RAIN By noon, I was really frustrated.

As if to add to my frustration, several cars arrived with children and adults screaming like lunatics on seeing the cool fresh water. Paying no attention to me, they took turns jumping into and splashing in the water. My last bubble of dream fish suddenly burst and disappeared into thin air. It was only few hours ago when I decided to fish at the banks of the Bukit Merah River. I had planned to stay overnight to fish for the Malayan Arapaima, only found in that area. Armed with two sets of fishing rod, I tried to catch one myself. Hours passed by and after I cast my last bait, I was certain I had failed. Above the sky was getting dark. I decided not to say anything but to venture further down river to continue my mission. I found a good spot, quite far away from the intruding visitors and started all over again but this time, nature was against me. Over the hills, the sky began rumbling and dark clouds rolled over one another illuminated by intermittent flash of lightning. In fact, the sky had darken and tiny drops of water fell from the sky. I heaved a sigh of despair and packed my things, facing upstream. Then, I saw it. It was almost surreal. The massive columns of waters rushed by in waves carrying with it debris of floating branches of tree trunks. I scrambled to the bank in the nick of time. My eyes turned downstream as I continued looking at the floating debris. Then I turned my gaze upstream. There, in the water, among the debris, I could see a few heads bobbing up and down in the waves. There were several others on the bank running towards me shouting. Instantly I transformed into the overdrive mode. I scrambled downstream, alternately looking at the heads in the water, one adult and two children. The adult seemed trying to grabbed hold of the two children who were frantically struggling to keep themselves float. Just ahead of me, I saw a dead tree had fallen across creating a natured bridge to the middle of the river. Ironically, the water level had risen so high that it almost reached the trunk. I ran across onto the trunk towards the very end and waited, lining myself to the first head that bobbed up the surface. Two of the men joined me but the trunk dropped lower. I hung onto the

over-hanging stumps while rushing adrenalin pushed away the fear from my thought. Please, please, let me be able to grab them , I prayed hard. Holding onto a dead branch stump with my left hand. I reached down, waiting, stretching my arms as far as possible. One was fast approaching. I timed myself and at the right moment I grabbed a flailing hand and held on tight. Summoning all my reserve energy, I pulled the hand up, just in time to glimpse a bobbing head swept past me. I grabbed the almost lifeless body and tried to get him onto the trunk. Slowly, I pulled him up. I put his arm over my shoulder and took him across. The other few men helped us. Some other men had managed to save the adult downstream. It was barely audible but I could make for a few words ; Grab, Pull , Help . As quickly as the wave came, as quickly it disappeared. The rain too, had stopped and the water level seemed lower. It was a strange phenomenon as if in a movie, in slow motion. The third victim was pulled out of the water by another group of picnickers downriver but it was too late. The boy, succumbed to the ferocious wave. Rescuers tried to resuscitate him but he was already gone. I really did catch something that rainy day a life and to me, after a whole day of frustration, it was priceless.

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