A sheet of paper by, Amy Lim Su Yen

Section B: Continuous Writing

[50 marks]

Write a composition of about 350 words on one of the following topics.

2. Write a story beginning with:

“My mind went blank. The only thing I could remember…….”

A sheet of paper

By, Amy Lim Su Yen

My mind went blank. The only thing I could remember is the rain that was falling that night. It was raining cats and dogs but that is the only thing I could remember. I can remember the wetness, dampness and darkness that night. I searched my mind for further details but it feels as though there is a huge wall blocking my way. My head is starting to hurt as I tried to find the answers to these missing fragments of my memory.

The doctor has his gaze on me, waiting for my answer. “Have you remembered what happened that night, Amanda?” he asked me again. I could not give him the answer. My mind is absolutely blank. There is no trace of what happened that night in the chamber of my memory. As a matter of fact, I do not know how I ended up lying on this hospital bed with one of my legs in a cast.

Doctor Benjamin waited patiently for me to speak again. “I cannot remember, doctor. I really cannot remember anything that happened that night. My head hurts trying to remember it” I told him slowly and softly. My energy is still at a minimum level ever since I woke up this morning. Mother told me I was a sleep for three days now while on a tube.

I clenched my fist together, squeezing the ironed white bed sheet. Now my head is spinning and I can feel my heart pulsating. My breathing is starting to become heavy and I found myself gasping for air. The doctor placed both his hands on my shoulder and said out loud to me, “It is alright, Amanda. Calm down, breath slowly. Listen to me, Amanda. Breathe in, breathe out”. I took a deep breath in and then let it out slowly.

I relaxed a little and so did Dr. Benjamin.  “Everything is going to be fine, Amanda. Just rest for now and things will get better. Your memory will come back to you. Even if it does not, some things are meant to be forgotten. Maybe it will be better if you do not remember what happened that night, dear. Just relax yourself and focus on recovering” he said to me in a tone that makes one relaxed. I nodded slightly but I still want to know what happened that night.

“Do you know what happened that night, doctor? Can you tell me?” I asked him directly. He kept quiet for a moment as though to battle on whether or not to tell me the truth. I can see it in his eyes that he is reluctant to tell me something that he knows that I do not know. I looked at him in the eyes. “Please tell me, doctor. I want to know. It will make me feel better to understand the truth” I begged him to tell me.He held up his clipboard and pretended to flip the papers attached. “Please Dr. Benjamin. Please tell me” I pleaded again. 

The clipboard was dropped to his side. He looked and me and let out a huge sigh. “Amanda….” He hesitated. I locked my gaze at his, waiting for his explanation. “Alright, I only know a bit of information and not exactly the whole details of the incident. Three nights ago, it was raining and you were brought into the emergency ward along with another young lad. He is in another ward, one floor above us. Your mother told me an accident happened that night and both of you were involved. That is all I know” he looked away after he finished his sentence.

I stared into space for a while. Another person was brought in with me that night? I began to search through my mind again. Nothing, I cannot remember anything. My mind is as blank as a sheet of white paper. I was going short on breath again. “Stop, Amanda. Stop forcing yourself. Amanda, do you hear me?” Dr. Benjamin held me in place again, trying to calm me down. I breathe in and out slowly. “I can hear you doctor” I assured him. He looks as pale as a ghost. I am in a better colour compared to him.

Dr. Benjamin shrugged, “Please stop forcing yourself Amanda. If I get a heart attack then who would be here to make sure you are well enough to leave this place in one whole piece?” I smiled, “Sorry, doctor. I will stop thinking of it. I promise you”. He nodded and got up, looking at his watch and then he called the nurse in charge of me. She appeared at the door in split seconds. “You need me?” the woman dressed in a nurse uniform with a nametag that says Emily pinned on her pocket answered.

“Yes, Emily. Please take care of Amanda for me until I return this evening to check on her progress. Make sure she does not think too much and get enough rest, alright?” the doctor instructed her but he said in such a manner that it did not seem like an instruction. He has his own way of making everyone feel at ease so that we would listen to him. As though he has some sort of magic power in him or something like that.

Emily nodded and Dr. Benjamin went off. He reminded me to not think of anything even before he left. The clock was ticking so slowly and I just stared at it until finally I could stand it no more. I shift my attention away from the bright yellow, flower wall clock to look at Emily who is now changing the water in the drinking jug on the table next to my bed. “Emily is it? Can I call you Emily?” I asked her politely. She stopped what she was doing and smiled at me.

“Yes dear, you can call me Emily” she replied. I returned her a smile. It is so boring in here if I do not do anything soon I think I will go berserk. I looked at Emily with a sparkle in my eye. “Emily, is it possible for me to go around the hospital just for a while? Maybe just a floor above us would do. Please” I asked her nicely. I can see the same expression of hesitation the doctor had from her. I continued to look at her with a pleading face. “You cannot walk my dear” she reminded me. I pointed to the wheel chair by the window. She gave in to me.

Every room we passed by looked about the same to me. They were some that has its curtains not drawn and I could see the other patients inside. Some of them were talking to their family members but most of them were fast asleep. Emily continued to push me across the ward and I did not forget my purpose of asking her to bring me to this floor. I need to answer the missing pieces to the puzzle in my head. Who is this guy Dr. Benjamin was referring to? I need to find out.

Each window we passed by was one step closer to answering my questions. We almost reach the end of the ward when suddenly I saw someone I know. “Stop” I said in an instant. Emily stopped immediately and I almost fell out of the wheel chair due to inertia. I leaned slightly forward to the window and looked carefully at the first patient in the room. My heart nearly stopped. Almost half of his lower body was wrapped up in gauze and instead of one cast he has two for both his legs. “Peter” I gasped.

It must be him. It is Peter. What happened to him? Was he the one with me? I want to see him. “Emily, can I go in?” I looked up at her. She nodded without thinking twice. My conscience tells me that she knows something that I do not know. We were about to enter the room but suddenly I heard someone screaming my name. Before I know it, that person was grabbing my shoulders tightly. “Amanda” that person screamed in front of me.

It took me a while to figure out that the person is Peter’s father. He was squeezing my shoulders so tightly it hurts. “Uncle Anderson, stop it. It hurts” I said out loud and tears were streaming out from the corner of my eyes. Emily was trying to calm him down and shoved him away from me as he continued to scream my name out loud. He also said something to me but I was in such confusion I could not put together what he was telling me.

My vision started to blur in this state of confusion. Slowly, I find myself losing focus of everything. “Amanda, hang on. Amanda stay with me” someone that sounds like Dr. Benjamin called out to me but I was so tired I fell asleep………………….

1, 537 words

One hour.

[Another cliff hanger. I need to practice my timing again before my exam on Tuesday. BM is even worse. I am having a writer's block for BM essay]