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Early one September morning, I found myself dreaming of my mother cleaning
the kitchen. I knew it was still too early for Hari Raya and my mother was
not an early bird. I tossed and turned. I thought I heard a sound. The sound
became louder and clearer until I woke up to discover that the sound was
really coming from downstairs. I turned and slammed a pillow into my face,
hoping to shut out the irritating sound. Then, I suddenly realised that I
was alone in the house. My parents were away for a wedding! They were
putting up a night at Aunty Rosie's house. Someone was definitely
downstairs! I lay in bed, wide awake now, straining to hear what the sound
was. I could hear someone moving about downstairs. Suddenly, I felt a chill
sweeping over my body. I tried not to panic. What would father do? I
contemplated my options. I could climb out of the window and get help but it
was too dark and I could slip and fall. I looked around my room to see if I
could get my hands on anything that I could use to protect myself. Then, I
saw my hockey stick, standing beside my cupboard. I grabbed it and jumped
back into bed, seeking comfort from its presence. I waited and listened. I
could hear the movement of my alarm clock. The loud ticking seemed to fill
my entire room.
The burglar was moving around the living room. I could hear him opening
and closing the cabinet door. There goes my mother's precious silverware, I
thought. I grabbed the phone and discovered that the line had been cut.
Then, I remembered that father had given me his cell phone and it was just
lying beside me. Thank God for modern, inventions. I punched the emergency
number as if I had been rehearsing for this moment all my life. It must have
been all the television shows that I have been watching. I whispered to the
operator and she seemed to understand what I was trying to say. Then, I
called my neighbor, Uncle Murthi. He answered on the fifth ring. Again, I
spoke as softly as I could. His voice was rather low, having been rudely
awakened by my call. "Uncle, this is Rahim. There's a burglar in my house.
Please let the police into my house when they arrive." He said he would and
I hung up. Father usually gives him a set of keys whenever he and Mother are
away.
After a few minutes, I decided to tiptoe and take a look at what was
going on. Barefoot and silent, I went towards my bedroom door. By this time,
I found that my T-shirt was drenched with sweat. I glanced at my watch.
Uncle Murthi was taking an awfully long time. Slowly, I opened the door and
slipped into the dimly lit corridor. I hid behind a cupboard and tried to
survey the situation. I could hear footsteps in the kitchen. I shifted
slightly and it was then that I saw a shadow moving about. I noticed that my
knees were shaking. My head felt light and my mouth was dry. Then, I heard
voices outside the door. My heart leapt at the thought that finally help had
come. At the same time, the burglar rushed upstairs and I stood rooted to
the spot, too afraid to make any move even though I was clutching the hockey
stick tightly. I was thankful that I had something to hug at that moment.
The minute I saw the burglar entering my room I headed downstairs. Every
step was shaky and I thought my knees might give out and I would topple
over. I tried to swallow but I almost choked on the dryness. I sprinted the
remaining distance when the door suddenly opened. I saw Uncle Murthi and a
few policemen. I felt like hugging all of them. I signaled to them and the
policemen quickly rushed upstairs. After a scuffle, they managed to
overpower the burglar. One of the policemen grabbed a bag from his limp
hand. I noticed that it was my school bag. He had emptied all the contents
and filled it with some of my mother's things. He had even stuffed my
father's laptop inside.
I gratefully sank into a chair Uncle Murthi offered. The first dim light
of day was cutting through the curtains. Glancing up, I saw a man taller
than myself. He was well-built in a black pullover. I could not bear to look
anymore. Later, I had to follow the policemen to the police station. After a
thorough investigation, it was found that the same burglar was responsible
for a spate of break-ins in the past few months. I was very grateful to
Uncle Murthi who allowed me to stay with them till my parents got home the
next day. |
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Based
on the passage given, write a summary:
• on
what Rahim did when he realized that a burglar was in his house and
• how
he felt throughout the whole ordeal
Your
summary must:
• be
in continuous writing ( not in note form )
• not
be longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given below
Begin
your summary as follow:
When Rahim realized that a burglar was in his house, ... |
