Secret Case

The clock struck twelve when I gently pushed my key into the keyhole and turned it around. Slowly and quietly, I tip-toed into my house, trying my very best not to make any unwanted sound. However, my sneaky act was exposed in the light when it switched on all of a sudden, no, when it WAS switched on all of a sudden, by Mum. "Where have you been?" questioned Mum with a firm voice, as though she was on the verge of snapping. "Err... nowhere, just went to study in May's house", I replied her with an uneasy look. Mum closed her eyes for a while, trying hard to compose herself. Suppressing all her disappointment and fury, she said, "Do not ever let me find out that you are lying, or else you are in trouble. You are my only hope now, do not bring me down." I nodded vigorously, turned around and dashed back into my room with the speed of light. Once I closed my door, I leaned against it and took a huge sigh of relief. My mission impossible was about to be accomplished, I could not afford to see it fail halfway.

Yes, I was lying to Mum, or rather I would say I was concealing a secret from her, a big one, a secret which would make her fifty-year-old birthday exceptionally meaningful and unforgettable. I was planning a surprise birthday party for her. Not only that all of our close relatives and friends would turn up and join us in the celebration, I, Lichen Lee, was going to present my first ever piano performance in front of everyone too. Although it sounded easy and effortless, it was indeed a great challenge for a tone deaf person like me. I remembered how mad my piano teacher was after spending three months to teach me a simple C major scale. Eventually she gave up and commented that I was a child with no musical talents at all. Ever since that day, I had never touched a single piece of musical instrument nor did I open my mouth to sing. However, I was willing to take up the toughest task in my life for my beloved mother, and was determined to learn up a "Happy Birthday" song by hook or by crook, just to give her a touching moment during her birthday.

Since the very day I got this brilliant idea, I had proposed it to my best friend, May, who was also the daughter to my Mum's best friend, Auntie Vera. They were very supportive of my plan and promised to help me and keep it a top-secret from my Mum. May even volunteered to teach me playing the piano, despite the fear of getting a stroke or a heart attack teaching me. Thus, I would find every opportunity to go over to Auntie Vera's house to practice my song and at the same time organize every single detail of the party: sending invitation cards, ordering food catering, planning out the decorations and so on. It was the most challenging period in my life as I had to do everything underground and keep it away from my mother's sharp and acute sixth sense, so that she could not smell anything fishy. Though it was tiring and mentally torturing,