Listing Directory: Classified

AINS RECORD INFORMATION

Title: The Letter That Was Never Sent
Category: Short Story
Author: Ening Collection
Publisher: Ening Collection
Language: English
Number of pages: 1
Year published: 2026

DESCRIPTION

A thoughtful story about a lonely girl who writes an honest letter, finds the courage to speak directly and discovers that assumptions can hide another person’s pain.

STORY

Nora wrote a letter to her best friend, Hana, but never sent it.

Dear Hana,
You stopped waiting for me after school. You laugh with other people now. I suppose you do not need me anymore.

Nora folded the letter and placed it beneath her pillow.

For two weeks, she watched Hana from across the classroom. Each time Hana spoke to someone else, Nora’s heart felt heavier. She refused to ask what had changed because she feared the answer.

Hana also looked tired, but Nora believed she was simply being unfriendly.

One rainy afternoon, the teacher paired them for a science project. They sat in uncomfortable silence.

Finally, Hana asked, “Are you angry with me?”

Nora almost said no. Then she remembered the unsent letter.

“I thought you did not want to be my friend,” she admitted.

Hana’s eyes filled with tears. She explained that her parents were separating. She had been leaving school quickly to stay with her younger brother while her mother worked. She laughed with classmates because she did not want anyone to notice how frightened she felt.

“I wanted to tell you,” Hana said, “but I did not know how.”

Nora felt ashamed of all the unkind stories she had created in her mind.

That evening, she read the letter again. Instead of sending it, she wrote a new one.

Dear Hana,
I am sorry I guessed instead of asking. You do not have to face everything alone. I am ready to listen whenever you want to talk.

The next morning, Nora gave Hana the second letter. They could not solve every problem in Hana’s family, but they began walking home together twice a week. Nora also helped Hana’s brother with homework.

Nora kept the first letter as a reminder. It showed how quickly loneliness could turn a guess into something that felt true.

She learned that honest communication requires courage, but silence often allows misunderstanding to grow.

The letter that was never sent had been filled with fear. The letter that reached Hana carried something stronger: truth, patience and friendship.

SUMMARY

Nora assumes that Hana no longer wants to be her friend and writes an angry letter. A direct conversation reveals Hana’s family difficulties, teaching Nora to ask, listen and communicate before making conclusions.

MORAL LESSONS

Do not assume we know what another person is experiencing. Honest and gentle communication prevents misunderstandings. True friends listen and support one another during difficult times.

AINS RECORD INFORMATION

Title: The Grey Rainbow
Category: Short Story
Author: Ening Collection
Publisher: Ening Collection
Language: English
Number of pages: 1
Year published: 2026

DESCRIPTION

A gentle story about grief and friendship, showing that sadness does not disappear instantly but colour can slowly return through patience, creativity and support.

STORY

After her mother died, colours seemed to leave Maya’s world.

The red flowers outside school looked dull. The blue sky looked pale. Even her box of crayons remained closed.

Maya used to draw rainbows with her mother every Sunday. They invented funny colours such as mango-orange and sleepy-purple. Now, every colour reminded Maya of what she had lost.

During art class, the teacher asked everyone to draw a happy memory. Maya chose only a grey pencil. She drew a rainbow made of seven grey arches.

A pupil behind her whispered, “Rainbows are not grey.”

Maya lowered her head, but her friend Aisyah moved her chair closer.

“Maybe this one is,” Aisyah said.

She did not force Maya to use brighter colours. She simply coloured a small grey cloud beside the rainbow.

The next week, Aisyah brought two sheets of paper. “Can we draw together? You choose the colours.”

Maya chose grey again. Then she noticed a yellow crayon that was the colour of her mother’s favourite scarf. Her chest hurt, but she made one tiny yellow star.

On Sunday, Maya opened the crayon box at home. She drew the grey rainbow and added the yellow star. The following week, she added a green leaf because Mother had loved gardening.

Slowly, the picture changed. It was never completely bright. Grey remained between the colours, but Maya no longer thought that made the picture wrong.

She brought it to school and explained, “The grey is my sadness. The colours are the memories that still make me smile.”

Her classmates became quiet. Several children shared times when they had also felt sad.

The teacher displayed Maya’s drawing with a note: Every feeling belongs.

Months later, Maya still missed her mother. Some days were colourful, while others felt grey again. She learned that healing did not mean forgetting or pretending to be happy.

A rainbow can appear while rain is still falling.

With time, friendship and courage, Maya allowed both sadness and love to remain in her picture—and in her heart.

SUMMARY

Maya sees the world in grey after her mother dies and draws a grey rainbow. With Aisyah’s patient friendship, she slowly adds colours representing loving memories and learns that healing can include both sadness and hope.

MORAL LESSONS

It is acceptable to feel sad after a loss. Good friends listen without forcing someone to feel better. Healing takes time, and happy memories can exist beside grief.

AINS RECORD INFORMATION

Title: A Promise by the Graveside
Category: Short Story
Author: Ening Collection
Publisher: Ening Collection
Language: English
Number of pages: 1
Year published: 2026

DESCRIPTION

A moving story about Yusuf, who promises his late brother that he will protect a shared dream by helping another child learn to read.

STORY

Yusuf stood beside his older brother’s grave holding a thin storybook.

Hakim had loved reading aloud. Before becoming ill, he often sat under the guava tree and helped Yusuf sound out difficult words.

“Stories open doors,” Hakim always said.

After Hakim died, Yusuf closed every book in the house. Reading reminded him too much of the voice he had lost.

On the first anniversary of Hakim’s death, Yusuf visited the graveside with Mother. He placed the thin book beside the flowers.

“I promise I will not let our stories end,” he whispered, though he did not know how to keep that promise.

A week later, Yusuf noticed a quiet boy named Daniel struggling during reading class. Some pupils laughed when Daniel mispronounced a word.

Yusuf almost looked away. Then he remembered Hakim’s patience.

At recess, Yusuf invited Daniel to sit beneath a tree. They began with short sentences. Daniel read slowly, stopping many times. Yusuf never laughed or rushed him.

They practised every day. Yusuf used Hakim’s old method: point carefully, sound out the letters and celebrate each small improvement.

Helping Daniel was painful at first because Yusuf could almost hear his brother’s voice. Yet the memory gradually became comforting instead of sharp.

Three months later, Daniel read an entire story to the class. His hands trembled, but his voice grew stronger on every page. When he finished, the room filled with applause.

Daniel turned to Yusuf. “You opened the door for me,” he said.

Yusuf smiled through his tears. Those were almost the same words Hakim had used.

That weekend, Yusuf returned to the graveside. He did not bring a closed book. He brought a list of children who wanted to join a small reading club.

“I kept my promise,” he said. “And I will keep it again next week.”

Yusuf finally understood that promises to people we miss are kept through living actions. Hakim could no longer read beneath the guava tree, but his patience continued each time Yusuf helped another child open a book.

SUMMARY

After losing his brother Hakim, Yusuf promises not to let their love of stories end. By patiently helping Daniel learn to read, Yusuf turns grief into service and continues his brother’s kindness.

MORAL LESSONS

We can honour loved ones through helpful actions. Patience gives others confidence. Sharing knowledge allows goodness to continue from one person to another.

AINS RECORD INFORMATION

Title: The Forgiveness That Arrived Too Late
Category: Short Story
Author: Ening Collection
Publisher: Ening Collection
Language: English
Number of pages: 1
Year published: 2026

DESCRIPTION

A sensitive story about two former friends, an apology that cannot be delivered in person, and the decision to prevent pride from delaying future forgiveness.

STORY

Lina and Mei had been best friends since Year One. They shared pencils, secrets and a seat on the school bus.

During Year Five, they entered an art competition together. Lina accidentally spilled water across their painting. Mei became angry.

“You ruin everything!” she shouted.

Lina’s face turned red. “Then find a better friend.”

Neither girl apologised. Days became weeks. They sat with different classmates and pretended not to care.

Lina wrote an apology on a piece of pink paper, but pride stopped her from giving it to Mei. She kept it inside her dictionary.

During the school holidays, Mei’s family suddenly moved to another country because her father had found work there. Lina learned the news after the house was already empty.

She ran home, found the pink letter and asked her teacher for Mei’s new address. No one had it.

The apology had arrived too late.

For months, Lina carried a heavy feeling. She imagined Mei believing that their friendship had meant nothing.

One afternoon, her teacher noticed her sadness. Lina finally explained everything.

“You cannot change the moment you missed,” the teacher said. “But you can allow it to change the moments still ahead.”

Lina placed the apology in a box with photographs of their friendship. She then wrote a second note to herself: Do not let pride speak longer than love.

Soon, Lina argued with her younger brother over a broken ruler. Angry words rose in her throat, but she remembered Mei.

“I am upset,” Lina said, taking a breath, “but I do not want us to hurt each other.”

Her brother admitted his mistake, and Lina forgave him.

Years later, a message arrived through their old school. It was from Mei. She had also regretted their final argument.

Lina sent the pink letter at last. The apology could not return the lost years, but it opened a new conversation.

Both girls learned that forgiveness is most powerful when it is offered early. A sincere “I am sorry” may feel difficult today, but silence can become much heavier tomorrow.

SUMMARY

Lina delays apologising after an argument with her best friend Mei. Mei moves away before the letter can be delivered, teaching Lina not to let pride delay honest apologies and forgiveness.

MORAL LESSONS

Apologise sincerely before pride creates a larger distance. We cannot change the past, but we can improve our future choices. Forgiveness helps relationships heal.

AINS RECORD INFORMATION

Title: Counting My Remaining Breaths
Category: Short Story
Author: Ening Collection
Publisher: Ening Collection
Language: English
Number of pages: 1
Year published: 2026

DESCRIPTION

A hopeful story about a sick child who stops counting what illness has taken away and begins counting the small moments of love and joy still available to him.

STORY

Twelve-year-old Iman had a lung illness that made breathing difficult. Some days, climbing five steps felt like climbing a mountain.

At the hospital, a machine measured each breath. Iman watched the numbers rise and fall.

“What if I do not have many breaths left?” he asked Nurse Sofia.

She pulled a chair beside him. “None of us knows our exact number,” she replied. “Perhaps we should decide what to place inside the breaths we have.”

Iman did not understand at first.

He began counting everything he could no longer do: football matches missed, school trips cancelled and nights spent away from home. Each number made him feel smaller.

Then a new patient named Ravi arrived. Ravi was seven and frightened of the medical equipment. He cried whenever the mask covered his face.

Iman remembered Nurse Sofia’s words. Using slow breaths, he told Ravi a funny story about a dragon that sneezed bubbles instead of fire. Ravi stopped crying and listened.

The next day, Iman folded paper birds for the children’s ward. He needed many rests, but each completed bird carried a message: You are braver than you feel.

His classmates began sending voice recordings of lessons and jokes. Iman used his energy to reply with encouragement. He discovered that even from a hospital bed, he could help others feel less alone.

When his condition improved, the doctor allowed him to sit in the hospital garden. Iman felt the breeze enter his lungs. He heard birds, smelled wet soil and watched his mother smile.

He did not count the breath.

Instead, he counted one joke shared, twelve paper birds, three new friends, two hugs and a hundred small reasons to be grateful.

Iman still had difficult days. He was not pretending that illness was easy. But he stopped measuring his life only by what he had lost.

Every breath could carry fear, but it could also carry a kind word, a laugh, a prayer or hope.

Iman could not choose the number of his breaths. He could choose the goodness he placed inside them.

SUMMARY

Iman worries about his serious lung illness and counts everything he can no longer do. By comforting other children and appreciating small moments, he learns to fill his life with kindness and gratitude.

MORAL LESSONS

Life is valuable even during difficult times. Helping others can give us courage. We should appreciate small joys without ignoring real sadness or pain.

AINS RECORD INFORMATION

Title: When Tomorrow Never Comes
Category: Short Story
Author: Ening Collection
Publisher: Ening Collection
Language: English
Number of pages: 1
Year published: 2026

DESCRIPTION

A thoughtful story about a busy boy who keeps delaying time with his grandfather until an unexpected loss teaches him to value the people he loves today.

STORY

“Tomorrow, Grandpa,” Faris always said.

When Grandpa asked him to play chess, Faris wanted to finish a game on his tablet.

When Grandpa invited him to walk by the river, Faris wanted to watch another video.

When Grandpa offered to teach him how to make a wooden kite, Faris promised, “We can do it tomorrow.”

Grandpa never became angry. He simply smiled and placed the unfinished kite on a shelf.

One Monday morning, Grandpa was taken to hospital. His heart had become very weak. Faris visited after school and held his hand.

“Can we make the kite when you come home?” Faris asked.

Grandpa smiled tiredly. “If tomorrow comes, we will. But do not forget to live kindly today.”

That night, Grandpa passed away.

Faris stared at the empty chair in the living room. He wished he could return to every afternoon he had wasted. The tablet that once seemed exciting now felt cold and unimportant.

For days, Faris refused to touch the unfinished kite. He believed he did not deserve to complete it.

Then Mother sat beside him. “Regret cannot change yesterday,” she said, “but it can teach us how to use today.”

Faris took the kite from the shelf. With Father’s help, he tied the frame and covered it with bright blue paper. On the tail, he wrote: Today matters.

He invited his younger sister to the field. Instead of telling her to wait, he patiently taught her how to hold the string.

The kite rose high into the wind. Faris imagined Grandpa smiling.

After that day, Faris still used his tablet, but he no longer allowed it to take every free moment. He ate dinner without a screen. He listened when Mother spoke. He visited his elderly neighbour and learned chess from him.

Whenever Faris was tempted to delay a kind word, a visit or an apology, he remembered the unfinished kite.

Tomorrow is a hope, not a promise. The love we can give today should never be left waiting on a shelf.

SUMMARY

Faris repeatedly postpones spending time with his grandfather. After Grandpa passes away, Faris completes their unfinished kite and learns to give attention, kindness and love without always waiting for tomorrow.

MORAL LESSONS

We should value time with loved ones today. Regret can become a lesson when it changes our actions. Technology should not replace meaningful relationships.

AINS RECORD INFORMATION

Title: A Home Without Her Prayers
Category: Short Story
Author: Ening Collection
Publisher: Ening Collection
Language: English
Number of pages: 1
Year published: 2026

DESCRIPTION

A warm family story about siblings who miss their grandmother and learn to continue the loving daily habits that once made their home peaceful.

STORY

Every morning before sunrise, Nabil heard Grandma Mariam’s soft voice praying in the next room. Her prayers were as familiar as the ticking clock and the smell of warm bread.

Grandma prayed for everyone by name. She prayed for Father at work, Mother in the kitchen, Nabil before examinations and little Hana when she had a fever.

Then Grandma became ill and passed away.

The first morning without her felt strangely quiet. Nabil woke early and waited for her voice, but heard only rain touching the roof.

For several weeks, the family moved through the house like people searching for something they had lost. Father forgot to eat breakfast. Mother sat alone after dinner. Hana stopped singing while arranging her toys.

“Our home does not feel like home anymore,” Hana said.

Nabil understood. Grandma’s room was still there, but the peace she created seemed to be missing.

One evening, Nabil found a small notebook beside Grandma’s prayer mat. Each page contained names and simple reminders: Help Hana read. Thank Mother. Ask Father to rest. Visit the sick neighbour.

Nabil realised that Grandma’s prayers had always been followed by caring actions.

The next morning, he woke Hana and helped her prepare for school. At breakfast, he thanked Mother for the food. After class, the children brought soup to their elderly neighbour.

Father noticed the change. That night, the family sat together. They spoke about Grandma, cried a little and shared their favourite memories.

“We cannot replace her prayers,” Mother said, “but we can continue the love inside them.”

From then on, each family member chose one kind action every day. Hana drew cheerful cards. Father came home earlier on Fridays. Mother invited lonely neighbours for tea. Nabil helped younger pupils with homework.

The house was still quieter than before, and they continued to miss Grandma. Yet warmth slowly returned to every room.

Nabil learned that a loving prayer was not only words spoken softly. It was also patience, gratitude and service.

Grandma’s voice no longer travelled through the house, but the goodness of her prayers lived in the way the family cared for one another.

SUMMARY

After Grandma Mariam dies, Nabil’s family feels that their home has lost its peace. Her notebook teaches them that her prayers were always joined with loving actions, so they begin practising kindness every day.

MORAL LESSONS

Prayers should inspire good actions. Families heal by remembering, speaking and caring for one another. We honour loved ones by continuing the goodness they taught us.

AINS RECORD INFORMATION

Title: Return to an Empty Address
Category: Short Story
Author: Ening Collection
Publisher: Ening Collection
Language: English
Number of pages: 1
Year published: 2026

DESCRIPTION

A gentle story about Sara returning to her childhood home and discovering that memories can remain meaningful even when a familiar place has changed.

STORY

Sara kept an old address written on a faded blue envelope: Number 17, Jasmine Lane.

It was the house where she had lived with Grandpa Rahim. There, he taught her to grow chillies, repair torn books and greet every neighbour with a smile.

After Grandpa died, Sara’s family moved to another town. She missed the creaky gate, the mango tree and the sound of Grandpa humming in the kitchen.

Two years later, Sara’s mother took her back to Jasmine Lane. Sara carried the envelope against her chest. She imagined opening the gate and hearing Grandpa call her name.

But Number 17 was empty.

The windows were dusty. Wild grass covered the garden, and the mango tree had been cut down. A wooden sign said that the house would soon be rebuilt.

Sara stood silently. “Everything is gone,” she said.

An elderly neighbour named Auntie Mei came outside. She recognised Sara and invited her in.

“Your grandfather gave me this before he became ill,” Auntie Mei said, handing her a small tin box.

Inside were chilli seeds, a photograph and a note.

Dear Sara,
A house is only one place where love lives. Plant these seeds wherever you are, and make that place kinder.

Sara read the note twice. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she also smiled.

Before leaving, she walked through the empty garden. Near the old fence, she found one tiny chilli plant growing between two stones. She carefully collected its ripe seeds.

Back home, Sara planted both sets of seeds in pots outside her apartment. She invited the neighbours’ children to help water them. When the plants produced bright red chillies, she shared them with every family on her floor.

Soon, people who had hardly spoken began exchanging food and stories.

Sara still kept the blue envelope, but she no longer believed her memories belonged only to Number 17. Grandpa’s kindness now lived in a new address, in a row of green plants and in neighbours who had become friends.

The old house was empty, but the love she brought home was not.

SUMMARY

Sara returns to her late grandfather’s empty house and feels that her childhood memories have disappeared. A note and some chilli seeds teach her that love can be planted and shared wherever she lives.

MORAL LESSONS

A home is created through love, not only walls and an address. We can honour people we miss by continuing their kindness. Sharing brings neighbours together.

AINS RECORD INFORMATION

Title: My Father’s Last Two Prayers
Category: Short Story
Author: Ening Collection
Publisher: Ening Collection
Language: English
Number of pages: 1
Year published: 2026

DESCRIPTION

A touching story about Adam, who learns that a father’s greatest hopes are not about wealth or success, but about kindness, courage and a good heart.

STORY

Eleven-year-old Adam often sat beside his father after evening prayers. His father had been ill for many months, but he still smiled whenever Adam entered the room.

One night, Adam found him looking through an old family album.

“Were you praying for me again?” Adam asked.

His father nodded. “I have two prayers left in my heart for you.”

Adam expected him to pray that he would become rich or famous. Instead, his father held his hand.

“My first prayer is that you will stay kind, even when the world is not kind to you.”

Adam looked down. The week before, a classmate had laughed at his worn schoolbag. Adam had wanted to say something cruel in return.

“And the second?” Adam whispered.

“That you will have courage to do what is right, even when you stand alone.”

A few days later, Adam’s father passed away peacefully. The house filled with relatives, quiet voices and tears. Adam felt as though a strong tree had disappeared from his life.

When he returned to school, he saw the same classmate sitting alone. The boy’s lunchbox was empty, and his eyes were red.

Adam remembered the first prayer. He divided his sandwich and sat beside him.

Later, some pupils blamed a new student for breaking a classroom window. Adam had seen what really happened. His best friend warned him to remain silent.

Adam remembered the second prayer. Though his hands shook, he told the teacher the truth. The innocent pupil was not punished.

That evening, Adam sat in his father’s favourite chair. He still wished his father could return, but his heart no longer felt completely empty.

“I will carry your prayers with me,” he said softly.

From then on, whenever Adam faced a difficult choice, he asked himself two questions: Is this kind? Is this right?

Those questions became a small light that guided him. His father was gone, but the love behind his final prayers continued to shape the boy Adam was becoming.

SUMMARY

Before passing away, Adam’s father leaves him two important prayers: remain kind and have the courage to do what is right. Adam honours those prayers at school and discovers that his father’s guidance still lives within him.

MORAL LESSONS

True success begins with kindness and courage. The good advice of our parents can guide us throughout life. We should defend the truth, even when doing so is difficult.

AINS RECORD INFORMATION

Title: The Cracked Pot on the Veranda
Category: Short Story
Author: Ening Collection
Publisher: Ening Collection
Language: English
Number of pages: 1
Year published: 2026

DESCRIPTION

A gentle story about Amina, who learns to cope with the loss of her grandmother through an old cracked pot. The story shows children that love and kindness can continue even after someone we love is gone.

STORY

Amina loved spending her school holidays at Grandma Salmah’s little wooden house. Every morning, Grandma watered the flowers on the veranda using an old brown pot.

The pot had a long crack on one side. Water always dripped out before Grandma reached the last flower.

“Why don’t you throw it away?” Amina once asked. “It is broken.”

Grandma smiled and touched the crack gently. “Something does not have to be perfect to be useful.”

A few months later, Grandma became very ill. Amina visited her after school and read stories beside her bed. Grandma listened with her eyes closed and a peaceful smile on her face.

One rainy evening, Grandma passed away.

The house became quiet. The veranda felt empty without her soft voice and gentle footsteps. Amina missed her so much that even looking at the flowers made her cry.

One morning, Amina found the cracked pot under a wooden bench. It was covered with dust. She held it close and remembered Grandma’s words.

She filled the pot with water and began watering the flowers. As she walked, water escaped through the crack. Amina felt sad and thought the pot had failed again.

Then she noticed a line of tiny green plants growing beside the veranda. The leaking water had been feeding them for many months. Soon, small yellow flowers appeared along the path.

Amina finally understood.

The cracked pot had watered more than the flowers in Grandma’s pots. Without knowing it, the pot had created a beautiful little garden.

From that day, Amina used the cracked pot every morning. She also began helping her neighbours, reading to younger children and caring for stray cats.

She knew that she could never replace Grandma. However, she could continue Grandma’s kindness.

Whenever Amina felt lonely, she sat beside the yellow flowers and remembered Grandma’s smile.

“You were right, Grandma,” she whispered. “Even something broken can still give life.”

A soft breeze moved through the flowers. For a moment, Amina felt as if Grandma was sitting beside her again.

SUMMARY

After Grandma Salmah passes away, Amina feels lonely and finds her grandmother’s cracked watering pot. She discovers that water leaking from the pot has helped small flowers grow beside the veranda. Amina understands that being imperfect does not stop someone from doing good. She continues her grandmother’s kindness by helping people and animals.

MORAL LESSONS

We should remember loved ones by continuing their good deeds. Everyone has weaknesses, but everyone can still be useful and bring happiness to others. Kindness can grow in unexpected places.