Bad, Bad Habit by Zhi QIng

One Monday morning, Mrs Lee woke up late again and had to dash to the Hougang MRT station to take a train. She had an important client to meet at Chinatown regarding a major project worth more than five million dollars. If she were late, she would have to pay a heavy price which might land her jobless.

One rowdy boy was running excitedly around the cabin without thinking of others. As the train pulled over, everyone held tight to whatever they could hold on to keep their balance. The train moved so fast like lightning that Mrs Lee was thrown in the air and she knocked an elderly man sitting in front of her. The next moment was totally unexpected.

The rowdy boy banged hard on the ground and blood spilled out from his head. There was a cut on his head! And, the train went to a stop. Everyone crowded around the boy and no one did anything. Being a kind soul, Mrs Lee helped the boy up without a second thought. When the doors opened at the next station, she went out of the station with the boy who was still shaken by the accident. She went to the nearest clinic, informed his parents and handed him over when they arrived shortly.

While busy attending to the boy, the big project was nagging at the back of her mind. However, she knew if she had left the boy alone, her conscience would sting for a long time. On the way to meet her client, she had expected the client to leave by then. Trying her luck, she hastily went back and boarded on the train to Chinatown.

True to her expectation, the client had left. Well, who would have waited for an hour? Mrs Lee was doomed. She went back to her office and strolled with heavy footsteps towards her boss. Instead of hearing his thunderous voice booming into her ears, she saw his boss beaming away. Puzzled, she lifted her eyebrows.

His boss explained to her that the client had also boarded the same train as her and had seen her act of kindness. The client did not drop the project! Mrs Lee had saved the big project and helped the boy! It was killing two birds with one stone. The best part was she was being promoted.It made her day! Her instinct had proven her right. She learnt that waking up early was a good habit and she promised never to be late again.