Written by: Nitika Kapali - 30016, Grade VI
Posted on: 22 August, 2023
In a small town, there lived a girl named Lily. She was shy and introverted. She always used to stay in her room, wearing headphones and listening to tons of songs. She was addicted to listening to songs. The songs helped her escape reality and enter a whole different, magical world. Songs were the only language that spoke to her soul and calmed her down. She also wrote songs and sang them in front of her sister, Emily. Emily was the complete opposite of Lily—extroverted and having tons of friends. Despite their differences, Emily was not just a sister but also a best friend to Lily. Lily could only trust Emily as her best friend. Emily always encouraged Lily to participate in singing contests, as Lily had a magical voice. However, Lily always avoided that question, even though she was interested in pursuing her dream.
One day at school, Stella, Lily's class teacher, announced a singing contest scheduled for next week. Sitting beside her, Emily told Lily, "Lily, why don't you participate too? You have a great voice!" Lily was a bit shocked, but after thinking for a while, she slowly raised her hand. Deep inside, though, Lily was scared of public speaking.
After school, Emily ran up to Lily and asked, "So, which song will you sing?" Lily replied, "I think I will write a new song specifically for the contest. But Emily, I am really scared. How can I sing in front of thousands of people? What if they laugh at me?" "Oh, Lily! There's no problem at all! It's just a contest, not World War 3!" Emily tried to explain, wanting her sister to overcome her fear and be proud of her talent. "It's not time for joking! I really need to practise," Lily said. As they reached home while talking, Lily went to her bedroom and started writing songs. "Sweetie, I heard you participated in a singing contest," Lily's mom said. It turns out Emily told the entire household about Lily participating in a contest. "Yes, I am. Emily told you, right?" Lily said. "I am proud of you! I will make some snacks for you." With those words, Lily's mom left the room. Lily was somewhat proud of herself too. This was the first time she had ever participated in a contest. Even though she was nervous, she was more excited. Lily spent most of her time writing the song and practising. After a week, her song was ready, and of course, Emily would be the first one to hear it. Emily read it and exclaimed, "Wow, Lily! You will surely win!" And that turned out to be true! The song was genuinely beautiful.
On the day of the contest, Emily was there to comfort Lily and offer encouragement. When Lily's name was called out, she went on stage and sang. While singing, she felt nervous and glanced at the audience. Instead of laughing, the audience seemed to enjoy it. This encouragement boosted Lily's confidence, and she continued to sing beautifully. The song ended with the audience clapping in delight. Now, Lily's fear of public speaking is gone. She became more active in contests and even won some. All of this happened because of her sister, Emily.
