Early one September morning, I found myself..........stay with them till my parents got home the next day.

Early one September morning, I found myself dreaming of my mother cleaning the kitchen. I knew it was still too early for Hari Raya and my mother was not an early bird. I tossed and turned. I thought I heard a sound. The sound became louder and clearer until I woke up to discover that the sound was really coming from downstairs. I turned and slammed a pillow into my face, hoping to shut out the irritating sound. Then, I suddenly realised that I was alone in the house. My parents were away for a wedding! They were putting up a night at Aunty Rosie's house. Someone was definitely downstairs!

I lay in bed, wide awake now, straining to hear what the sound was. I could hear someone moving about downstairs. Suddenly, I felt a chill sweeping over my body. I tried not to panic. What would father do? I contemplated my options. I could climb out of the window and get help but it was too dark and I could slip and fall. I looked around my room to see if I could get my hands on anything that I could use to protect myself. Then, I saw my hockey stick, standing beside my cupboard. I grabbed it and jumped back into bed, seeking comfort from its presence. I waited and listened. I could hear the movement of my alarm clock. The loud ticking seemed to fill my entire room.

The burglar was moving around the living room. I could hear him opening and closing the cabinet door. There goes my mother's precious silverware, I thought. I grabbed the phone and discovered that the line had been cut. Then, I remembered that father had given me his cell phone and it was just lying beside me. Thank God for modern, inventions. I punched the emergency number as if I had been rehearsing for this moment all my life. It must have been all the television shows that I have been watching. I whispered to the operator and she seemed to understand what I was trying to say. Then, I called my neighbor, Uncle Murthi. He answered on the fifth ring. Again, I spoke as softly as I could. His voice was rather low, having been rudely awakened by my call. "Uncle, this is Rahim. There's a burglar in my house. Please let the police into my house when they arrive." He said he would and I hung up. Father usually gives him a set of keys whenever he and Mother are away.

After a few minutes, I decided to tiptoe and take a look at what was going on. Barefoot and silent, I went towards my bedroom door. By this time, I found that my T-shirt was drenched with sweat. I glanced at my watch. Uncle Murthi was taking an awfully long time. Slowly, I opened the door and slipped into the dimly lit corridor. I hid behind a cupboard and tried to survey the situation. I could hear footsteps in the kitchen. I shifted slightly and it was then that I saw a shadow moving about. I noticed that my knees were shaking. My head felt light and my mouth was dry. Then, I heard voices outside the door. My heart leapt at the thought that finally help had come. At the same time, the burglar rushed upstairs and I stood rooted to the spot, too afraid to make any move even though I was clutching the hockey stick tightly. I was thankful that I had something to hug at that moment.

The minute I saw the burglar entering my room I headed downstairs. Every step was shaky and I thought my knees might give out and I would topple over. I tried to swallow but I almost choked on the dryness. I sprinted the remaining distance when the door suddenly opened. I saw Uncle Murthi and a few policemen. I felt like hugging all of them. I signaled to them and the policemen quickly rushed upstairs. After a scuffle, they managed to overpower the burglar. One of the policemen grabbed a bag from his limp hand. I noticed that it was my school bag. He had emptied all the contents and filled it with some of my mother's things. He had even stuffed my father's laptop inside.

I gratefully sank into a chair Uncle Murthi offered. The first dim light of day was cutting through the curtains. Glancing up, I saw a man taller than myself. He was well-built in a black pullover. I could not bear to look anymore. Later, I had to follow the policemen to the police station. After a thorough investigation, it was found that the same burglar was responsible for a spate of break-ins in the past few months. I was very grateful to Uncle Murthi who allowed me to stay with them till my parents got home the next day.

Summary: When Rahim realized that a burglar was in his house, he tried to stay calm and listened intently. He contemplated his options. He found a hockey stick to defend himself. He jumped back into bed and listened. He heard the burglar downstairs and wondered about his mother's silverware. After that, he tried to telephone but the line had been cut. He realized that he had a handphone and felt grateful. He called the police and his neighbor for help. Then, he decided to investigate the situation. He walked quietly and hid behind a cupboard. He felt scared when he saw a shadow but when he head voices outside, he felt relieved. However, he was terrified when the burglar rushed upstairs. He rushed downstairs and signaled the police who caught the burglar.