It happened on a chilly Tuesday morning of five o'clock in the year 1999. The start of the day was like every other day. I slithered out of bed reluctantly, teeth chattering and lips numbing. Rui Yee was finished with her bath before me, as usual. And as always, Mama had to drag my cry-baby elder brother, Shawn, out of bed. The usual unpleasant fuss occured, and we were on our way to the bus stop after a whole hour of wails and shrieking lectures between mother and son in the house.

We did not know what the author of our life story had in store for us then. Rui Yee and I huddled together as close as possible to stay warm, pulling our identical orange knit-jackets over our scrawny bodies. We wore our identical sulks we frequently wear. I could feel Mama casting worry glances in our direction as she tried to keep our freedom-hungry brother from escaping her grasp. Mama always worried then. She worried over the fact that Rui Yee and I are underweight and naturally sulky-faced. She worried over her childrens' dyslexia problems and her son's extreme reluctance to go to school. She worried over the bullying of classmates and lack of socialising her children received. She was a very stressed woman then.

In the bus, I got the window seat. Shawn was being difficult, trying to get himself to launch out of the bus' open window but to no avail thanks to Mama's mean, grabbing hands. Rui Yee and I just pinched our lips tighter and stared out of the bus window. As soon as we alighted, Shawn did the unexpected. He wriggled out of Mama's tired arms and dashed onto the road. Mama grew hyserical. All she could do was stare at the menacing 145 bus charge full speed ahead, towards my oblivious brother.

Before I knew it, Rui Yee and I were standing side by side in front of the bus to act as a human shield for Shawn. A second later, all went black.

When I woke up, I found myself lying on a white hospital bed, attached to tubes that were attached to scary machines. I screamed in horror and fear when I saw my face in the mirror. I wailed in misery when I learnt the loss of Rui Yee. The coward of a brother I had had been the one to stop my world from crashing down on me. He tried his hardest to bring out the rare, tinkling laughter from my lips. My small group of friends from school had brought me homework, presents and get-well-soon cards. Even though my parents were devastated over the loss of one of their children, I could see they were relief when they saw the huge amount of consolation I received from many.

They did not know that my biggest consolation of all was Rui Yee. Yes, she was gone. The hateful bus driver had taken her away from me when I still needed her to brave with me through the storms of the future, he had not been able to prevent her ghost from being there for me quietly. Even though I could not see her, I could feel her efforts somehow, quietly pushing me and guiding me back on track whenever I wandered away. I could always hear her silent footsteps running to my side to be with me whenever I'm all alone. She would pull me back on my feet and push me to hurry whenever I fell behind.

She will always be there for me, my little replica, grinning foolishly and staying strong.

It happened on a chilly Tuesday morning of five o'clock in the year 1999. The start of the day was like every other day. I slithered out of bed reluctantly, teeth chattering and lips numbing. Rui Yee was finished with her bath before me, as usual. And as always, Mama had to drag my cry-baby elder brother, Shawn, out of bed. The usual unpleasant fuss occured, and we were on our way to the bus stop after a whole hour of wails and shrieking lectures between mother and son in the house.

We did not know what the author of our life story had in store for us then. Rui Yee and I huddled together as close as possible to stay warm, pulling our identical orange knit-jackets over our scrawny bodies. We wore our identical sulks we frequently wear. I could feel Mama casting worry glances in our direction as she tried to keep our freedom-hungry brother from escaping her grasp. Mama always worried then. She worried over the fact that Rui Yee and I are underweight and naturally sulky-faced. She worried over her childrens' dyslexia problems and her son's extreme reluctance to go to school. She worried over the bullying of classmates and lack of socialising her children received. She was a very stressed woman then.

In the bus, I got the window seat. Shawn was being difficult, trying to get himself to launch out of the bus' open window but to no avail thanks to Mama's mean, grabbing hands. Rui Yee and I just pinched our lips tighter and stared out of the bus window. As soon as we alighted, Shawn did the unexpected. He wriggled out of Mama's tired arms and dashed onto the road. Mama grew hyserical. All she could do was stare at the menacing 145 bus charge full speed ahead, towards my oblivious brother.

Before I knew it, Rui Yee and I were standing side by side in front of the bus to act as a human shield for Shawn. A second later, all went black.

When I woke up, I found myself lying on a white hospital bed, attached to tubes that were attached to scary machines. I screamed in horror and fear when I saw my face in the mirror. I wailed in misery when I learnt the loss of Rui Yee. The coward of a brother I had had been the one to stop my world from crashing down on me. He tried his hardest to bring out the rare, tinkling laughter from my lips. My small group of friends from school had brought me homework, presents and get-well-soon cards. Even though my parents were devastated over the loss of one of their children, I could see they were relief when they saw the huge amount of consolation I received from many.

They did not know that my biggest consolation of all was Rui Yee. Yes, she was gone. The hateful bus driver had taken her away from me when I still needed her to brave with me through the storms of the future, he had not been able to prevent her ghost from being there for me quietly. Even though I could not see her, I could feel her efforts somehow, quietly pushing me and guiding me back on track whenever I wandered away. I could always hear her silent footsteps running to my side to be with me whenever I'm all alone. She would pull me back on my feet and push me to hurry whenever I fell behind.

She will always be there for me, my little replica, grinning foolishly and staying strong.