Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 317

A Bag of Candies
Lycee Francais de Shanghai, Marin, Eve - 9
Chapter 1 – Presentation
In a little home in 1930 in the Old City of Shanghai, Ling a little girl had just lost a tooth. She was very excited.
She imagined she would get money for her lost tooth. When you have this idea in your head, you want to buy
some candies! But in her family, there was not a lot of money. Ling was sad her mother promised she would give
her money, but her mother didn’t want her daughter to be sad, so she decided to get her some candies anyway.
On the way to the market a little boy was crying alone. She went to him and asked him what his name was and
where he came from. He answered he was from California and his name was Theo and that while visiting Old
Shanghai he had lost his parents. At the market, Mother Pang bought some candies and then she took Theo to her
home…
Chapter 2 - What a Surprise
When Theo arrived at Mother Pang’s home, Ling scared Theo, and Theo scared Ling…
Mother Pang introduced Ling to Theo and Theo to Ling. She cooked dinner for the two kids and herself.
At the same time at the Japanese Communication Center, Mr. Surican was getting mad. He said that all his
employees were idiots and that he wanted to destroy the Old City!!!
Meanwhile Ling, Theo and Mother Pang were at the cemetery to pray for Ling’s father Quei Lin. They saw a man
who was praying too. He was tall and fat and he looked nice. Mother Pang asked him who he was praying for and
the man answered he was praying for his wife. He said he didn’t have children. Mother Pang felt sad for him.
Then Theo asked him where he lived. He answered he lived in a little house not far from the Japanese
Communication Center.
They all said goodbye.
When they went home, they realized it had been destroyed and that the chief of the Japanese Communication
Center had decided to destroy the entire Old City.
The man they had met at the cemetery was also without a house. Everything was destroyed. Ling was very sad and
she decided to give the man her candies.
Chapter 3 - A Helping Friend
Theo told Mother Pang he wanted to go to his parents. They went to the American Embassy. They asked if
someone had reported a lost kid. They said Mr. Hood had lost his little boy. Theo said Mr. Hood was his father.
Then, they arrived at Theo’s house and he was finally with his parents again. They thanked Mother Pang a lot and
when Mother Pang told them what had happened, Mr. Hood decided to help them. He had a Japanese friend
who worked at the Japanese Communication Center.
When they got to his friend, Mr. Hood asked for his help and his friend said he would try to help them as much as
he could. Mr Hood’s friend told Mr. Surican that destroying the Old City was horrible. It needed to stop. Mr.
Surican thought about what he had done. He understood he was wrong. He felt ashamed. He ordered to stop the
destruction of the city and to start rebuilding it.
Mother Pang, Ling, Theo and his parents promised they would always try to protect the Old City of Shanghai.
THE END