Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 3 2018 | Page 41

Journey to the West
G.T. (Ellen Yeung) College, Chu, Hedy - 13
I
Dear Lana,
t is January 13 th , 1867, and it is freezing.
Well, considering the fact that I have joined the Chinese navy and am to set sail from China all the way
to London, I guess the cold just has to be there.
I know that I had promised you to never sail again, but the miles between us are driving me crazy, my only
way of comfort being a piece of letter you gave me before I left for China the last time I was in London.
I need you, Lana.
Consequences be damned.
Your one and only,
Zhang Lee
*
Dear Lana,
Today is January 20 th , 1867, and the crew members are getting antsy.
Two stowaways were found, and they were hung the other day.
Some of the sailors say that they could hear the two girls screams at night, some say they shouldn’t have
killed them.
The captain, Shumway, is adamant about his choice of murdering them.
I don’t know what to do.
Love,
Zhang Lee
*
Dear Lana,
February 3 rd , 1867.
It was one of my boy’s birthday yesterday.
We celebrated it by drinking really expensive wine and telling each other stories.
I told them about you.
I told them everything.
Now, everyone is fast asleep, but I couldn’t.
So instead, I choose to climb to the upper deck and am now currently sitting on the foremast, writing this
letter that you are never going to read to you .
We crossed the Pacific Ocean today.
It’s beautiful, Lana.
When the Pacific Ocean meets the Indian Ocean, olive green mixing with indigo.
It’s so magical.
If only you were here to see it.
On the side of the boat is a small net, so the boys and I all stripped down and jumped in, following the sway
of the boat as the net bobbed in and out of the water, bringing us along with it.
It was really fun.
Eternally yours,
Zhang Lee
*
Dear Lana,
February 10 th , 1867.
We stopped by a little port today.
Me and the boys got tattoos.
I mean ‘the boys and I’.
You always remind me that it should be ‘The boys and I’.
Back to what I was saying though.