Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4-7 2019 | Page 14

Eternal Love Carmel School Association Elsa High School, Apelbaum, Mia - 14 People say time heals all wounds but people also lie. It was a warm evening in the year 1405. I was at home nursing my daughter, Hua Yin. I named her Hua because Hua means flower. She was my perfection, made by Gods angels. My husband Li Yin was at work. It was like any normal evening. I put Hua down to sleep and then would go try and fall asleep myself. I always believed she protected me, my guardian angel. That night I couldn’t sleep. I did the only thing I could do when I was unable to sleep, I thought about life, I thought about Hua. Hua had porcelain white skin and big black eyes. She had big round cheeks that could melt your heart. She could look at you and you would just want to hug her. She was my perfection. She was what kept me going. After a bit of thinking, I drifted off into a warm sleep. I was woken up at 4 am with excruciating pain to my cheek. My whole body jolted up and all I could think about was if Hua was hurt. Through the corner of my eye I saw my husband sitting on the bed his eyes filled with rage as they often are. He began to scream at me, raging over something small. I tried talking to him and calm him down, but instead, his hand just radiated off my cheek. With every word, the pain was getting excruciatingly worse. With every breath, my hatred for this man grew. The pain of knowing this man could hurt me and I was incapable of fighting back, but even worse he could hurt Hua. This knowledge broke me. My bed, a place I felt safe in, a place that I could escape to no longer felt like a haven. As the pain in my body grew worse and worse, I suddenly heard Hua crying and I remembered why I was still here with this man. It was for her. I wanted a life for her, a life she would love. A life filled with joy and wealth. Something I couldn’t give her on my own. I ran to go and grab her. I could hear her cries ring through my ears. I always believed she could sense when Li and I were arguing. Just as I grabbed her Li’s hand pulsed through my arms, my world began to spin and I dropped her. Suddenly a room that was filled with Hua's light turned into a room of hatred, a room I needed to escape. I dropped the only thing I cared about. In that moment I knew I couldn't stay here with this man. This man made me hurt the only person I truly care about. I had no money, no job, and all I had was my own knowledge and my little flower. I knew that if we stuck together we would be okay, at least that’s what I believed. So I ran, and I ran holding my precious flower. The only other thing I took with me was my one medical book. That book had been with me through everything and it was going to stay with me. Medicine had always been my passion. I left the so called comfort that was my home, to a world more viscous than I could ever imagine. A world that made my home seem so safe. I didn't know where to run to. I slept in a little room I managed to rent for the night. It was a quaint pale blue room with simple wooden furniture that filled the room with a warm feel. Very simple, just enough for me and Hua to sleep the night. I was thinking about a place we could go to. My mind rushed back and forth from idea to idea but none were what we needed, then just as I was drifting to sleep I remembered hearing of a very famous captain called Zheng He and of his fleet of ships. The Ming Voyages they were called. I heard these ships could fit up to 30,000 people. I knew that if I could sneak onboard somehow I could sail on the boat until we reached a new land. Where I could start a new life. For me and for Hua. I could build her a life she deserved, a life I couldn’t give her here. I knew it would be dangerous but this was our only hope. As we entered the dock the next morning I began to search for a way to sneak onto the boat. I was able to find a broken maid’s costume lying in the corner near the trash and I quickly changed and managed to hide Hua in a little basket I found near it. I didn't think this was a good idea but it was the best idea I had in mind. In the chaos of loading the ships we were able to sneak on. I found a little room at the very bottom of the ship. This room would be our home for now. It was small and made of wood, the smell of the sea breeze lingered in the ships evening air. A week passed as we lived in utter secrecy. I cleaned the floors every day. I made sure no one noticed me, I managed to blend in very well. Every day I brought the leftover food I had for Hua and I. If she cried I made sure to quickly lull her to sleep. I made sure we hid well, for if we were caught we would both be dead. It was day nine of our adventure, I had woken up to the sound of Hua crying. The pain in her tears filling the room. I quickly grabbed her and began rocking her back to sleep. I sang a quiet melody that filled her ears with beautiful sounds. The moment I touched her I knew something was wrong. She was hot, very hot. She was ill. I tried to calm her down but I knew she needed medicine. She was not going to get better unless I gave her medicine. I quickly thought about what to do. I knew there must be medicine on this ship. As I was thinking I heard the loud chatter of men outside, I was immediately snapped out of my thought and back on alert. As I went out on a journey to find her medicine. I overheard Zheng He, the captain of the ship talking to one of his doctors about how one of his army generals was very sick and could die. “He could die in a matter of hours if we don't find the right medicine,” I heard Zheng He whisper. At that moment I knew exactly what would help him and how I could save Hua. I remember what I read in my medical book. I knew everything about doctoring, although I could never be a doctor because I was a woman. I went up to Zheng He with a small new found confidence and began speaking. I explained to him the specific medicine he needed. He was on the verge of sending me out until his doctor gave the general my medicine and in an instant, he felt much better. He doubted me at first but once I begged him he had to try. Zheng He being embarrassed that a maid