Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 1-2 | Page 293

New Journeys to the West - Little Flower
Heep Yunn Primary School, Chong, Colette - 10
W
Rose
hen I was six days old, my Chinese parents gave me up for adoption. It was during the strict
‘one-child-per-family policy’ in communist China. My birth parents were very poor and
wanted to give me a better life. They gave me an old book that was left for me by my birth
parents, they had read it to me over the years, I loved the Monkey King and the book taught me a lot. The
Buddhist monk faced eighty-one sufferings on his long journey, more than most people, so the book helped
me deal with feeling different. I used to wish as a child that I could change into anyone I wanted, just like
the Monkey could. I read the chapters many times, it reminded me of my real parents, the one legacy they
had left me…the book had journeyed all the way from China, I felt like we had that small thing joining us
together.
I was almost 18 when I discovered the note on the last page of the book, I burst into tears. They wanted to
meet me. I felt excited but worried. How would I know what they looked like? How would they recognise
me? Dylan, my brother said that I should turn up holding a sign saying ‘hey, I’m the adopted kid! Are you
my birth parents?’ but I think I’d look silly, I’m sure he was just trying to cheer me up!
Christmas and New Years passed in a flash, I had questions running through my mind. Mum was worried in
case they didn’t show up and I’d be disappointed. It’s pretty unlikely that they will show up after 18 years.
However, we decided to travel to London, we had nothing to lose…so our journey began, I held the book
to my chest tightly.
Chinese Mother
I couldn’t stop crying as I heard my husband leaving the house with our Little Flower. I felt empty and
ashamed because we couldn’t give our daughter the life she deserved. If the authorities found out that we
had a second child, our family would have been torn apart. Over the years, Chunhua, which means ‘Little
Flower’, has never left our minds. Every birthday, Chinese New Year, I was thinking about her. Chen
missed his little sister and dreams of the day he will meet her.
We have saved money and Chen has learnt English and taught us a little too. None of us have ever left
China and we worry that Chunhua would be scared of meeting us, or blame us for giving her up. We hope
she has the book, and has read it to the end and found our note. If she doesn’t come we will try to
understand, we want to see where our daughter grew up and it is almost time...
The Book and the Chinese Father
Wow that monkey has travelled! My father's father had read it a million times to his sons and them to their
sons and daughters. He loved that book, it was his treasure. I think the monk reminded my father of his
grandfather and it had since been passed down through generations and now it was in my hands, worn thin
from love of every page. My mother may disagree to me dipping the tip of my brush into the ink and
turning to the old, worn, yellowed page and writing my words, or maybe she would understand...
Dear Little Flower,
What we feel cannot be put into words. We think this is the best for you. We wish we could give you
everything you deserve. We love you so much. We know that the people who adopted you, are British and
good people.
On the 1st of January 2017, your 18th birthday, we will be waiting for you Little Flower, we will find a
way. We will be waiting for you at Westminster Abbey; a famous church in London.
In our hearts forever.
Love Father, Mother and Chen (your older brother)
On the day we had to say goodbye, I wrapped her up ready for a new journey west. I could hear her
mother sobbing as I tucked the book beneath her. I took her to the adoption agency and will never forget
the journey home alone without her.