Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4567 | Page 284

“It has to be, if it's going to get us on the roof.”
“On the roof, are we even-”, I stopped mid-sentence, “Actually don't answer that, I don't want to know.”
He laughed so loudly that I could hear him all the way at the bottom of the ladder. I sighed and began to follow
him up the ladder. Finally I reached the top of it and I carefully balanced myself on the roof.
“Wow”, I breathed softly. The sun was setting over the city of Shanghai, and everything on the roof was bathed
in soft golden light. The sky was ablaze with more colours than I had ever seen in my life and I felt the warmth
spread from my head all the whole to my toes. It was breathtaking. I couldn't look anyway, the colours, the
clouds and the sun, they were painted the sky like a masterpiece. Words seemed to fail me as I said, “This is…”
“Beautiful?”
“No, more than that, this is magnificent!” Even that word didn't come close to describing the beauty of the sun
going to sleep. All too soon, night closed in over us and the star began to awaken above us.
“Now turn around and look in that direction”, he grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face the other
side of the city where the rich lived. In the distance, I noticed a small whistling sound, but before I could
pinpoint what is it was, there was a thunderous boom and a shower of red sparkles erupted.
“Fireworks?” Once again I was spellbound.
“They do fireworks a lot, every time there's something to celebrate, I suppose”, another one went off, rocketing
into the sky and bursting open in the sky. It almost looked like it was raining stars. “I come here every day and I
just watch the sun set and the day end.”
“Well, I could come and watch with you from now on, if you'll let me.” I smiled at him, excited at the prospect
of watching that glorious sight every day.
He hesitated, as if he was arguing with himself, then he turned to face me, “I'm not going to be here tomorrow.”
“What?”
“There's a ship in the harbor that's leaving tomorrow and I'm going to be on it,” he said slowly. I opened and
closed my mouth. For the third time tonight, I was speechless. “There's nothing for me here. Maybe if I go
somewhere else, I can make a life for myself.”
“Oh”, I wasn't sure what to say. I wanted to convince him to stay, but for what? A girl he only met today?
“You could come with me. Well, don't look so shocked. This isn't the life you want, we both know that. You
don't have to stay here and become some rich man’s wife, you could come with me.” There was so much hope
in his eyes and it hurt to have to disappoint him.
“I can't.”
“Why not?”
“I can't leave my family. They need me”, I explained, hoping he would understand.
“But you don't seem very happy here, it seems like a boring life.”
I stopped and felt the hurt rushing to my eyes, threatening to spill. “This isn't as easy for me as it is for you!” I
saw it in his eyes that he was hurt. I couldn't help but lash out at him. He couldn't see how much I wanted to go
with him, he couldn't see how it was impossible for me leave without chaining my family to poverty forever. “I
have prepared my entire life to grow up and marry rich, to be a good wife to my husband. My family needs me.”
“So you're putting your family’s wishes above your own dreams?” he asked in disbelief.
“I don't have my own dreams, not until today! I'm not allowed to have dreams!”, I turned back to watch the
fireworks, trying to swallow the hot tears in my eyes. “Well, now you don’t look so shocked. I want, with
everything that I am and every fiber of my being, to go with you. But I really can't.”
I felt our fingers interlace and we stood in silence once more as the sky came alive with fireworks. The fireworks
stopped and we made our way back the ladder, deep in thought.
“I’m not going to pretend like I understand why you’re staying and to be honest, I think it’s a little..” he paused
to think before he continued. “It’s very selfless and I don’t think I could do it.”
“Thank you.” He narrowed his eyes in confusion, “for today.” He smiled at me one last time before turning to
walk away.
“Goodbye, Stranger!” he waved, “I hope you have a good life, Stranger.”