“ WHAAAAAT ??!!” I screamed
We set out to Jing ’ An Temple . On our way , I saw soldiers dining in a quaint cafe . They were everywhere . All seemed unreal to me , like an old Chinese movie . We passed beggars on the street . I saw fear in their eyes . There was tension all around as people were afraid for their lives . As we passed a newspaper vendor , I read the headlines that screamed out “ THE BIRTH OF THE PEOPLE ' S REPUBLIC OF CHINA !” The date read October 02 , 1949 . Lian was right , my worst fears came true !
We finally arrived . The temple was magnificent and stood tall with a majestic gold exterior . The wooden doors were enormous and devotees crowded at the entrance , flocking around an awesome sight : a towering jade statue of Buddha . It was the largest statue I had ever seen . We saw locals praying anxiously . I noticed long corridors crowned with arches , adorned in intricate carvings . The echoing of the copper bell would ring through . We searched high and low for the amulet , in vain . We were getting desperate and Lian broke down . Just then , someone heard us . It was best not to tell her our version of the story as she would think we were delusional .
“ I ’ ve dropped my mother ’ s precious amulet . She will be heartbroken if she knew I lost it ” I explained . Luckily , the lady believed me and offered to help . Her name was Ming . We spent the next few hours searching every inch of the temple . Lian and I were now losing hope …
Ming was a caregiver who provided wholesome meals to the monks . She was graceful and saintly . She considered her devotional work as a calling from heaven . Ming asked for help in lighting candles and serving food . I was willing to help for a while to ease my stress . Lian was now extremely distraught . After I served meals of rice and soup , I proceeded to the candles . As I came to the last candle , I saw a glow but it was not a flame . I went closer and looked inside . I gasped with excitement ! It was the amulet shining brighter than ever ! Lian was ecstatic ! We thanked Ming for her kindness and ran to the machine .
We joined the amulets , inserted them into the machine , buckled up and were set to go home ! The engine came alive and our seats spun uncontrollably , and as before , we lost consciousness ….
I woke up to the deafening sound of a bell . Where on earth was I now ? Are the soldiers coming ? I looked around with beads of sweat pouring down my forehead … and realised I was back in class ! “ PHEW , I ’ m home !” I said to myself , as my heart stopped racing . I looked over to Lian who smiled at me , but I couldn ’ t help wonder , had we really travelled back in time to Old Shanghai , or was it just a dream ?