caught in a storm

8/12/2019 Caught in a Storm

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Caught in a storm

Black clouds gathered above us, but we were too intent on playing football. We hoped that the

clouds would go away so that we could continue playing.

Our hopes were dashedwhen suddenly heavy rain began to pour. In a few seconds we were allsoaked to the skin. To make matters worst, lightning flashed dangerously close to us. Thedeafening thunder and howling wind did not help either.

We ran towards a large tree under which we had parked our bicycles. The tree provided someshelter from the rain and we were tempted to remain under it. However we knew that it was

dangerous to stay under a tree during a thunderstorm. So we got on our bicycles and pedalled off.

There was no other shelter available nearby. So I, for one, decided to go home. Since I was

already completely wet, I might was well to go home instead to seeking shelter.

It was just about the fiercest storm I had ever been in. The driving rain made cycling difficult as Icould not see more that a couple of metres in front of me. A car flashed past me. It was too close

for comfort. Perhaps the driver did not even see me. So I thought it was better to stop somewherebefore I got hit by another car.

Luckily I found a bus-stop with a roof. I hurried gladly under the roof even though I had to shareit with a dozen other people who were also soaked to the skin. It was a bit of a squeeze but no

one complained.

For an hour the storm lashed everything around us. We were silent spectators to an awesome

display of power by nature. I felt very small and vulnerable, even afraid; but I could do nothing

but watch.

Finally the rain slowed down to a drizzleand the wind died down. I could still hear distant

thunder but the worst of the storm was over. So happily I got on my bicycle and pedalled home.

dash sb's hopes to destroy someone's hopes

vulnerable able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt,influenced or attacked

drizzle rain in very small light drops


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A seaside resort on a rainy day

Teluk Kemangeight miles from Port Dickson town, is a very popular holiday spot. The beach

is covered with lovely white sand and the sea is usually calm and inviting here. Furthermore the

water's edge does not change appreciably during low and high tides. So a bather does not have to

wade far to get to a decent depth.

Come Sundays and holidays, the beach is packed to capacity. This Sunday is no different. WhenI arrive by car with a group of friends, I have to hunt high and low for a parking space. After

some time I find one a few hundred meters from the beach. We do not complain for we are lucky

to find one.

In double-quick time we are in the sea, swimming to and fro and generally having a good time.

From the water I can see throngs of people on the beach. Some are standing, some are sitting

while the rest walk leisurely around. Some children are making sand-castles and a couple ofwhite bodies are spread out on the beach, presumably sun-bathing. Too bad for them, the sun is

hidden behind black clouds.

Black clouds! The thought suddenly occurs to me that it is going to rain. As if in direct responseto my thoughts, the rain comes, thick and furious. I can feel the sting of the raindrops falling on

my bare shoulders. The sea seems to boil under the incessant onslaught of falling raindrops. I can

see the bathers, including me, crouching down as low as we can get into the water to avoid thepainful drops.

Through the blurring rain, I see people on the beach rushing madly for shelter. Most of the

holiday-makers who come here are in their best Sunday clothes. They have no intention ofswimming. These people are mainly harried city workers who come here to join in the happy

Sunday atmosphere. However this Sunday is not for them. Soon most of them who do not findshelter quick enough are soaked to the skintheir clothes, hairdo, makeup and all thoughts of acheery holiday ruined by the relentless rain. They huddle remorsefully under whatever shelter

that are availablein the stalls, in the hotels, under the huge trees, in the bus. Some bravely

stand in the rain with their umbrellas. What a pathetic sight they present. The beach iscompletely deserted.

The souvenir pedlars are more prepared for the rain for they cover their wares quickly andeffectively with plastic sheets. It is obvious that they have had a lot of practice at this.

The speed-boats that take holiday-makers for a ride around the bay for a fee are idle. The drivers

sit forlornly in the boats, waiting for the rain to stop.

Those of us in the sea carry on with our fun. The feeling of getting caught in the rain while in the

sea is quite invigorating. Water, water everywhere and enough for anyone to drink. All he has to

do is to open his mouth, above the sea that is.

Eventually I can feel the waves becoming larger and the wind stronger. In a few minutes

swimming becomes impossible as the waves become huge and angry and the wind begins to get


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cold. I signal to my friends to get out.

Emerging from the warm sea into the cold driving rain is like stepping from a warm bed into arefrigerator. We shiver uncontrollably. So we run to the car. It is so wonderful to be inside the

warm car but what a mess we make inside the car; sand, water and salt everywhere. I will have to

clean the car when I get home.

When I start the engine to move off, I can see buses and cars leaving the beach. It seems like

these people have decided to go home too. Judging from the intensity of the storm, I reckon it

will carry on for a few hours. There is no point hanging around. Still there are many stubbornholidaymakers braving the pouring rain, waiting for the rain to go away till the seaside becomes

cheery and sunny once again.


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On a cold and gloomy night

It was a cold, gloomy night. The wind was howling and thunder could be heard often. It had been

like this for several hours, yet there was no rain. Many shuddered but pretended to believe that it

was only a storm building up. Why then did we all secretly believe that that night something

extraordinary was about to take place ? We, picnickers at an isolated seaside resort in the onlyhotel (or rather building) for miles around voted for a good night's rest.

Suddenly, the telephone rang. That assured us that we were not in an all-that-deserted

neighborhood and we rushed towards it relieved and even surprised to know that there was a

phone. A low, husky voice informed me that one of the members of our party was in seriousdanger in an old castle five miles away. Then it dawned on me that my little cousin was not with

us. Could he have been the one mentioned ? The line went dead. No further questions could be

asked.

Everyone was reluctant to leave the hotel, so a search party could not be formed. After much

persuasion, I managed to find a young man to accompany me. We set off in an old battered car.

The moon was not up yet and there were no stars.

Everything was still and the occasional sounds made by unfamiliar creatures frightened us. We

were convinced that ghosts were lurking. Yet the thought of my seven-year old cousin all alone

in a deserted castle kept us going. Suddenly, a scream was heard. I applied the brakes of the carand it screeched to a halt. Curious to know what had happened, we crept out of the car. There in

the middle of the road lay a black cat - dead. Although the car was an old one, its headlights were

strong and I felt sure that I had seen no cat around earlier. To make matters worse, it was a blackone, symbolizing bad luck. What about the scream we both heard ? That had still to be explained.

Deciding that it was wrong to dither at a time like that, we resumed our journey, We both knewwhere the castle was situated but has not been there before. How then could a seven-year-old

who had been with us all evening have disappeared to this castle, notorious for the mysterious

sounds heard at night? Few dared to visit it during the day !

We reached the strong iron gates of the castle. At its foot lay a small boy, shivering in the cold -

my cousin. I rushed forward to get him; he was unconscious. Wrapping him in blankets, weturned to the car, thankful to have found him live and not to have id to enter the castle in the

dark. We reached the hotel with no further mishaps and were greeted by relieved smiles. It was

the end of our adventure and it had ended well. We were all happy.

This baffling mystery remains unsolved. How had my cousin found his way to the castle? Even

he was puzzled. Who had telephoned us ? What about the scream we heard ?


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A daring rescue

It was a seven story building that had caught fire. The lower floors were used for offices and

shops. In the three upper floors people were living with their families. There were several

families living in the flats.

The fire started in a paint go down on the first floor. How it all started nobody knew. The firewas noticed only when it began to rage. It was an ungodlyhour when the fire broke out. The fire

was noticed first by a night watch man who raised an alarm. He phoned up promptly for the fire

service and police. It was sometime before the fire engines came to the scene. By then the fire

had spread to the other floors. Between fire and smoke there were cries of anguish and despair.People were at first rescued with the help of ladders and lifts. In the confusion that prevailed

nobody knew who was rescued. In such circumstances people tend to be very selfish.

The fire fighters thought they had rescued all. Then suddenly a lady remembered that her child

who was sleeping in the cradle had not been rescued. One can understand her anguish and pain.

She began beating her breast and wailing, thinking that her baby would have perishedby then inthe fire. One of the firemen did not lose hope. He told the lady assuredly that if the child was still

alive he would go and surely save it.

He drenched himself with water, got up the ladder in spite of the warning given by his

colleagues. Walls were crumbling down and beams were falling and tongues of fire were still to

be seen. Worst of all there was a thick pall of smoke. The man managed to get a foothold on awindow. He got into the room and with great difficulty he was able to locate the cradle. It was a

miracle that the fire had not done much damage to the side where the cradle was located. He took

the screaming child rolled it in a wet blanket which he had brought. He quickly strode to the

window and called his colleagues who were waiting anxiously below with a foam mat. He threw

the valuable bundle down. His colleagues caught it with dexterityand the child was moved to aplace of safety. No words can explain the joy of the mother.

In the meantime the fireman slipped down the ladder. In spite of the precautions he had taken,

there were burns on his body. He was promptly taken to the hospital and given proper treatment.

In appreciation of his service the highest civil authority rewarded a sum of money to him. Thatwas the proudest moment in the life of the fireman . Everybody was saying that he would get the

President's Medal for his courageous act.

ungodly extreme and unacceptable

perish to die, especially in an accident or by being killed, or to be destroyed

dexterity the ability to perform a difficult action quickly and skilfully with the

hands, or the ability to think quickly and effectively


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Fire

Fire is one of the four basic elements believed to be composing the universe and necessary to

human life and the continuity of human existence. The simple word 'fire' has, over the years,

acquired a large number of connotative meanings and seems to envelop the whole area of human

life ranging from its daily needs like the cooking of meals, and the heating of rooms to emotionaland poetical meanings. Fire is required for the purposes of war and peace, for the performance of

many religious ceremonies, and for the continuation of civilization. Yet. it is one of the mostprimitive forces present.

One can only guess how man learnt to ignite a fire. Perhaps the use of fire preceded thisknowledge of the method of lighting a fire. Primitive man, when he chanced upon a burning fire,

kept it burning for long periods. It gave him light and offered him protection from wild animals.

Later he learnt that tools could be hardened, metals melted, and food cooked. Gradually he also

learnt that fire could be lit in a number of ways - by knocking two stones together or pieces ofbroken pottery or bamboo sticks. He was later to learn the use of matchsticks. gas lighters and

electric lighters. Fire held him in awe. This was partly due to the mysterious origins of fire. Andin most of the ancient. pre-Christian religions, fire had a place of worship. The Hindus worship itand it is necessary for the performance of a "Yagna" or a religious offering of prayers and for the

performance of a marriage ceremony. The funeral pyre is also consumed by fire. The Parsis

worship fire and have Fire Temples where they offer their devotion. Coal. oil. wood. gas andelectricity are used to keep a fire going. They are all sources of energy and each has its own

utility. The steam engine and the early industrial gadgets were dependent on the steam produced

from coal. Now oil in the form of diesel and petrol has got an equally important part to play.

Central heating and railway services, cold storage and many medical facilities depend uponelectricity. But there is nothing to beat a good, warm fire in winter for creating good will and

friendly feeling. Civilization has brought in many changes and has almost driven the simple

wood fire out. Yet Gypsies and other tribal people still continue to gather around a communalfire and sing songs and dance to their heart's content. Most camps end in a camp bonfire.

In literature, fire has a dual role to play, as it has in real life. It symbolizes both creation anddestruction: it is both a cleansing and an annihilating agent. Robert Burns wrote in a poem

"Epistle to John Lapraik', "Gie me ae spark o'Nature's Fire. That's a' the learning I desire". He

meant by this that he wanted to feel intense passion and ardor and out of this all good is born, allcreative activity takes place. Yet fire also destroys. The Great Fire of London burnt away huge

sections of the city. a napalm bomb when it explodes causes burns and loss of life and animmense amount of destruction. A forest fire, as dwellers in the tropics know, is disastrous. Fire

destroys and when it dies down. it kills something in man and turns him into a cold, callous

human being.

It is said that the gods did not wish to share this gift with mankind and Prometheus stole firefrom heaven for the use of mankind. Though he was punished for this act, the rest of mankind

has benefited from his act. It is a divine quality not to be idled with. A fire accident can be a

gruesome affair. There has developed the idiom "He has come through fire" and also the proverb"It is foolish to play with fire". Man must take it in its proper measure: creation not destruction.


7/11

A Daring Rescue

Johnny was sound asleep when he was awakened by a loud commotion. He opened his eyes and

lay listening. He could hear shouts and screams coming from the outside. Sensing that something

was wrong, he quickly threw on his t-shirt and slipped into a pair of jeans, discarding his cottonpyjamas, and rushed out of the house.

There was a huge crowd gathered at one of the houses further up the street. The house wasablaze and thick clouds of smoke were floating up into the clouds. Johnny went back into the

house and made an urgent call to the fire department. Then, he ran out again towards the house

on fire.

It was Mr. Ong's house. Mr. Ong and his wife were safely out of the house but their young

daughter was still trapped inside the burning inferno. the neighbors had formed a human chain

and were using buckets of water to put out the fire but it was of no avail.

Johnny could hear the frantic cries of the young girl inside the burning house. Without thinkingtwice, Johnny furled himself at the door and broke into the house. He was almost overcome by

the thick smoke. Johnny held his breath and managed to locate the young girl. He carried her

over his right shoulder and dashed out of the house and placed her on a grass patch.

Soon, the fire engine and ambulance arrived. The paramedics quickly transported the girl to the

hospital accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Ong. The firemen used their big hoses to put the fire outbut the house was completely ruined.

A few days later, Mr. and Mrs. Ong came to Johnny's house. their daughter was still recovering

in hospital as she had suffered some minor burns. The couple thanked Johnny for rescuing theirdaughter.


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Write a story based on this line : "By evening, she was running a high fever ... "

Far up in the mountains of Canada, there is an old abandoned log cabin. Once it was occupied by

a young couple who wanted to distance themselves from the chaos of this modern world. Here

they were miles away from the nearest town. Bob, the husband, made the occasional trip into

town to buy supplies whereas Jan, his wife, spent her free time by the fire, sewing. Their life wassimply idyllic.

Then, one midwinter's day, Jan woke up from bed with a strange ache in her bones. Putting it

down to overwork, Bob shooed her to bed and made sure she rested. Though Jan was impatientto get to her chores, Bob soothed her, "Relax, Sugar. You're overdoing things. All these chores

will be here when you recover."

However, Jan seemed to be getting worse instead of recovering. By evening, she was running ahigh fever and in greater pain. In spite of his best efforts, Bob could not manage to ease her

suffering. And then suddenly, she started to lapse into unconsciousness.

It was then obvious that she was seriously ill. What could Bob do? He had no experience in

treating the sick and Jan was getting worse by the minute. He knew that there was an old doctor

in town but he lived three miles away, downhill. Pot-bellied and obese, there was no way thedoctor could make it up to their cabin.

Something had to be done quickly! Bob racked his brainsbut to no avail. The only thing left to

do was to go to the doctor. In Jan's condition, she could never walk that far in the waist-deep

snow. Bob would have to carry her!

Bob searched his mind for a way to move poor, sick Jan. Then, he remembered. He had once

made a sledge so that they could ride together over the mountain. They never got around to usingit though, because the whole mountain was thickly covered with rocks and trees. He had neverfound a safe way down, not even once.

"Well," he thought, "looks like I'm going to have to try it anyhow," as he dug out the sledge fromthe storeroom. "Jan may die unless I get her to the doctor, and life means nothing to me without

her." With this thought in mind, Bob gently tucked Jan into the sledge, got in the front, and with

a short prayer for safety, pushed off.

How they got through that ride alive, Bob has never figured out. As trees loomed up in front of

him and just as quickly whizzed by his side, close enough to touch, he felt relieved that Jan was

not awake to experience the ride. It was all he could do not to scream as collision seemedimminent, time and again, with only inches to spare.

At last, bursting from the mountainside, the town came into view. Barely slowing down, they

sped through the icy streets, only losing speed as they neared the doctor's house. The

sledge, batteredthrough the journey, collapsed in the left ski as it came to a halt, spilling out itsoccupants. Bob picked up his Jan and made his way into the doctor's house.


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After what seemed to be a long winter, Jan recovered fully from her illness but Bob never

recovered from his fright. They moved into the little town so as to be near help in times of crisis,

and have lived there ever since.

idyllic simple and carefree

rack one's brains strain to find a solution

batter to damage as by heavy wear


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caught in a storm

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