Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 208

“Okay,” Maya shrugged and continued to read.
“IT WAS A VERY BUSY CITY, FILLED WITH PEOPLE SHOPPING AND WANDERING ABOUT.”
Suddenly, the words began to change.
“What is going on?” Maya cried.
She stared at the words again, but she still noticed them changing.
“Okay, I’m going to get Dad. I know he won’t believe me, but I’ll show him this,” Maya shook her head in
disbelief and sprinted to get Dad.
“Dad, can’t you see?” Maya pleaded desperately, when she’d fetched Dad. “The words are changing, see?” She
pointed to the word “DEVIL” which had once been “ANGEL”.
“Nope, I can’t see it” he shrugged and walked back to his chair, smirking in amusement.
Out of the blue, Maya started to feel drowsy. Maya cried out, but her cries could not be heard because the wind
was too strong. She was pulled away from her family.
Maya found herself in a busy street. “Where am l?” She wondered. “Oh,” She nodded, gazing at the
surroundings around her, “ I’m in another place in Shanghai!”
Maya spotted a pretty lady dressed in black walking towards a bakery.
Amazingly, she followed the lady.
“May l ask why you are following me?” the pretty lady asked Maya suspiciously.
“ I just wanted to know if you could help me find my parents?” Maya blushed beetroot red.
“Of course!” the lady grinned brightly. “ But could you help me first?” the lady asked.
“Sure!” Maya’s heart leapt.
The lady instructed her to think of what the future might be in Shanghai.
“ That’s a piece of cake!” Maya exclaimed.
“In the new Shanghai, we would have streets running west from the Bund called: CANTON, FOOCHOW,
HANKOW, KIUKANG, NANKING, PEKING, and SOOCHOW ROAD.” Maya explained dreamily.
“Oh, and they will be in alphabetical order.” She added. “ Shanghai will provide various kinds of clubs. They
shall be named: MASONIC CLUB, JUNIOR CLUB…erm..oh yes! GERMAN CLUB, AMERICAN CLUB,
FRENCH CLUB, ITALIAN CLUB, PORTUGUESE CLUB and COUNTRY CLUB!” She cried eagerly.
Maya continued, rambling on about a man called Frederick Townshed Ward and how he was remembered by
his bravery of fighting the Taiping Rebellion. British residents being spoilt children in the Empire because they
paid no taxes, and dog poisoning invented.
As for rules, Maya made rules that included DON’T’s: DON’T throw stones at dogs, DON’T go about in noisy
parties and DON’T carry firearms of any sort. All those activities were asking for trouble….
“Maya, wake up!” Mom cried.
“ What? I thought l was planning for the new Shanghai!” Maya protested, rubbing her eyes.
“ Nice dream! Come on, dinner time!” Dad chuckled.
“I guess l do fancy being here!” said Maya and she skipped downstairs joyfully.
That was how the Bund was invented, along with the Taiping Rebellion and many others.