Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020complete | Page 358

Teach a Boy to Fish
Carmel School - Elsa High School, Golovsky, Milly - 13
The breaking of dawn is upon us. The air feels fragile, so light, yet heavy with the aspirations of the day
ahead. Water dribbles from the early morning dew down the sides of the bamboo houses. Sun looms from the
valleys below and as it rises so do the people. They embark from their village on a fleet of humble sampans with
woven straw hats placed upon their heads, fishing rods safely tucked away. The sun as their guide, the sky as their
map. Li-Wei leading, the bow of his boat piercing through the water, creating ripples as it goes.
His boat is now full with his catches of the day; wading through the maze of houses Li-Wei returns
home. Tying up his boat, the floor above rattles with footsteps, but he only smiles, the wrinkles around his eyes
smiling too. He climbs a ladder and is instantly greeted with a hug from his son, Li-Jie. He picks him up and
carries him to their armchair. Hastily lighting the fire, they both sit thawing their hands, savouring the warmth.
~~~
After comfortably settling in, Li-Wei asks, “how was your day?”
Li-Jie excitedly replies, “we learned about the Greater Bay Area.”
“The Greater Bay Area?” asks Li-Wei with a curious frown. “The Greater Bay Area,” he repeats
slowly, as he comes to the realisation. This was just as he had feared.
This was the project tearing down their fishing village. Curious but not wanting to worry his son, Li-
Wei declares, “at sunrise, we will depart and explore this Greater Bay Area. We will see more of Huizhou, visit
Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Jiangmen.”
Li-Jie, recently having learned how to count, follows along with his fingers. Confused at why his father
has stopped speaking Li-Jie holds up his fingers for Li-Wei to see.
“Father, you only said nine, aren’t there eleven places in the Greater Bay Area,” Li-Jie insists.
“Ah, my son, I thought you would ask. We will only be visiting the coastal places.” Sitting, he whispers,
“the other two, those are for our next adventure.”
Before the sun had barely risen Li-Jie, full of excitement, was ready to go: bed made, bag packed, hat
on. They quietly rowed out in their boat before anyone else had woken. Just as it was about to be out of sight
Li-Wei turned, taking in the serenity of his village, his home, one last time.
For a moment, Li-Wei stopped and craned his neck over to his son.
“Li-Jie, I think it is time you learn how to fish.” Gaining the attention of his son Li-Wei searched
through the boat until he found what he was looking for: his finest fishing rod. With rhythmic familiarity, he
attached some bait and plunged the hook into the sea. “And now we wait,” he added. It wasn’t long before he
felt a tugging on the end of the rod. Swiftly he reeled it in and tightly hooked around the end he found a fish.
He found a crimson fish.
Crimson
“This fish,” Li-Wei started, “shares it’s colour with the lantern that used to hang outside my
grandparent’s house. We would celebrate every holiday together and would devour a flavourful feast,” he said
chuckling, thinking back to the aroma of ornate spices that floated through the air. “My grandfather would
always share stories and recount traditions that have been passed down.”
After Li-Wei finished speaking, Li-Jie asked, “Father, can I have a turn fishing now.”
“No, not yet,” Li-Wei replied, “but one day you will be ready.”
A few days had passed; now in Shenzhen, it was time for another fish. Li-Wei prepared the rod and
dropped the hook into the sea, the float gently bobbing until he felt a tug.
Azure
“Look up Li-Jie. Now look down, and what do you see?” Confused by his father’s vague question Li-
Jie timidly replied, “T-The sky and the sea.”
“Exactly,” exclaimed Li-Wei, “the colour of this fish is all around us. Above us, below us,” indicating
with his hands, “we depend on them as they guide us through our journey. Li-Jie,” he whispered, now solely
focusing on his son, “you must find people who you can depend on.”