Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 2 - 2 | Page 34

We arrived at the port at noon. There, a staggering fleet of 317 boats greeted us. The boats were big and
sturdy and looked like nothing could penetrate through their massive hulls. People from thousands of
villages were chattering at once.
“Sailors! Onto your boats now!” Someone bellowed. I squished through the crowd to the nearest Bao
Chuan. I stumbled on to the boat and admired the breath taking view. The people below us were tiny and
up here you could see everything. The sea stretched out forever. Someone squeezed in next to me. He
looked way older than me. Yet he looked quite familiar. Before I could ask who he was he had already
turned and walked away. Bong! That meant we were leaving. The last of sailors scrambled on board and we
set off. The rest of the day was spent scrubbing the decks and doing chores under the glare of the sun. For
the first hour, I was on the crow’s nest looking for pirates. It turns out that I was on a boat with Zheng He.
Wow! I was on the same boat as Zheng He, the greatest captain in Chinese history. Night came and soon
we were enveloped in a layer of darkness.
“Everybody into a cabin!” I went into the nearest cabin along with five boys. We exchanged names. I slept
in the lower bunk and Yang Bi Ming slept above. It was impossible to sleep because of the rocky
movement so I went up to the deck. Suddenly I saw a figure appear. It was the boy from before. As he came
nearer I realized he looked like my mother. It was her. Why is she here? Why did she run away? A loud
shout interrupted my thoughts.
“Pirates!” The boat rocked violently.