Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020complete | Page 350

I said: “I am so sorry… are you okay?”
She said: “it is okay. I am sorry, I am new in Honk Kong and I was so busy looking around that I did not see
you”.
“Oh, my name is Chen Liang.”
“I am Xiao Mu, I just had a bad day…”
“Yes, me too…”
Then the bus came and that is when my life start becoming’ pink’ instead of ‘grey’.
PART II - Xiao
Hello,
My name is Xiao Mu. I am 35 years old and I am from China.
I lived in China all my life although I spent the last three months in Hong Kong.
The story that I am going to tell you is not always very happy but there is something that changed my life from a
sad one into a wonderful one.
I did not have a happy childhood. I do not have any brothers or sisters. My parents are mean and always have
been. They punched me a few times... They treated me badly, hurt me and humiliated me as much as they
could. They never believed in affection and tenderness. Never loved me.
I studied in a public school in China. The students were not nice to me and I did not have any friends. I could
not wait for these years to be over…
When they finally were, I started working in a restaurant. I wish I could have done there what I like best,
cooking and baking. However, it did not turn that way. My job there was to clean the bathroom!
After a while, my boss opened up a new restaurant in Hong Kong and he wanted me to work there. I was so
thrilled that I accepted right away. I started imagining myself as the new Chef of this new trendy restaurant in
town! My bad days would be over and I would start a bright new life!
If only. Unfortunately, the first day there, I was told that I would still be expected to do the cleaning. I should
have seen this coming. So I did as asked, as always, hoping for a miracle that might never come.
Then, something happened. I remember THAT DAY perfectly. It was the 5th of November. I decided that this
day would be my turning point, that it would be a test for me. I was hoping that if I insisted on cooking
something, anything, they would let me try and prove myself.
In the morning I took my bus and went to my job as usual. My head was full of bright ideas.
I arrived at work. I started preparing something nice. Unfortunately, I was so stressed that I sneezed on the meal
that I was preparing in the kitchen... People saw me and complained. The restaurant fired me.
That was it, the end of my dreams.
I ran to my bus, feeling so sad and broken that I wanted to go home as quickly as possible. I then bumped into
someone.
It was a man. He seemed kind but there was a sadness in his eyes. His name was Chen Liang.
Then we got on the bus.
PART III - Chen
I went back to my job the following day and asked them to give me another chance. Luckily, they accepted.
The morning after this, I met Xiao on the bus again.
Honestly, for the first time in my life, I was so happy to see her every morning.
Xiao seemed to feel the same way. Our life started being very good for us.
I knew everything about her, or at least that is what I thought. We were good friends. In fact, she was my first
and only friend… Now I understand what “friendship” means.