Narrative - A Wish Gone Wrong

 

         ‘Make a wish! I will grant it! I will! I will! Yes, I will! Quick, make a wish!’ the woman said rather enthusiastically with a crooked smile, standing too close for comfort. Instinctively, I backed away. Then, with sceptical eyes, I looked her over – her hair was dishevelled, red veins filled her eyes, her clothes were shabby and her body just could not stop moving, like she was high on drugs. This lady accosted me while I was on my way back home after witnessing a gory car accident. The idea of death never bothered me, but what I had seen earlier have shaken me down to my soul – the dead disfigured body covered in blood left me traumatised. What an unsightly way to die!

 

“I wish to stay alive forever!” I replied, full of hope with no hint of regret. I imagined that my body would feel light, I would be lifted up into the air, magical dust would spiral around me and the wish would thus be granted. To my disappointment, none of those happened. The lady just turned around and left, hopping up and down while humming a weird tune towards a junction and finally turned right into a corner, disappearing before my eyes. I continued my journey back home and by the end of the day, the incident was already forgotten.

 

Years passed by peacefully and I had grown into a fine lady. I met the love of my life and we got blissfully married. I gave birth to two beautiful children. I felt complete – with both my parents still in excellent health, with my husband’s supportive and unwavering love and with my blessed children who soon grew into responsible and respectful teenagers and later on, successful adults. I could ask for nothing more.

 

However, everything went downhill on my 60^th birthday. On their way home to celebrate my birthday, both my children were caught in a car accident, ironically, at the same place where I had witnessed the car accident 45 years ago. Both were announced dead after dreadful hours of surgical emergency. My whole family and I broke down into tears and soon we were steeped in depression. Months later, my parents passed away. My husband drowned his sorrow in alcohol and he was later diagnosed with liver cancer. Before long, he was taken away from me too.

 

Now, I was left all alone – old, weak, depressed, broken and mostly undead. Countless of times and in numerous ways I had tried to take my life, but nothing worked. Every attempt only hurt my body and the pain that followed was insufferable and abiding. The aggregation of pain and loss I had experienced made me wish that I was dead, but it never did happen. My sole consolation was the memories of my beloveds that would remain alive, as long as I lived.

478 words

written by Mr. Tan, in 2019

inspired by Rachel Tham Hui Shan's story, 8L, CCMS