Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 | Page 11

It Comes and Goes
Carmel School Association Elsa High School, Himmelmann, Afik - 13
It was a numbing winter morning, Kaia woke to the sound of men and women yelling outside; she jumped
off the bed, throwing something on and running outside to see what the commotion was. As soon as she
stepped outside she saw Zheng He’s new recruit standing with a piece of paper and five armed men behind
him.
“Zheng He would like to give all the men and young boys an opportunity, an opportunity to travel the
great seas and to voyage into unknown lands and collect any treasure”, exclaimed the ‘henchman’ as
everyone calls Zheng He’s new man.
Kaia was unsure of what she should be feeling; should she be feeling happiness? Sadness? Should she be
offended? Or maybe indignation. But she couldn’t put a name on what she was feeling because she was
experiencing them all in one moment and her thoughts escalated to the worst. Kaia ran back into her home,
slammed the door and just stood. She just stood in the empty room, when it was silent, you can hear the
high pitched buzz running through your head. At sundown Kaia was still at the same place staring at one
point in the wall, she suddenly unfroze and began to think about how amazing it would be to travel the
world and see different land and get treasures and be able to be respected as a woman. She could picture it
clearly in her mind, her standing at the front of the ship feeling the wind upon her face, looking out to the
massive ocean that lies ahead of her. She zoned out of her fantasy and continued to pack.
Kaia woke up with the sun and had gotten a piece of crumpled up paper to write her loved ones goodbye
for the voyage. She walked to her parents’ home to drop off her letter to them, when she saw a man telling
this woman she wouldn't make it alive and how she isn't worthy of going to any of the seven voyages. The
man walked away and Kaia got a clear view of the girl, it was her friend Imogen, Kaia quickly slipped the
letter under the door and ran to Imogen. She screamed out her name, a few seconds after Imogen looked at
Kaia in disgust and walked away. It was so unclear to Kaia what had just gone, but she shook her head and
thought it was nothing. As she headed to the docks she got a numerous amount of disgusted people staring
at her and she was able to hear them talking but only parts because they whispered so quietly that all you can
hear are mumbles.
Kaia stepped on board and heard the muted speaking of the crew on board and people in line to be
recruited. She had never felt this uncomfortable around so many people. Zheng He, captain of the first and
many after voyages, walks out from below deck and screamed out a few words that sounded like gibberish
then looked right at Kaia.
“What is a lady doing on my ship?” asked Zheng He.
“Hello, I would like to join your crew for your first voyage,” said Kaia with excitement in her voice. Zheng
He looked around at all the men standing on board and laughed to the top of his lungs.
“You? Want to go on my ship? Ha!” yelled Zheng He.
“What is so surprising about a woman wanting to go on a voyage?” questioned Kaia.
“Sorry miss but I am all full with men who are going,” he said.
“Really? You couldn't spare one person out of the 27,000 people you got?” asked Kaia.
“No, now I would like you to get off my ship.” he said in a serious tone.
Kaia stormed off stomping her feet with every step taken so that they could hear her anger. She wondered
how someone could have been so rude towards her. She kept on walking, deep in thought, feeling
confused, angry, sad, annoyed. Then, out of the blue, came a thought to her mind: the only way for her to
get on that ship was to disguise herself as a man. She didn't even know how it was possible but she knew it
had to be done. At sundown she had gotten everything she needed to have to be a man, she knew it was
crazy and that no one would believe it but she had to do this, she had to get on that ship and see the world.
Kaia had a rough night, she rolled out of bed and got all her belongings ready for the weeks or months to
come, and she headed out to the docks. As she got there the group was treating her as if she actually was a
man and she couldn't believe what she was seeing, she thought about how when she came as a woman she
was handled and embarrassed in front of all those people and as a man she was shown respect. As soon as she
walked onto the ship they pulled back the piece of wood that connects between the dock to the ship. Kaia