A Broken Window

Derrick and Gary were having a lively game of soccer in the street. Their mother had bought them a new ball recently and the brothers had been spending their afternoons playing outside their house.

“Catch!” Derrick cried as he kicked the ball towards Gary. To their horror, the ball veered off course and flew towards Madam Lee’s house. The ball’s impact shattered a window on the second floor, scattering glass fragments like fallen stars. Stunned, the two boys stared at the wreckage they had unwittingly caused.

A shriek resounded through Madam Lee’s house. Within moments, she stomped out of her house with her face as red as a tomato, looking for the perpetrator of her broken window.

The two boys stood frozen in shock. Seeing the familiar faces, Madam Lee screamed, “How many times have I told you not to play near my house?” Derrick and Gary’s faces turned as white as sheets. They knew that Madam Lee had warned them time and again since they first started playing in the street a week ago.

With their hearts drumming in their chests, Madam Lee insisted on speaking to the boys’ parents and demanded compensation for the damage. Derrick and Gary apologised for turning a deaf ear to Madam Lee’s words and promised to have their ball games in the nearby park in future.

Laughter filled the street as Wei Jie and Alex skilfully dribbled and passed a bright orange ball between them. The two boys had agreed to meet up in front of Wei Jie’s house for a game of soccer.

As the day wore on, Alex became bored and proposed a challenge. They would each take a turn to see who could kick the ball farther down the street. Wei Jie excitedly agreed. Standing at the starting line, Alex summoned his strength and unleashed a powerful kick.

To their horror, the ball veered sharply to the left and headed straight toward the window of a nearby house. Time slowed to a crawl as they waited for the inevitable collision. With a deafening crash, the glass shattered into a million fragments, leaving a gaping-wide hole in the window. Wei Jie and Gary’s jaws fell to the ground.

“What should we do?” Gary asked. The street was empty and they had not been seen. Yet, they knew that they had to take responsibility for their actions. Gathering their courage, Wei Jie and Gary walked up to the front door.

The boys were greeted with a scowl. Lowering their heads, Wei Jie and Gary confessed to the incident and apologised for the broken window. They promised to do what they could to make up for it. To their surprise, the woman’s stern expression softened. She forgave the two friends and commended them for their honesty and bravery in owning up to their mistake.