Excuse me, coming through!

" I squeezed through the crowd, making a beeline for

the back of the queue. I dashed forward, competing with other people for a spot in
the line. I lunged forward with all my might to get there first...

And I did.

"Yes!" I silently pumped my fist in celebration. Now I just had to wait to get to the
front of the queue...

My face fell as I traced the long, snaking line all around the stadium.

"This is going to be a long wait." I shook my head and mumbled.

All around me, fans of the popular singer, Taylor Swift, were chattering, laughing,
trading friendship bracelets and singing along to songs. The atmosphere was lively
and fun. But I was not interested at all. I was not a fan. I was here for the tickets to
the concert, just for my sister, and I was going to get them.

"Ugh! This is taking so long!" I inched forward in the queue at a snail’s pace. It was
hardly moving! I tapped my foot impatiently. Why, oh why, did my sister have to
love the most popular singer in Singapore? It was 8 a.m., and I told myself that no
matter how long it would take, I would stay there until I got those tickets.

For Kelly.

And Mum.

I remembered how my mother and Kelly, my sister, had always been the biggest
fans of Taylor Swift. How they sang to her music every morning, every night, every
car ride, every trip. How they bonded over this music over time. And how they
pleaded for this singer to come to Singapore. And now the singer was going to. But
Mum was not here for it.

Because Mum was somewhere else.

She was in a better place.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought of Mum, and how devastated Kelly and I
were, when her heartbeat stopped. Now, there was a hole in my heart that could
not be filled.

However, this long wait had to be done. I had to let Kelly go to this concert.

Standing in the queue, time seemed to stand still. Seconds felt like minutes.
Minutes felt like hours. I was horribly bored. How was everyone surviving? I glanced
around and it seemed like everyone else was having the time of their lives.

All the fans together, queuing, listening to music and singing along. They did not
mind the wait at all.

"Hmm… "I thought, "Maybe I can enjoy this too."

I listened more carefully to the music blasting from someone's speaker. At first, I did
not recognise it at all but after a while, it sounded familiar, somehow. Bobbing my
head to the music, I smiled.

I closed my eyes, listening to the music and suddenly, a memory of me watching

Kelly and Mum dance to that song flashed through my mind. We were in the car, on
a road trip to Malaysia. Just like that, song after song, memories flashed through my
mind.

During that hour, I remembered my mother better than ever.

I checked my watch. 10 a.m. it read. “2 hours!” I groaned in annoyance. I tiptoed

and looked at the rest of the line. The ticket booth was in sight! Yes!

I tapped my foot impatiently. Again. If there was one thing about me, I was not a
patient person.
I checked my watch again. 10.01 a.m. Why was time passing so slowly?

"Come on, Kelsey!" I told myself, "Just a bit longer!" But I was so bored! I had
nothing to do. The music had been turned off, and I did not want to queue anymore.
I had a sudden urge to leave. This had happened before, I had queued and right
before I got there, I bailed.

I was in a dilemma. "Should I leave? Or should I stay?” It was like my head split into
two and they were pecking and jabbing at each other. But in the end, I told myself, "
For Kelly and Mum."

Finally! I arrived at the ticket booth.

"How many tickets, ma'am?" The cashier asked.

"Two tickets please." I politely smiled. I was going to get them for my father and
Kelly, but at that moment, I remembered how much I had just enjoyed listening to
that music and how I had remembered Mum.

"Actually, three tickets please, "I changed my mind.

That long wait, it had been worth it. I had remembered so much about my mother
and I had discovered my love for Taylor Swift’s music that I could share with Kelly.
Finally arriving at the ticket booth and getting three tickets, not two, gave me a
sense of pride - that I had persevered and endured the long wait, and satisfaction -
that I could finally share a love for that singer with Kelly, and Mum.

The long wait had been valuable, and so comforting.

Kelsey Low
Primary 6C / 2024