Write a story ending with: "I only I had been more careful, that wouldn't have happened."

- by Wesly Kong, SMK Taman Tunku

It was a hot and quiet afternoon. I was having a nap in my bedroom. When I woke up, I was hungry and wanted to have something to eat. So I went to the kitchen. I found a note on the dining table. My mother told me that she had gone shopping with her friends. I put down the note and had two slices of bread and a glass of milk.

After that, I went to the living room to do my homework. While doing my homework, I accidentally dropped my mobile phone onto the floor and it went under the table. Just when I was about to pick it up, I heard someone calling outside my house. I looked through the window and saw a man whose age was around forty. I went to the gate and asked him what he wanted. He said that he was from a village and arrived in Miri not long ago. He wanted to find his son's house but he had lost his way, since he was not familiar with the housing area. Earlier, when he was searching for his son's home, he was bitten by a dog. After showing me the bite wounds, he requested me to give him a helping hand.

I took pity on him. Therefore, I opened the gate and let him in. I invited him into the house and after he was seated in the living room, I went to fetch the first aid kit. When I returned to the living room with the kit, I was extremely taken aback by what I saw. The man was wielding a knife!

"Keep very quiet or I'll hurt you with the knife," threatened the man, pointing the knife at me at the same time.

He then found a rope and tied my hands and legs. I was extremely nervous at that time. It was only then that I recalled what my mother told me - never let any strangers into the house due to the risks involved.

Subsequently, the man took out a gunnysack and started to ransack my house for valuables. He searched every part of my house. When he went to the master bedroom which was located upstairs, I found that my mobile phone was still under the table. I struggled to see if I could my phone. Luckily, I managed to bet hold of the phone after putting in a lot of efforts. I quickly called my neighbour, Encik Abu, and told him everything.

Encik Abu telephoned the police at once. When the police came, they surrounded my house quietly. After the man had completed his illegal acts, he opened the front door. The police apprehended him immediately. Encik Abu came to my aid at once and untied me. A police officer told me that the man was a robber who escaped from prison not long ago. The robber was then handcuffed and sent to the police station.

From the incident, I learnt a valuable lesson. I would never allow strangers into my house again, since prevention was better than cure. If only I had been more careful, that wouldn't have happened.