“Phew!” Home at last!” I panted breathlessly. I was trudging wearily home after a bad day at school. Fatigue was written all over my face. My footsteps were heavier than a one tonne brick! I suddenly remembered that my parents told me that morning that they would be going to watch a movie. “What shall I do?” I wondered as I went up the lift.When my door came into view, I was utterly relieved. I could not wait to slump onto my cosy sofa and catch my forty winks. Just then, I noticed water seeping from the gap below the door. I thought it was a hallucination, and I blinked hard to get a better glimpse. I fumbled with the padlocks and uttered a prayer under my breath before I turned the door-knob.
I had a ghastly shock. In front of me was a house soaked in water! The living room was flooded to my knees. I ranted loudly till I was almost hysterical. More water was gushing out from the master bedroom toilet. My brain nerves signaled to my legs to make a dash to the toilet. I turned off the tap but it was a futile attempt. The pipe had burst and water was gushing out of it ceaselessly.
I fished out the telephone receiver from among the mess and dialed for my parents. I told them of my shocking discovery. They promised to come back as soon as possible. I paced up and down the flooded living room, not knowing what to do next. Suddenly. a brainy idea struck me like lightning. With every remaining ounce of my energy, I tried to salvage as many belongings as possible from the knee-deep water. The commotion attracted my neighbours who came scurrying to my rescue. I called the plumber. Meanwhile, we scooped pails after pails of water from the ‘flood.’ When my parents arrived at the scene, my mother nearly passed out at the awful sight, while my father stood rooted to the spot like the Statue of Liberty.
As Lady Luck was on our side, the plumber came in the nick of time. He turned off the main supply of water to our house. Instantly, the water stopped flowing. My neighbours and my family applauded his quick thinking. In our haste, we had forgotten that it was the only right thing to do. The plumber repaired the faulty pipes skilfully. Soon, the water was drained off. We studied the extent of the damage and shook our heads in dismay. Not only did my parents have to pay $200 for the services of the plumber but we also knew that we would be slapped with an astronomical bill for our water consumption.When the incident ended, I collapsed on my bed from sheer exhaustion. I could not imagine how I survived that day. Till now, I have not forgotten every single detail of that ‘fateful’ day.