Tips for Continuous Writing SPM (Narrative Essay)
SAMPLE QUESTION (SPM 2014)
Write a story about a fisherman beginning with: “The wind blew strongly. Out at sea…”
The wind blew strongly. Out at sea, the wave was huge. I was worried about Pak Samad. He went to the sea to catch fish early this morning and had not come home yet.
Pak Samad was my neighbour. He worked as a fisherman. He was 52 years old. Looking at his wrinkled face, one could sense his maturity and wisdom. He had a pair of small eyes. When he smiled, his eyes would smile too. Pak Samad was tall and muscular. His skin was dark as a result of working under the sun every day. I noticed that he loved to wear worn T-shirt and sarong anywhere he went. Maybe, he felt comfortable wearing them.
Having a pleasant personality, Pak Samad was well-liked by people around him. As he was friendly to everybody, he had many friends from all walks of life. Apart from that, Pak Samad was kind-hearted. Whenever he met people who needed help, he would definitely lend a hand. When the villagers had problems, they would ask for advice from Pak Samad. He was well-known as a problem solver.
Pak Samad and I were close to each other. We liked to spend time together. Sometimes, I would follow him to the sea to help him catch fish. He would teach me how to handle the boat and how to catch a lot of fish. In the evening, we would play takraw with other villagers. Pak Samad was a good takraw player. At night, we usually walked together to the mosque to perform Maghrib and Isya’ prayers.
I recalled that when I woke up this morning, the weather was not so good. It was drizzling. After Subuh prayer, I stepped out to the veranda to enjoy the fresh morning air. When I looked at Pak Samad’s house which was just a stone’s throw away, I saw him getting ready to go fishing. Since it was drizzling, I suggested that he should not go to the sea. However, he insisted to go. I told him to be careful. He nodded and slowly walked away. With heavy heart, I watched him go. Silently, I prayed for his safety.
When Pak Samad did not come home as usual in the evening, his family was worried. They reported to the Headman. Then, the Headman gathered the men in the village and they formed a search and rescue team. They went out to the sea in six boats to search for Pak Samad. They searched around the area where Pak Samad normally went for catching fish. After a few hours, they failed to find him. They had to stop the search at midnight because it was too dark and the wave was huge. They would continue on the next morning.
Pak Samad’s family performed a special prayer to ask for his safety from God. Early in the next morning, the villagers continued their search and rescue mission. I joined them. After about two hours, we finally saw Pak Samad’s boat floating not far from us. We approached his boat as fast as we could. When I jumped into his boat, I saw Pak Samad lying on the floor. I immediately checked his pulse and was relieved to find that he was alive. I gave him CPR. Then, he coughed a few times and started breathing. We brought him back to the village. He was later taken to the hospital for further treatment. His family was happy because Pak Samad was still alive. I was thankful to God for keeping Pak Samad safe.