Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 375

Tom's Amazing Dream in Old Shanghai
S.K.H. St. Peter's Primary School, Cheng, Jessica - 10
T
om is a secondary three student, he has big shining eyes. He wears a pair of blue glasses and has a short black
hair. He is tall but a bit fat because he likes to eat snacks. He likes to read books about travelling, he is
cheerful.
The summer vacation had started and Tom was happy so he went shopping to buy new swimming trunk for
holiday. On the way to shopping mall, Tom crossed the road unfortunately, a car bounced toward him. Tom fell
down and the blood was coming out from his right knee. It was very painful and he yelled “Can someone help me,
I am hurt.” The people around him called the police.
A few minutes later, an ambulance came and sent him to the hospital. When Tom was in hospital he felt sad
because he couldn’t travel to Shanghai with his family and friends. Tom’s knee needed an operation. After the
operation his parent went to Shanghai and Tom stayed in hospital alone He needed to stay in hospital, he felt
disappointed.
A week later, Tom received some letters and photos form his parent and friends. Tom read it again and again,
he felt very interested and impressed about the old Shanghai’s buildings and views. That night he dreamed he was
ready to travel to Shanghai. It was amazing!
Tom was on the train to Shanghai, he was excited to hear the sound of the train. After he got off the train he
couldn’t believe his eyes, there was a sign showed that the date was 17 th July, 1920. He saw the huge old Shanghai
buildings and the beautiful views, he was in the past and heard some cars beeping, and he was thrilled.
He walked around the old city, he saw some rich European people who were wearing fancy clothes. Also, he
saw some poor people who were wearing torn clothes. The people kept an eye on him as he wore the strange
clothes he felt embarrassed. When he walked along the street, the smell of the fried rice and noodles made him feel
very hungry.
However he didn’t have any money, so he couldn’t buy anything. He tried to find some jobs to earn money.
When he walked pass the pier, he saw some coolie were working, he wanted to do as well. He saw the notice said
‘Happy Company is hiring people for coolie work. You can earn so much money! Come and join’. Tom decided
to try the coolie work; he went to the Happy Company to apply for it. He started his first day as a coolie; he
needed to carry a heavy loading work. He tried his best to do the work but it was hard for him as he couldn’t carry
it. The others coolies were angry at him and shouted, “Hey, fat boy faster, faster…… We have to finish on time,
don’t delay our work!” Tom was upset and he gave up.
Tom left the pier feeling very sad. He walked and walked. Soon he saw a Dim Sum restaurant; he wanted to be
a waiter here. He walked into the restaurant to apply for the job; the tall woman was the boss. Tom talked to her
politely “I want to be a waiter. I’m a hardworking boy, please let me try.”
The tall woman stared at him from his head to toes and thought “This fat boy must be very careless, lazy and eat
a lot, we will lose a lot.” She spoke with a high pitched sound and said “No, we already have enough workers not
need for extra one, go away.”