Interschool Prefect's Dinner

By De Ming

For every story, there will always be a climax. The point where everything reaches its peak, it will be the most exciting part of the story, the part where the character is facing he’s biggest dilemma or enemy. It is the part where the readers with their fingernails already worn with bites are left wondering at every moment. What is going to happen next? Will there be a happy ending?

Putting aside fiction, in reality, our lives are also filled with climax and as for mine as a prefect, this was it. Tonight was the 6^th Annual Interschool Prefect’s Dinner and as the Ketua Tugas Khas who represents Seafield in the Interschool Prefect Council of Subang Jaya, I played a rather important role. To add on to my worries, I was also one of the emcee for this event.

Just like every other story, before we reach the climax; we have to go through the exposition and the rising action. I suppose my exposition was when I became a prefect when I was in form 3. Who would guess that this once rowdy, annoying, proud and disrespectful to the prefects (I once stood up to the Assistant Head Prefect in Form 1 just because I got annoyed by him) would decide to become a prefect? I remembered though, during my probationary days, I had felt I had found something that I was looking for in prefects. I suppose it was a sense of purpose.

The rising action would be the time I had campaigned for Head Prefect. Looking back now, I still found it funny that a few minutes before we went into the meeting room to get interviewed, Dhaneesh told me that of all post to get, there was one he would never want. This, my friend, was the post of Ketua Tugas Khas. He told me that it was the post that requires a lot of time and dedication but sadly the most unrecognized post. I remembered myself saying that it is not about getting recognition, but more of being able to serve as best as possible. Lo and behold, guess who got that post?

Me.

I was responsible for the prefects during every special events, naming a few, there are Sports Day, Cross Country, Open Day, AGM PIBG, Chorus Speaking Competition, ABRSM Theory Exam and the list goes on and on. I was also responsible for the Merit System, but the one which I believed that had distinguished this post from all other post in the prefect’s board, is the fact that I was the representative of Seafield in the Interschool Prefect Council of Subang Jaya.

On the 21^st of March, the Interschool Prefect Games officially started of with football, of which we came in first. I remember sitting under the sun with Min Xiang and saying to him that I never really understood football, but today I do.

Later that evening came the second game which was basketball. The sad part about this game was that we had to disqualify two schools because they imported non prefects into their teams, but the funniest part was when people accuse us of bringing ex form 5 into ours. Of course they are ex form 5s how else do they become form 6? The game was extended to the next week though and once again we came in first.

On the 10^th of April, Dhaneesh and I went to watch the all girls, net ball being played. Where else can you find girls, running around muddy, sticky and all over the place? I remember using up at least RM7 just calling people to come and sub, because once Diane and Rushan leave, we were lacking of players. We lost to SMK USJ 4 in this game though, but we came in second.

On the 24^th of April, I got firing from our headmistress. She gave me a direct order that she does not want to see me anymore and she challenged Dhaneesh’s commitment in prefects. It was scary yet funny at the same time, don’t ask why though. I suppose I deserved to be scolded as I had forgotten to remind her and all the discipline teachers that today other school prefects were coming to Seafield to have our Frisbee competition. It was a day that I had asked more favours that I can count on my two hands and said more apologies than both my fingers and toes combined. Yet I felt real blessed to have so many great people who are willing to help a person like me. Thanks wei. We got second after USJ 8 for this game.

On the 25^th of April, we had our handball competition. The good news? We got third. The bad news? There were only 3 teams.

At long last, came the final game, futsal. SMK USJ 4 was leading for the fight to overall champion with 42 points and Seafield was second with 39 points. Meaning that if Seafield won the futsal, and USJ 4 got second. It would end with a draw. That, my friend, was exactly what happened. To think that during the meeting we had laughed at the possibility of that occurring. It did! Thus it was a tie win.

On the day of the dinner, I would have made a few changes if I was allowed to do so, but although there were many parts where I was unsatisfied about, the people seems to have enjoyed it. So good for us then, maybe it was not too bad at all. It started with the introduction of the council, where we one by one walked in, except me; I jumped down from the stage. Then came Esther’s talk and the dinner begin, which was then followed by performances from each school and the best masque, best dress, lucky draw, the token of appreciation and the prize giving ceremony.

The only thing I ate that day was one stick of satay. The only photos I took are with Michelle, but I believe that because of this I have learned to appreciate them more. I suppose I was kind of put down by the fact that two hand phones were stolen and that everything was kind of messy, but then I felt that besides all that it was such a great thing to get to know prefects from other schools. To meet them and to work with them, to stand on stage with them and to have learned many stuff with them. Throughout the whole thing, I’ve come to get to know Esther the most and I was really stunned by how much she herself (and according to her, she had great help from her secretary, Michelle) had done to make this whole event a success. So really thank you for your dedication, time and effort. I really appreciate the rest of the council for making all of this happen. Most of all I would like to appreciate my school prefects for those times they have sacrificed their tuitions to come for games, the times when they were asked last minute to join something and to Arvind and crew for last minute doing the PA. Sorry for those I had dragged in so suddenly. Thanks for coming to dinner.

At last when everyone started leaving and the caterers started to clean up the hall. I remember thinking this one line of words.

It is finished.