Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 367

While he walked towards the nearest shades, a chirp rang above him. He was glad at least there was a true friend to back him up.
It was Ju, a “talking dove”.
“Any news?” Ju landed on his shoulder. The dove stretched, slapping its feathers into his face, “I heard that a person called Lin
Zexu had been sent to abolish trades. He’s likely to solve the opium problem.” Instantly, Yan felt awfully gleef ul that his Father
may finally be returning. The cheerful one, of course, the one he knew. The one he loved dearly.
A few weeks later, there were angry mobs scattered across the town like messy constellations in the night sky. They were all
cursing about a certain incident in Hunan. After listening to Yanzhu’s huge rant, Yan learnt that Lin Zexu had cut the supply of
opium; although feeling delighted, his Father seemed to be very calm about the whole situation. He definitely had something up
his sleeve.
“Ju, I think you can take a little break now.” Yan said one day as Ju chewed on freshly picked peanuts.
The dove almost choked, “Whagh? Why?”
“The news I heard from Yanzhu are all terrible, war…things like that. I don't want to hear anymore of it.”
After the brief calm before the storm, Father called all of them to the living room one evening, looking as proud as ever. “Take a
look inside the crates. Tell me what you see!”
Father had hidden his leftover opium in the crates. As soon as mother peeked in, her eyes were full of sorrow and
disappointment. Yan didn’t know which made him feel even more shocked - the hidden drugs or the fact that Father looked
even prouder when looking at them instead of him.
But the worst is yet to come.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
“You peasants, pack your stuff, and SCRAM!
This place belongs to us now.”
As he stacked on another crate of peanuts in another “normal” afternoon, his Mother walked in, and whispered, “Your friend’s
here.”
Yanzhu stood at their doorway with an impatient look on his face, “What took you so long?” Yan could only reply with a slight
head tilt. His friend grunted and grabbed his hand out of the blue, and without reason, Yan was dragged out to the ports.
The scene didn’t satisfy nor please anyone present. English politicians and soldiers stepped off their ships that had just arrived at
the ports. The loud thuds of their shoes stormed louder and louder as they strode, conversations between confused crowds and
their footsteps echoed in Yan’s empty, blank mind.
“Shanghai’s a treaty port now.” was another thing Yan had learnt about that day. “But I don’t want them to be here!” Qing
groaned. Tears rolled down her cheeks after Yan told her about the whole situation they were in. “What are they going to do to
us? I’ve seen an English boy before, and he’s so rude!” Yan’s mind remained blank as Qing continued her pouting. Their mother
was silent, as always, as she cuddled a confused Yijun.
“Yan! Yan!” Ju’s panicked chirps startled the young boy. He whipped towards the frantic dove. “The English…they have their
eyes on your land.”
“Did you just call me a peasant?” The voices of Yan’s father and an English soldier could be heard. Qing couldn’t help but cross
her fingers. “Unfortunately, you are. I’m stating a FACT. And that isn’t a request. It is an ORDER. Pack up your things and
leave!”
“Who do you think you are,” their father shouted out crossly, “telling me to leave my paradise? You all, are just stinky old brats
who need to learn something called respect!” The irony was harsh in this one. They argued for what seemed like decades, and
everything came to a crashing halt when the soldier grabbed hold of his gun and pointed the edge to the man’s chest.
“Are you going to follow our orders or not?”