“He could never resist the temptation” was the topic given to our O’ Level final year students in their monthly performance test for November, 2014, and here is what Muhammad Sohaib Shahid blasted off for us to enjoy. See the engaging style. Words and sentences in his writings shape in a way that they keep you dragging till the end. You feel like finishing the story and then attend anything else in your life. Well done, Sohaib!

“He could never resist the temptation”

Like always, he did not see it coming. His over-weight soccer boots did not balance him which made him skid across the wet floor. Alan had slammed into the fireplace resulting in a bad bruise. To his fortune, Henry had just put off the fire but Alan, strained in excruciating pain, gave a high pitched moan.

 Mum and Henry hurried downstairs and on finding Alan severely hurt, gave him some aid. Wiping charcoal off his leg, Alan tried to walk but with each stride, he doubled the pain. It turned out that Alan had to miss a vital game for his team.

Alan and Henry, being twins were passionate in soccer. Although Henry never played since he froze due to nervousness in an equally important game, he was just satisfied watching his gifted brother play. He would recall the moments  he played together with Alan and always wanted to relive them but Alan, who was the heart of the team, would suggest him not to.

“Tell the coach about my leg……argh …, you…have gotta make it there” Alan insisted.

It did not take much before Henry hit the road. On arriving at the field, he missed the presence of his brother in the squad. Saddened, he grabbed a bench and impatiently waited the team’s recruitment. The coach was shouting the names of the starters when Henry heard him say “Alan”. It was time for Henry to innovate, since he could never resist the temptation.

As Henry seemed totally identical to Alan, he decided to fill his space.

“Just a moment, coach “, he blurted out quickly and then crept into a room where he got strut in the kit. Soon he was among the players and “The Hull Tigers” were all set to attack.

This newly born “Alan” felt overjoyed as the match progressed. It seemed he had overcome his nervousness completely. The crowd would appreciate his every effort, considering it to be Alan’s regular game though it was Henry who had managed to play like him. It was the last moment of the match when out of nowhere, the football bolted into the net. Henry who had barely played a month had scored the winner for his team.

Hull Tigers had won the cup!

Henry, extremely jubilant, rushed back home and beheld before his brother the trophy. Alan on having already received the victory news by a text message chirpily exclaimed, “well, there’s been a while we haven’t played together”.

Muhammad Sohaib Shahid
O' Level Final Year
PakTurk International Schools & Colleges,
 Chak Shahzad Campus, Islamabad

“It was the same bus I got into every day, but that day as I sat down I sensed something was different.” – This narrative topic appeared in a Cambridge O’ Level Paper. As I announced this among other five topics in my O’ Level class while giving them their monthly test a few days back, Malik Zain approached me with an innocent question: “Can I open my story with the same line?” This evening, he dropped the text (in typed form) into my mailbox on Facebook asking for a little editing. The updated version was then considered for a blog post. Here you are. It, of course, is a story with lots of appeal. Do give it a read. It’s capable of keeping your minds hooked up till the end. I’m sure, you’ll enjoy the suspense --- its most luminous feature.

“It was the same bus I got into every day, but that day  as I sat down, I sensed something was different.”

It was the same bus I got into every day, but that day as I sat down, I sensed something was different. The bus driver seemed to be in a miserable condition; his clothes were dirty and ruffled as if he had not changed for days, and there was a deep cut blatantly visible on his face. The face also had a black scar on the left.

To my utter shock, that 35 years old man looked much older. Lost in his own thoughts, he was, unlike his usual attitude, quiet. As I sensed further, the entire atmosphere in the bus too looked gloomy. One more observation came into sight --- the fact that bus made sharp turns though he was usually an attentive driver. I was, perhaps, the only person who noticed that, as others were all either busy reading or murmuring something to one another.

Ali, the bus conductor, also looked different. In fact, everyone was acting differently. Unsurprisingly, I felt extremely uncomfortable with all that. All seemed deaf and dump.

Ali, in a few minutes, made a dart for the seat I was sharing with an old man. I could see it clearly that the young man was not in his usual spirits. I had my ticket in my right hand and as I handed it over to him, impatient, I inquired:

‘What’s wrong? Everything seems weird, abnormal as if it’s a vehicle carrying dead bodies.’

He smiled a smile that had no shine, no sign that used to be characteristic of his. In a depressed tone he replied:

 “Zaid’s (the driver) entire family is in the hospital. They met with a brutal accident last night. His mother and son are in a critical condition. So, he stands in dire need of money.”

“Oh, poor man!” I exclaimed with sorrow. “You see, he can’t stay with his family even at such a crucial time” he added. “Pal, can you be of some help? ...however small it might be, but do contribute something. And I urge you to do as much as you can.” He turned around and was soon out of my sight.

I was dumbfounded.  I did not even know how to react. I also had had bad times in my life, but I admit, that was the worst one could have. God forbid, I had never experienced anything like that. It was a nightmare. Fully aware of my financial condition, I sat there as if glued to my seat.

Suddenly, an idea flashed across my mind: Zambi. “Yes, Zambi’s the one who can help.”

Zambi, my first cousin, had just returned from the US with loads of money in his accounts and had started investing here and there wherever he found an opportunity to augment his wealth. My right hand slipped into my pocket arbitrarily. When it came out, it went straight to the right side of my face.

“Hi Sami, how’re you doing man?” Zambi’s voice struck my auditory senses. “Zambi, listen up…..”

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Soon enough, Zambi’s ever radiant, smiling face appeared at the hospital gate where I was all eyes for him. And that is how Zaid’s family was taken out of that ordeal.

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Right a week after that incident, Zambi reached me on my cell one afternoon. He was overjoyed: “Hey Sami, you how much I spent on that guy’s family?”

“hmmm….I don’t know exactly, but what’s the…”

“$15000 precisely” Zambi interrupted me.

“So…”

“So, the news is I got 10 times to that amount today. A hundred and fifty thousand dollars, believe you me.”

“Congrats dear” I stuttered.

“Not a bad bargain, is it?” He laughed out loud.

“Yes, it’s good. God…”

“Half is yours!” he didn’t let me finish.

“But…”

“I said it’s yours. You deserve every bit of this. You were the one who offered me that opportunity. I can’t be stingy now. It’d be unfair.”

“But…”

“We’re dining out this evening. Would let you know later. Bye!”

The call was disconnected. Speechless, I was left gazing into the air.  

Malik Zain

O’ Level Final Year

PakTurk Schools

Islamabad Branch

Malik Zain