Foreign Intrusion

I slowly opened my eyes. I was tempted to sleep in. I saw the sun's faint smile from a distance. It was going to be another cloudy day.

I closed my eyes. The door trembled. My room felt chilly. The wind howled furiously. It was another windy day in Brisbane with the onset of winter.

I pulled on my jumper. It wasn't warm enough. I grabbed my denim jacket. I ran and caught the lift in time. Brrrr!!! What a way to greet the city on a Saturday morning.

It was 15 minutes to 11 a.m. I quickened my steps. Pedestrians, cyclists, buses, and cars maneuvered their way on one of Brisbane's busiest roads - Victoria Bridge.

Brisbane River was on high tide. The waves were bigger and stronger than usual. I looked down as I walked. Sometimes I looked to my left. My hair was in a mess. I kept my hands in my pockets.

I saw the sign from a distance. I walked faster. The wind blew harder. I stopped in my tracks. Something flew into my left eye. My vision blurred in a split second. I grabbed some water from my bottle. It was not much use. I was late.

I finally reached the Lifeline Book Fair. I dashed to the toilet. My eye seemed redder than usual. Oh dear! A missed call from Jackie. I made my way to Hall 3. Jackie and Jess waited for me at the entrance. I explained the situation.

We browsed one section. Nothing interesting. Browsed another section. Very interesting. I excused myself. My eye teared uncontrollably. I could scarcely blink without feeling some pain.

I could take it no more. I said goodbye to my friends. Grabbed my books and rushed to the busway. The pharmacist prescribed some eyewash. My eye was swollen. I cleaned it a few times. I sinfully slept when I should've studied. Two exams the following week, what was I to do?

I continued tearing. My eye reacted strongly towards this foreign intruder. My housemates were concerned. I panicked. I dialed H-O-M-E. Mama and Papa calmed me down.

I started revising the following day. My eye stopped tearing since Monday. Thank God. This ordeal frightened me to death. I've almost fully recovered. Time to hit the books (again)!