Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 160

The New Tales of Old Shanghai
Dulwidh College Shanghai, Sun, Jiawei – 13
A
man rowed an old creaky wooden boat in the rain. Curtains formed around him. Rain drops fell from above,
landing onto his black overgrown hair. The hair created waves rolling down the back of his neck, covering it in
a bush of black. Drops of water slowly rolled down his head, making their way through his unshaved beard,
squeezing through the openings in the strands of hair. The boat groaned from being tossed around like a toy by
the waves. The waves did not show any signs of giving up but nor did the rain. The old man, was no exception
either. Griping both oars as if they were sacred monuments, he rowed the boat like there was no tomorrow.
After a few hours of this tedious battle between sea and man, the rain and waves finally cleared up, admitting their
defeat. A few rays of sunlight were able to make it past the dense layer of cloud, illuminating the surrounding area.
Slowing, a jungle appeared in the horizon. The jungle rose up into the sky so high that it towered over the man
even at such distances. A sprawling jungle of shattered glass and rusted steel sat at the horizon, all the buildings in
the jungle were impressively tall but there were three that rose up into the air, like pillars that held up the sky. The
Shanghai Tower, The Shanghai World Financial Center and The Jin Mao Tower. As the man carried on rowing
the boat, he got closer and closer to the complex of buildings. Most of the buildings at the edges of the forest were
already submerged in water, slowly being washed away. As the man entered the center of the forest, the density of
the buildings increased and maneuvering his boat became harder. The clouds had cleared away already and the sun
begin beating down on the man. A howling gust of wind blew through the abandoned city. Steel beams were
mainly all that was left of some buildings. The sun scorched the man, leaving his shirt completely wet with sweat.
The man carried on rowing with all his effort until he had reached the Shanghai tower. Surrounded by dilapidated
buildings, the old man stood up in the boat and surveyed his surroundings. The reflective glass panes in the
Shanghai tower displayed a desolate scenery, but when the old man looked into it, he saw something different. 30
years has passed since Shanghai’s golden age. When Shanghai was at it’s peak. Shanghai in 2016. The old Shanghai.
The road was bustling with activity this morning. Everybody seemed to have something to do, somewhere to go.
The sun rose high up into the sky as if it too, was on a mission. There was no refuge from this frenzy. The
restaurant in the peace hotel by the river was definitely no exception. It was filled with foreigners and Chinese
from end to end, all of them was just relaxing on a clear Saturday afternoon, watching boats roll up and down the
river and admiring the three towers which makes up stunning view of the Shanghai skyline.
Jack Wong rushed down the street, bumping and squeezing past people as he ran as fast as he could towards the
Restaurant. The cars on the road next to him were on a stand still, jammed together like a child’s toys. The drivers
all sat impatiently inside the cars, all with a face full of frustration. Jack looked down at the watch on his wrist. It
was a simple watch that he had bought in the fake market. The time was 8:20. His eyes bulged as he looked at the
time displayed on his watch. It has happened again. Somehow he is always late for work. Jack rubbed his eyes and
looked down at the watch again, praying that he was hallucinating. Picking up the pace, he breaks into a sprint
down the sidewalk, dodging people and flying past them. The restaurant was less than a kilometer away when Jack
turned the corner and made it onto the Bund. Sprinting as fast as he can, he sped by many buildings, The Asia
Building, The Shanghai Club, The Union Building and many more. Finally reaching the Peace hotel, Jack ran into
an elevator and into his restaurant where he found, much to his demise, his boss waiting there for him. Hanging his
head down in shame, he followed his boss into his bosses’ office.
His boss was furious at him, shouting at the top of his lungs. After an hour of endless shoutings and apologies, Jack
Wong was finally able to leave the office and keep the job. Jack spend the rest of his day cleaning up the restaurant
and preparing it for dinner meals. Being late has happened so often that he could not remember when was the last
time he was actually on time. Jack had many good experiences at the peace restaurant, serving as a waiter.