Created by : Nur Izzati bt Shaharuddin

My name is Song.I come from a poor family and we live in

the poor workmans quarters on the outskirts of a small
town.My father is an odd-job worker and mother is a
domestic help.She works for a rich family in the city.My
father would often be drunk and liked to beat me up both
my mother and me.I hated going to school.Especially when
it was Monday.I did not have the Monday blues like most
people had rather,I did not want to face the detestable Miss
Menon whose lesson with her class was early every
Monday morning.I stil can remember when the detestable
Miss Menon fingered me unfairly as the prime suspect
when her favourite student not being able to find her
wallet.I still can remember this case happend before Miss
Menon lesson on Monday.


That morning,I was in an unusually cranky mood as I had woken up
late.By the time I got to school,the class had already gone for our
Physical Education lesson.After putting up my school bag under the
desk,I quickly changed into my sports attire and rushed out to join
the rest of the class.The exhausting workout passed without a hitch
and the class trooped back to class for Miss Menons lesson.We
were all getting our books out when a loud scream shocked
everyone.Mei Ling was crying in despair over not being able to find
her wallet.She was frantically turning out all the pockets of her bag
to try to find it.After fruitlessly searching for a few minutes,she sank
down on her chair and buried her face in her hands.The next
moment,Miss Menon came in.Seeing her favourite students
tears,Miss Menon walked over to her and asked her what the
matter was.After finding out the situation,Miss Menon began to
conduct her investigation.

She first asked if anyone had left the Physical Education lesson to
come back to class.When the answer was negative,she told the
class to think of anyone who was not with them all
time.Suddenly,Mei Ling stood up and pointed at me,saying that I
had gone to class late.I was speechless.No matter how I tried to
explain the situation,Miss Menon insisted that I was the prime
suspect.She wanted me to surrender the wallet,which I was not
able to do since I did not take it.Taking my non-compliance to be
evident of rebellious nature,she made me kneel outside the
classroom in full view of anyone passing by.The half-hour that I had
to kneel there in humiliation was the longest moment in my life.All
the while,I kept thinking of how unfair it was to punish me when I
was innocent.I knew that Mei Ling was her favourite and I came
from poor family,but that did not make her correct in pointing an
accusing finger at me.

Finally,Miss Menon came out to call me in.She told that Mei Ling
had found her wallet among her books.I was cleared eventually,but
the stigma remained.Since that,I often played truant.I really hated
going to school.One day,I was hanging outside Pak Udins provision
shop,gazing longingly at the chocholate candies inside.Then my
attention was drawn to two men that went out from the shop and
go towards the car park.Something in their manner was amiss.I
decided to follow them secretly.At the car park after had loaded the
goods from theur bag,they decided to go to the toilet.My attention
however,was drawn to one of the men prolonged stare at the partly
opened car boat.I wondered what was inside it that made him look
on so long.When the men had left the car,I approached the boot.To
my surprise,I heard muffled cries which sounded like the cries of a
small child in need.Putting my ears to the car metal,I heard
someone calling for help.

All I could do was reassure the child as loudly as I could,all the while
looking around to see any approaching man.Then,I acted
quickly.After mentally noting down the cars particulars,including
the vital licence plate number,I made a dash to the nearest police
station.But it was here that my trouble began.At the police
post,they did not belive my story.In the first place,I was out of my
place in my school uniform.I was sternly asked about why I was not
in school.A phone call by the officer to my school confirmed his
suspicions that I was truant.My detestable teacher told him that I
was untrustworthy.Then I was escorted back to the school in
disgrace.It never occurred to the authorities to wonder why I did
want to lie to them in the first case about the cries in the car.That
very night,I heard news from the village people that confirmed my
fears and suspicions.A prominent politicians only son had been
kidnapped.The kidnappers wanted a huge sum of money.

After hearing this,I felt vindicated and prepared myself for a visit
from police.When they arrived at my home,I was treated with care
and respect.In fact,I was treated very well.After ascertaining from
me a detailed account of the mornings incident,Inspector Ramu
departed.That night,I learned from my neighbor who heard from
the television news,that the police caught the kidnappers.I could
not sleep that night,happy in the knowledge that I had played a
small part in helping the boy and his parents.The next day was one I
would not forget in my life.In school,the Principal and Inspector
Ramu invited me to the stage of the school hall.In front of the all
pupils,I was commended on my bravery and alertness in helping
them nab the criminals.I also recived a most welcome cash reward
from the grateful father of the kidnapped boy.From then on,I was
treated with more respect from my teachers and school
mates.Attending school from then was a joy.