The Unspoken Words - By Looi Yi Wei

Written By: Looi Yi Wei

Category: Short Story

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the poignant short story "The Unspoken Words," Looi Yi Wei delves into the depths of familial love and the complexities of expressing emotions. A participant in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, Yi Wei's narrative gently explores the theme of unspoken affection between a father and child. This evocative piece is a heartfelt reminder of the importance of vocalizing our love before it's too late.

About the Work

"The Unspoken Words" is a touching exploration of the emotional intricacies within a father-child relationship. Yi Wei captures the essence of regret and missed opportunities through a narrative that is both intimate and universal. The story’s mood shifts from hopeful anticipation to tragic realization, highlighting the power of words left unsaid. Through vivid imagery and poignant dialogue, the story underscores the urgency and necessity of expressing love.

The Unspoken Words

Original Submission by Looi Yi Wei

“I love you, dad.” I whispered to myself for the third time as I walked down the stairs. After living for twelve years with my father, we’ve quarreled, argued and ignored each other after fights. We had also celebrated birthdays together, went on trips together and had great feasts during Christmas, but I had never said ‘I love you’ to my father before. It would have been easier to get these three words out of my mouth when I was younger. However, as I started to grow, as my father got busier due to his new job, as we started to rarely meet every day, the words seemed to get increasingly embarrassing for me to say it. I regretted not saying these three words to my father when I was younger. And finally, today was Father’s Day, and I decided that it was time for me to finally say these three words to my father.

I took a couple of deep breaths as I was making my way through the living hall into the dining hall. According to what I had observed for the past few months, my father would be having his breakfast every day in the dining room before heading for work, while my mom would be preparing his suitcase for him, arranging the documents and files neatly in his workbag to assure that he wouldn’t forget anything behind.

Nervously, I entered the dining hall.

“Good morning, dad.”

He looked up from his plate and smiled at me, “You’re early today, my little princess.” Then, he took the last bite of his sandwich and drank a sip of the coffee which mom brewed for him.

“Dad, I-”

“Good morning, sweetheart,” my mom interrupted me unintentionally as she entered the dining hall and stopped behind me. “Morning, mom,” I murmured as I turned around hurriedly and swore under my breath. Why would she enter the dining hall at this moment? It spoiled everything and suddenly, I felt increasingly uncomfortable even though I hadn’t said the three words.

“Pancakes and milk?”

“Sure, mom.”

She left the dining hall.

Quickly, I took a seat beside my father, watching him as he gulped the remaining coffee in the cup. “Oh yes, my princess, what were you about to say?” He wiped his mouth with the napkin. “I wanted to say...” I paused, hesitating. Without noticing, I avoided eye contact. I was staring at my father’s empty plate all the time. “I...” The words just wouldn’t come out.

He sort of laughed, still staring directly at my eyes.

“I-” The moment I finally decided to say the three words, dad’s phone rang. It was from his chief, and he immediately picked up the call. “Yes, good morning chief...” he gestured as if to apologize to me, then continued his conversation. I sighed. Why? It has been twice and every time it was interrupted. I sat there, staring blankly at my father’s phone attached to his ear.

“Hey darling, your breakfast’s ready,” my mom carried a tray into the room where a plate of blueberry pancakes was laid, and a glass of milk stood. She placed it on the table in front of me. My eyes tore away from my father’s phone and focused on my mom. “Thanks, mom.”

I turned around again to check if my father had finished his conversation. However, he still had his phone by his ear, nodding and muttering replies. Still on his phone, he stood up, waved goodbye to me and mom and left the dining hall hurriedly for work. Once again, I sighed. I haven’t even said ‘Happy Father’s Day.’ I chugged my milk as I heard the engine of my father’s car starting and fading away.

“What are you thinking about, sweetheart?” mom’s voice cleared all the thoughts in my head. “Nothing, just wondering about my activities today.” I replied. “Well, perhaps you can go biking with your friends?” mom suggested. “That’s a great idea,” I answered.

“I guess I’ll wait till tonight...” I muttered to myself.

By evening, I decided to cycle around the town and buy a present for Father’s Day with my friends Jacob and Jake. They were twins and are great cyclists. It was a great time cycling with them. I had completely forgotten the three words and everything, only living in the present, enjoying my time with my friends. However, I would have never known that the happiness I was currently having would have come to a halt so suddenly.

Coincidentally without noticing it myself, we had cycled our way to the opposite of the company where my father was working in. Now, it's approximately the time when my father finishes his work, and most probably his chief allowed him to leave early today, I saw my father standing opposite the road, waiting calmly for the crosswalk signal to turn green, so he could cross the road to the carpark building on the opposite.

“Hey dad!” I yelled out, waving my hand excitedly. He waved back, and as we both glanced at the crosswalk signal, it turned green. My father moved along the crosswalk with a great smile on his face towards me as the cars started to stop.

But he never made it.

Out of nowhere, a car barreled down the road, ignoring the stop signal and the pedestrians who were crossing the road. The car sped so fast that before anyone could react, my father was unfortunately struck by the car and was sent flying through the air before landing heavily on the ground. He lay there, motionless and dazed, blood seeping from his head.

I felt a wave of shock as I stood frozen in place, unable to comprehend the tragedy that happened before my eyes. My heart raced with fear and panic as more passersby ran towards the victim, some dialing the ambulance. A sense of helplessness and despair filled me.

Finally, when I managed to react, I ran towards the motionless man with Jacob and Jake following behind, screaming in terror, “Dad!”

I pushed my way through the crowd, and knelt beside him, both hands gripping his hand. Somehow, he was still conscious. Gradually, he shifted his view to meet mine. We gazed at each other for a few seconds, ignoring and forgetting everyone around us.

“You’re going to be fine, dad...” I said, at the same time trying to convince myself too that he would really be fine. “The ambulance’s on their way.”

He smiled. The same smile he gave me every time to express love and to make me feel secure. But this was the most charming smile of his I’ve ever seen. My heart instantly melted; happy memories of us started invading my mind as tears of sadness and happiness at the same time streamed down my face. Then slowly, I noticed that he had formed a thumbs up in his fist, the same gesture he gave me every time to assure me everything is going well and under control and make me feel secure too.

The sirens of the ambulance were getting nearer every second. The crowd started to part and returned to their original routine and plan. Deliberately, the drivers carefully avoided us and drove past us.

I continued to kneel there, waiting for the ambulance with just a few more onlookers around. Suddenly, his smile started to fade away, his eyelids shut slowly and reluctantly. The thumbs up slowly transformed into a loosened fist once again.

I knelt there, sobbing and crying.

“I love you, dad.”

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious platform celebrating the art of storytelling and poetic expression. This global event invites writers from all corners of the world to share their unique voices and narratives. The competition is a testament to the enduring power of words and the diverse stories they tell, fostering a vibrant community of creative minds.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Looi Yi Wei for sharing "The Unspoken Words" with us. Your participation in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 enriches the tapestry of stories that inspire and move us. We hope your journey of storytelling continues to touch hearts and evoke emotions as profoundly as this narrative has.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.