Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4567 | Page 114

A tense silence settled, the atmosphere thickening. “That little girl you saw that day? She was my little sister.” I
stilled. “She was all I had left, all that I had ever loved.” He directed his gaze towards me, his weary dark eyes
probing my soul. “We found her body by the docks the next day, and that’s where I saw you, the one who couldn’t
save her.”
I flinched, the weight of my sin crushing down on me. I opened my mouth to speak, to apologize, to say anything
at all, but in that crucial moment, my voice failed me, and I was left gaping, like the coward I am. Swallowing, I
tried again: “I-- ”
“I saw you that day.” He interrupted, fingers clenching into tight fists.. “And I had never felt so angry in my entire
life. For a moment, I’d considered ending both my life and yours, so that we would all go to hell for the sins we’d
committed...” LeLe spat, a fire igniting within the depths of his onyx eyes. It was soon extinguished though, as he
took a deep breath and continued. “But then, I realized, that you felt just as guilty, if not even more so.” The boy
sighed, fingers slowly loosening. “I could tell from the way you stood there, for hours on end, just watching over
her, as if that would make any difference. Even when everyone else left, you stayed, even if there was nothing you
could’ve done to save her.”
“I realized that you’d given your all and failed.” LeLe red rimmed eyes downcast. “And there was nothing more
that you could’ve done.”
“I’m really sorr--”
“It’s fine.” LeLe stated simply, a soft sniffle escaping his lips. “No one’s perfect.” He averted his gaze again,
choosing to stare at his bare feet instead. “I really do miss her though. She would’ve loved to meet a policeman.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed, masking the silent sobs racking my chest. “Jesus, kid, I’m so s--“
“I told you, it’s fine.” The boy interrupted, albeit more firmly. “I’m not here to pin the blame on you.” He looked
up, sad eyes connecting with mine. "I actually wanted to thank you for something.”
I spluttered, confusion colouring my features. “For what? I didn’t-- No, couldn’t save her.”
LeLe was quiet for a moment, mulling things over in his head. “...For giving your all in everything. For giving us
a chance to dream.” He replied simply after the tense silence. “For giving us a hope for a better future.” I turned
to look at him, and in that moment, the smiling child I had met seemed like a faraway dream. “We both knew we
wouldn’t last long, not alone in a city like this, at least. It was just a matter of when, where, and how.” He turned
to give me a half-smile. “I’m glad that she at least got to experience joy and the beauty of life, if even just for a short
fleeting moment, and for that I have to thank you.”
“You see, we’d always wanted to forget the time limit on our lives, forget the fact that with every living, breathing
moment, we would feel the cold chill of death pressing against us. You helped us forget. Helped us to escape, and
gave us a chance to dream.” His gaze softened. “For once, I saw that she was happy, and even if you couldn’t save
her, you gave your all to change our fates for the better. Thank you for that, Inspector.”
Brushing the imaginary dust from his wrinkled shorts, LeLe stood, his dirty hands making his shorts all the more
filthy. “I’ll be taking my leave now, I have to start work in a few minutes.” He turned to leave, before he swivelled
round again. “Thanks for taking the cigarette by the way, it’s always nice to make a little more money.”
From the distance, LeLe waved, a childish grin sneaking up to his face. I couldn’t help but wave back. As his
silhouette disappeared into the darkness, I lowered my hand, my fingers still clutching the remains of my cigarette.
The tip glowed brightly in the dark night, dying embers flickering briefly before it blinked once, fizzing out. I