef.

She tried to reassure me with her eyes. Eyes that spoke of a fear she tried to hide. "Be brave," she breathed. "I'll miss you too". Her voice was whisper now, and it seemed every syllable costed her great pain.

Yet, she smiled weakly, not letting it on. She knew her pain scared me. In that moment, it seemed I had never truly appreciated how very beautiful she was.

Now, there was nothing I could do except affer her the only comfort I could. I held her closely and pressed my lips againts her forehead. An hour passed but I did not move, did not feel the dark liquid that seeped through her blouse and poded on the ground.

I senced Rachael died. I saw the life that sparked out behind her eyes and felt the woman I loved with my life, shudder and go limp. And I hugged her all the tighter because of it.

No one heard the anguished scream that pierced the night. No one saw the cold tears fall freely from my cheek onto hers. I cried my heart out that night. But no one heard.

- What can I do, diary? The warmth of her body againts mine and her beautiful face remains as nothing but memories. Memories that do nothing but break my heart.

Now I stood up and leaned againts the window frame. "I love you, Rachael," I tried to whisper, "I really do". But the words seemed to choked me.

I lay down on my bed and cried myself to sleep.

by Jason Yee Jia Xuan, while he just turned 15...