Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4567 | Page 277

“Maria, honey, I’m sorry for yelling at you, it’s just that there were some reports that I had received from the
company saying that people who took the powder in large quantities eventually lost themselves...I don’t want to
lose you, so this was just for your own good...” he mumbled out to her, hoping she would forgive him, “I’ll buy
you that bag of sweet candy you always want, if you forgive me?”
She turned around, tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, “Fine, but I want the ones with lots of syrup!” she
said, quickly sitting up and giving him a hug.
He then stood up, said goodnight and walked outside, back into his office to clear the mess he had received back
from Headquarters.
In the letter given to him by urgent call from the crew abroad one of the company’s many trading ships, it stated
the possibility of a Chinese Government intervention, as they were getting suspicious of their silver count, and
that the sale of opium may soon be sold under secrecy. His task was to get as much merchants and customers
under their wing and keep them to a secrecy binding, so they don’t go off selling their providers off. He sat, bent
down in his chair over the table, and tried to think on how to best distribute the powder without arising
suspicion, when an idea struck him, “What if…..” he mused to himself, as he slowly sat back, yawning.
Tomorrow would be a very interesting day.
The next morning, he woke up early to go down to the shop and bought the candy for his daughter. When he
came back, she was in the kitchen making traditional Chinese breakfast for herself.
“Hello, I didn’t know today you didn’t have to go to work... I was planning to go out with my Chinese friends,
we were planning to go watch the Chinese opera. I promise it won’t be very long, I’ll come back as soon as it
finishes!” Maria blurted out.
“No need to worry, dear. Just be careful, and if you see those mean Chinese kids, run the other way,” he
said,“In fact, could you talk with your friends today and see if they can get their parents over. I’d like to hold a
special party. After all, It’s nearly your birthday, and I’d like to see what suggestions they have on hosting a party.
I know you’re 16 now, but every year, just us two and a small cake seems boring,” setting down the box
containing the still-warm candy.
“Sure. I suppose, but why something like this all of a sudden?” she said, slowly sitting down and eating her bowl
of congee.
“Oh nothing, don’t worry too much about it,” he mumbled, half to himself.
That night, a couple families met up together to have a discussion and the teens were left to themselves. The
adults quietly extracted themselves from the room at the request of their host, and made their way to a sideroom.
“Tonight, I have asked my daughter to ask you all to come under the false pretense of having a meal together to
plan for a future banquet. The real reason for this meetup is to discuss a small problem I’m facing. I believe we all
here can benefit from this arrangement. I work for the East India Trading Company, and it has come to their
attention that our highest source of income may soon be threatened.
Of course, I’m talking about opium, the drug you all here have purchased some time in the past. No doubt you
all have tried it and are now hooked, according to your children’s report to my daughter.” He then took a breath