Highly Commended Story - Thomas Table

“Thomas Table” by Tvisha Agarwal, NPS International School, Singapore, is the Highly Commended story in the junior category of the second biannual Short Story Contest 2018.

Ten years old Tvisha is currently enjoying the challenges of grade 5. She is living in clean and green Singapore. She gives top priorities in her Science projects or French lessons, but when she gets free time, she enjoys races in the pool with her friends. Besides, she practices gymnastics and badminton. She likes eating fresh fruits, veggies and the yummy lentils cooked by her mother.

Thomas Table

The rustles of paper and the boiling hot tea, the bread and jam-it’s all on the wooden surface of this dusty old table, with table mats and napkins. People in this house use me sometimes, disgracefully, sometimes with care. Oh by the way, I’m called Thomas-Table. The baby sometimes drops gooey food on my face, but the twins massage my head by playing marbles on it. But when Mr Carter eats his dinner on me, it hurts my head, as it is very heavy. All of that, fried chicken and hamburgers, accompanied by milk shakes and ice-cream sundaes. Sometimes when the maid finds a fly hovering over me, she smashes it on my head so hard. Because of that, my legs feel as if they will collapse, but they stand tall. I could say my legs are my pillars of strength! So, being a table is not as easy as it looks. It requires patience and a lot of strength.

Two years passed thus. One unfortunate day, I was abandoned in a dirty old factory, with many other pieces of furniture. There was a fluffy and huge chair, he seemed kind and caring. I introduced myself, “Hi, I am Thomas Table, and …,”

“My name’s Charlie Chair!” Answered Charlie excitedly.

We chatted and chatted till a group of old men marched in. Leaving Charlie alone, they picked me up and transported me to an old factory. There kept me in a big machine with many colourful lights. It was beautiful, but apparently it twisted my legs, sprayed paint on me and superglued a glass top. I didn’t know how I would look after this makeover. But the same group of men carried me into a dark and dull truck. There was a small window beside me and I stared at its glass. I saw my handsome reflection and felt proud of it. But I also remembered Charlie. Charlie my old fluffy chair-friend, where are you?

The truck was old and the journey was rickety. We travelled for about four hours in my opinion, and finally reached a huge, white castle with big windows, high and heavy wooden doors and a carriage in front of it. A large clock on top of a tower started chiming melodiously. Then a few questions entered my head. Was I in the Royal castle? Why would I be needed in here? Why are these fierce looking people with red shiny helmets standing so still? Wait a minute, why are they pushing me in? In a minute, I was standing with my legs deep inside a plush carpet of deep red and gold! That felt so…rich! So soft! I was wondering how my life had turned around, soaking in the luxuries, I beheld. Soon…what’s happening? The Queen and her royal family sitting beside me? Are they eating lunch on me?

Well, as if God was not kind enough to me, behold! Charlie entered the dining hall too, in all grandeur and I found out all the answers to my questions. When you think that you have it all planned, you’ll find out that God has better plans for you.

The royal family enjoyed crispy chicken, bacon and other delicious stuff on me. I made the forks, knives, plates, chairs, tablecloths and tea cups my companions! I started a new life and lived happily ever after.