Narrative Essay - A Second Chance 2

Narrative essay - A Second Chance (A)
My mouth felt dry. My sole company was only those dim rays of light shining
through the ruthless gates enforced with those clumsy , rusty chains.
I sensed hungry rats scurrying past me , searching for signs of food . I sniffed
a stinky smell of urine filing the wide stuffy atmosphere . My ears pricked up.
The faint stomping of familiar footsteps echoed through the prison , getting
louder and louder . The shadows moved from cell to cell He was coming closer. Then ,
the pounding sound of footsteps stopped.
I came face to face with a strongly built yet weary man The details on his
countenance were barely visible . buried in the shadows.
" Here , your food and water . He said, shoving the plate and cup through the
enclosed gates immediately grabbed he food stuffing it into my mouth swallowing
whatever I could.
Finally I downed a cup of water , washing down the delicious food . I gazed at
an empty cell directly opposite mine . It belonged to an old friend of mine hanged
many years ago.
He was executed for illegal drug trafficking, smuggling pirated DVDs and
cigarettes and murder. His name was Anthony . Anthony and I were buddies since
primary school . When I first met him , I thought he was akin to a lost puppy with sad
brown eyes.
He was underfed but nonetheless good-looking with his jet-black hair , brown
eyes that gave him an innocent look , an his olive skin . He really looked like of the
angels in those Italian paintings that we saw during the field trip to a museum.
Anthony was also the cream of the crop in class. He was unusually brainy for
someone who came from a broken family . It seemed that his heart-shattering life
had no effect on his studies whatsoever.
I used to envy him because he was always praised and well liked by the
teachers . At the age of three, Anthony’s mother left him in his fathers care . His
father was a road sweeper and the family income was meagre.
Anthony knew that life was hard . They were all alone, suffering hardships
and poverty together . Only his optimistic character won him a place in the harsh
battle . He loved his father and there was nothing that could separate them.
The strong bond between them was obvious. They shared the precious
moments, appreciating the times the his life changed for the worst when he was
thirteen.
Anthony’s father was killed in a tragic road accident. The impact on Anthony
was so great that it affected his studies , The once straight-A student had obtained
F’s for his subjects . It seemed that his father being killed had been a harsh blow to
Anthony.
He thought that his father was too precious to lose, too precious to hurt To
make matters worse , he was sent to live with his closest relative, an aunt who was a
tyrant.
She did not beat him but resorted to other means like having Anthony work
to earn a living . Anthony dropped out of school and joined a gang . He stole from
shopping centers , gambled , drank , smoked and trafficked drugs. He got in and out
of the boys home so many times but he never seemed to repent his wrongdoing.
One day after I had graduated from polytechnic , he asked me to join him in
his gang . I was naive at that point of time . I thought it would be cool to join a gang
and so I joined , I assisted them in their crimes and eventually we were all caught
and sent to jail for drug trafficking.
I just happened to be a member of their gang and so my name was being

dragged along . I was sentenced to fifteen years' jail along with a few others while
four of the gang members , including Anthony , were hanged.
Before he was hanged , Anthony apologized to me for dragging me along in

his crimes and whispered tome , " Jeff , when you get out of jail . you have to start
life anew . You have to repent . You still have a future ahead of you . Don’t be like
me . I had so many chances to repent yet I didn't grasp it . One last thing , please
remember me."
I could remember his last words to me clearly. It made me reflect on his short
but tragic life . " Anthony! Your life was full of ups and downs . I could remember you
complaining to me that life was unfair to you . You never had a chance to feel the
love of a mother , you were never happy in life and you lived a sad life , Your end was
full of grief , too."
The sound of keys jangling broke my train of thought . The gate of my cell
was opened . A man in a suit entered and said , " The fifteen years are over . You are
given a second chance , would you take it or leave it ? I hope I won't see you here
again , said the man .
As I walked past the rows of dark corridors , I imagined them as my dark past .
I opened the final doors of the jailhouse . I entered the bright , warm sunshine . The
feeling of being outdoors was great . I liked the sensation of being engulfed in the
warmth , it felt great to be free again , to be given a second chance and another shot
at life.

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Narrative essay - A Second Chance (A)

I just happened to be a member of their gang and so my name was being

Before he was hanged , Anthony apologized to me for dragging me along in

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