14. A Broken Ankle

A broken ankle in cast

In Form 1, our classes were held in the afternoon. That meant most of us boys would gather on the SGI Primary School field in the mornings, killing time before lessons began at the Secondary School across the road. The field was our playground - football, or simply chasing after a ball until the bell rang.

One afternoon, as we were playing our usual rough-and-tumble football, I sprinted across the field, eyes fixed on the ball. In my excitement, I didn’t see the small hole in the grass. My foot sank, my body lurched forward, and I crashed to the ground with a sharp, searing pain shooting through my right ankle. I tried to get up, but the ankle had already swollen badly. Walking was impossible.

A teacher quickly came over, took one look, and decided I had to be sent to the hospital. Chong Koon was asked to accompany me, and together we made our way to Taiping Hospital. The wait was long, and every step or movement felt like fire. Finally, after the x-ray, the doctor confirmed a hairline crack.

A plaster cast was set around my ankle, and by then we had missed the whole day of lessons. For a schoolboy, missing class was almost a holiday, but I wasn’t in any mood to celebrate.

The next morning, though, I surprised even myself. With the cast on, I still managed to cycle to school - wobbling along slowly but determined not to miss out. Life carried on, even if football had to wait.

That small accident left its mark. The crack in my right ankle may have healed, but until today I find it difficult to sit cross-legged with my right leg. It’s a quiet reminder of the games we played, the risks we never thought twice about, and the resilience of youth.g

Cheah Eng Seng

9th September 2025