Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4 - 7 2018 | Page 276

Racing Hearts
Buddhist Sin Tak College, Li, Hei Hang - 17
“The Sun goes up and the Sun goes down, I drag myself into the town…”
T
hat’s the lyrics from The Servant’s single “Cells.” Sums up most of our lives, pretty much,
really. Doing things that we are most likely not gonna like, to “work for a living” per se. But
that doesn’t quite cut it for me. I am not satisfied with my life being a part of a lifeless
society—Hong Kong, and living my life fruitlessly, having no sparks or glory whatsoever. I have to live
for something…or someone. I have to be different in this ordinary world. I have to be something else.
My name is Marcus Lee. And to give you some understanding as to how I live my current life
differently, I am currently a Formula One racing driver For Scuderia Toro Rosso, Italian for Red Bull
Racing. My racing number is 26…if you even cared. As for how I achieved this at such a young age of
23, it’s a really long story…Basically, I had to take my very own journey to the west.
I was a kid full of dreams. I grew up watching the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and
of course Sebastien Vettel, racing their asses off in those mesmerizing Formula One cars. I wanted to be
the same. I wanted to be on the top step of the podium, and proudly looking towards to the sky, as if I
was thinking about somebody while my country’s national anthem was played through the speakers on
the stage and all over the track. But it was practically impossible for me, being so poor in Hong Kong.
But I did. Otherwise I wouldn’t be talking to you in this manner. As much as my parents fully
respected my decision to drop out of school at the age of 16, I had to borrow a huge amount of money,
and find somewhere with decent racing supremacy to nurture my racing instinct, and to become what I
wanted to be—a racing driver.
Naturally the ideal place would be Britain. They have the best racing royalties. 7 of the 10 currently
competing Formula One teams have their headquarters located there. To add to that, Britain has shaped
countless legendary F1 world champions. Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, James Hunt etc. I was eager
to stand amongst them. “But wait,” you may think, “Isn’t Italy the place for aspiring racing drivers? Or
even Germany? With Ferrari and Lamborghini originating in Italy, and Mercedes in Germany?” Mind
you, you have a point. Both Mercedes and Ferrari are competing in the F1, and they are at the very top
of the game, with Mercedes winning the last 4 titles, in both constructors’ and drivers’ championships.
Ferrari was even more prominent in the sport, with 16 constructors’ title and 15 drivers’ championships.
Well, you still remember at the very beginning I told you that I had to live for something…or someone?
That certain “someone” is not in either of those countries….
“I think maybe it’s time for us to split up and calm our heads…” I still remember how this sentence
struck me 9 years ago…
“But why?...things are going fine!...”
“No they aren’t…let’s say that I have finally figured out what my mind is thinking...we just aren’t
meant to be together maybe…I mean, I’m leaving Hong Kong anyway…”
“What? Where?? You didn’t tell me this before!..Is there something wrong, Kate?”