The Brush and the Quill
Harrow Beijing , Yao , Caitlin – 14
1
M y name is Bamboo ; I ’ m a calligraphy brush , the writing instrument that has been used in China for centuries .
I ’ ve dwelled in the city of Shanghai for a long time ; served many calligraphers during my existence . Every one of them has a unique story , entwined with this glorious city ’ s past and present .
* * *
“ I told you , this one isn ’ t for sale !”
It has always been quiet in Yang ’ s antique shop . People paid less attention to the archaic porcelain vases with Qing decorative arts on them nowadays ; they would rather go to see the skyscrapers near The Bund . However , on this particular morning , a girl named Estelle entered his shop and demanded for calligraphy brushes . There was only one in the store , which Yang has specifically labeled a “ Not for sale ” sign on the delicate rosewood case of the brush .
Estelle did not give up , she offered a price that was beyond fair ; but it only resulted in the shouting that startled the nearby stores .
“ Why ?” She asked with great frustration .
Yang pursed his lips and asked her to look at the case closely . Estelle leaned in from the counter and saw a hollow space carved next to where the brush lies ; it ’ s about the same length as the brush , but wider .
“ A quill should be here , right where this empty space is .” Yang said brusquely , “ Unless a quill suddenly appears here and make this set of … writing instrument complete , this brush isn ’ t going anywhere .”
Somehow Estelle made no further comments at Yang ’ s odd explanation . “ Ok , then .” On the contrary , she nodded in understanding . “ Thank you anyway . Just so you know , sir , I really like that brush , it ’ s nice .” She glanced at it once more , smiled at Yang politely and walked out .
Yang waited till Estelle disappeared from view and took out the case again . He slowly traced the outline of the vacant space that took the shape of a quill , lost in thoughts .
* * *
The way Estelle ’ s eyes lingered on me was weird , as if she has recognized something familiar .
“ The quill ” is how everyone addresses Feather , a long lost friend of mine . Yang , my current owner , has been looking for her because of an unfulfilled wish . It ’ s a Mission Impossible , the last time I ’ ve seen Feather was decades ago , and she could be anywhere in the world right now .
2
I once belonged to Yang ’ s grandmother , Fan Xing .
When she was little , “ Well-off ” was inadequate to describe the life the Fans lived . They owned a fine house in the International Settlement , where her dad was a wealthy businessman who traded with the British and Americans . Xing ’ s parents always made sure that she and her brother were well provided for . Most people said they lived in the lap of luxury before everything went drastically wrong .