I Had Never Felt So Happy in My Life

It was a most trying period. Things at home were getting from bad and worse. Dad's alcholism had become worse, especially after his retrenchment. Mom was always temperamental as she could not make ends meet with her meager income as a factory operator. I was doing poorly in school. My academic performance was dropping continuously.

I dreaded coming home after school. Dad would come home late and shout abuses at Mom. When he fell asleep, I would often hear Mom's stifled sobs. I could do nothing to ease the situation at home and this realization caused me a great deal of anguish and frustration.

It was at this point that Mrs Shirley entered my life. A soft-spoken woman in her late forties, she was my class teacher. An alert woman, she was quick to notice the change that had come over me. She had began to observe me for a few weeks.

One day, during recess, I was standing alone in one corner of the canteen when Mrs Shirley spotted me. She gestured for me to follow her. We headed for the library where she beckoned me to take a seat next to her. I sat with my head bent. 'Zhong' she called. I lifted my head and looked at her. I saw the warmth, the love and the friendliness in her lovely eyes. Tears welled up in my eyes and I tried my best to hold them back . However, I could not. They started flowing down my cheeks. She held my hands and waited. "Can you share your problem with me, maybe I can help you?" She asked me if I wanted to confide in her and tel her my problem.

Finally, I decided to tell her. She listened attentively with the patience of a saint. At the end of my story, she gave me a lesson on life and its ups and downs. As I heard her talk, my admiration for this woman grew. My perception changed. Before this meeting, I had felt I was a nonentity. However, as the meeting progressed, I felt different. I knew Mrs Shirley cared of me.

In the following days, Mrs Shirley made it a point to discuss my work at school. For the first time in the year, I felt i was worthy of being loved. Things at home remained quite the same but there was a profound change in me. The end-of-year examination approached. Two weeks after the exam, Mrs Shirley announced to the class that I was the top student in the class. 'Every cloud has a silver lining', as I looked at her, I felt a sudden surge of happiness because of her I can see the hope of life. It was the happiest day of my life. I had never felt so happy in my life.