Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 228

The Turtle
Island School, Leung, Gus – 12
M
aybe the sun had risen, but it was smothered by the towering skyline. Lao Wai always woke up early, because it
was his tradition. But he could not fully see the sun. The sky had seemed so much bigger when he was younger,
and now he felt he was always in the shadow of something. Even though he had problems in his knees, he still
would go on walks in Old Shanghai. Old shanghai is a place where time did not continue, new buildings were
never constructed, old buildings never changed. There was a wall separating old Shanghai, and the modern Shanghai we
all know now. Lao Wai often walked to the old City-God’s temple, where he would watch the turtles swimming in the
ponds and would light three sticks of incense in worship of the three gods that protect the city of Shanghai. He used to
work as a security guard for this temple, and would see plenty of people coming and making their offerings to the gods.
But now, it seemed as if his offerings were the only ones left in the temple.
Lao Wai’s grandson George asked him to come over to his apartment to celebrate Chinese new year. Lao
Wai had thought that George had forgotten to invite him, but he called the day before.
‘I sent you a text’ George had said. ‘I thought I taught you how to read them last time, didn’t I?’
For Lao Wai, it was a long journey to George’s apartment. He had to take the subway, which made him anxious. He
counted his coins at the ticket office, and felt the pressure of the people queued up behind him wanting him to go faster.
After he bought the ticket, he got on to the train. All of the seats were taken, and nobody would let him have one; even
the teenagers looked down at their smart phones and pretended
he wasn't there. By the time Lao Wai got to George’s apartment, his knees were aching. His family
laughed, saying that he had got lost and was late.
George was in one of his many suits, playing with his smart phone. He didn’t even say hello until Lao Wai did.
George was the editor of a magazine, and on the wall there was a picture of him above them words ‘SELF-MADE
MAN.’
Lao Wai asked George about his current girlfriend Sophia.
But George rolled his eyes and said 'Sophia wanted to get married and have kids, so Sophia is now Jessica'.
'I can't understand why you kids change names so easily.' Lao Wai said.
George did not prepare the dinner, his personal assistants did. There was steak, some vegetables, rice… It all looked and
tasted very nice, but it seemed heartless, there was no love and effort put into those dishes.