Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4-7 2019 | Page 283

The tribes first broke the silence. A smart-looking woman with a golden crown shouted and howled but no
one on the fleet could understand a single word. They seemed to be annoyed. They yelled with a louder
voice and everyone could feel the tension growing in the filthy air.
‘Indeed. They are nothing more than a crowd of the uncivilised.’ Chun murmured with despise. He
thought no one could hear what he was saying but, unfortunately, the head of the tribes spotted Chun. He
shouted louder and this time, the tribes were loading their gunpowder into the barrels.’
‘Wait! You must have misunderstood us. We are not here to harm. I guarantee,’ Zheng said. He opened his
arms with his palm opened, facing upward, trying to show signs of openness and honesty. She stared at
Zheng with a suspicious look. He shouted again but this time they put down their weapons. Tension
stopped thriving. Finally, all members of the fleet, for the very first time, felt at ease, especially Chun as he
was the culprit of the conflict which almost triggered an interracial war.
Just when everyone thought that things were settled, the sky grew darker and darker. It was just as if the sky
turned from a clear blue amber into a groaning monster in a blink of an eye. The sky had darkened into a
faint violet. A flash of forked lightning and a great clap of thunder came close upon each other. The tribes
shouted in their dialect again and they all ran into their huts. This time, Chun and the others wouldn’t need
to understand what the tribes were saying to make their situation clear because it was self-explanatory: A
storm was coming.
Workers on the fleet started to tremble with fear, not knowing what to do. They said, ‘Let’s leave the fleet
and run into their huts. Only through this way will we be safe.’ ‘But the tribes are aggressive. Can’t you
remember they were trying to kill us a minute ago? It is dangerous to go out and seek for help from
enemies. Also, we can’t leave the fleet. All our assets, gold, food and silk are on the fleet. Without our fleet
we are nothing but a crowd of refugee.’ Chun said. Controversies sparked and this marked the beginning of
the fierce debate: To leave or not to leave. This is the question. The fleet was on its own now.
Just when General Zheng was caught between a rock and a hard place, a black figure was getting closer and
closer to the fleet. It was the head of the tribes who was trying to kill them a moment ago. Zheng was
shocked for a second, not knowing the intention of him running towards them.
‘Be prepared, He is coming to attack us.’ Chun shouted. ‘Wait. Is he waving at us? I guess he is asking us to
go to their huts. Let’s run and leave.’ All members of the fleet, including Chun sped to the huts. Chun ran
with Zheng and they went to the hut of the head of the tribes. They sat on the floor. The head and her
family stared at them with a strange look as if they had discovered something brand new. Then, she sat next
to them, and she filled the cups on the end table with hot tea and spoke in her dialect again. She seemed to
have realised that Chun and Zheng did not understand her. She placed the two cups of tea in front of them
and invited them to give it a try with simple gestures. Chun and Zheng were a bit nervous but they still had
a try on the cup of tea. It was a traditional fermented tea planted in the region. Chun and Zheng showed a
huge smile on their faces and so as she herself and her family.
‘Well, I may have to admit that I was wrong about them. They may really just have misunderstood us and
there’s nothing more. I mean they are not as rude and uncivilised as I said.’ Chun said. Zheng remained
silent but gave him a warm smile.
The storm lasted for two days. Afterwards the tribes helped the members of the fleet to rebuild another fleet
so that they could sail back to China. During the time they spent together, members of the fleet learnt more
about the tribal life in Bangladesh. They visited the garment manufacturing workplace, tea garden and wet
markets of various tribes. They saw children having lessons and the way the locals interacted with one
another. Everyone appreciated the harmonious and loving relationship among the tribes. They were helpful
and welcoming. They were much more passionate towards life though their materialistic enjoyment was not
as fulfilling as that in China.