Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 | Page 129

New Tales of the Ming Treasure Voayages
Kellett School, Jaeger, Anna - 12
YU YAN
The waves come as loving rascals, sun-warmed and sweet, to wash upon the sands. Perhaps that is why the
children love to play in them so very much - the spirit of the sea and the children coming together in something
we grown-ups should have held on to. But I knew what was out there that others didn’t.
Waves scatter the light, the hue of the water ever changing yet always familiar, always blue. How could I fail to
love them as they dance inward to crash on the pebbles? How could I fail to appreciate the salty air or the cold
caress of the breeze? I held my cloak close as I heard the distant Chinese New Year drums echoing off the cool
cliffs and mountains that shelter my seaside town like a child in a playground. I knew this day would come. The
day when my love could no longer stay in this quaint town. I always thought that this marriage would help him
realise that the adventure is at home, not the sea, but with every moment he is away his heart breaks and the very
essence that makes him who he is...fades. Just as I am fading without him to hold me. But I must. And I shall.
LI JIE
The ocean breeze whispered like a lover, placing salty kisses on my cheek and tousling my long black hair. I hung
tightly onto a musty old rope, quickly wrapping it round and round a solid metal hook. One loop...two
loops...three loops. I didn’t care about the red blisters in my raw hands that stung with every minor movement I
made, only the endless blue on the ocean that I longed to be near since I was young.
“If only young me could see me now...” I sighed as I took in a deep breath of the rich, warm air.
“You called?” a voice shouted from above.
“What?” I asked almost screaming over the water sloshing on deck “ oh, yeah . Sorry, Yong Mi - different
person.”
“Same old Li Jie…” Yong Mi grumped as he wrapped his muscular legs around the mask to attach the third cloth
to the sail.
I heard some distant mumbling from Yong Mi as he fixed the sails, I turned my back to the ship and out to the
ocean. How can something so dangerous be so calm? It has been close to a year since I last saw my family waving
me goodbye by the harbour and not a day goes by when I don’t think about them. But my mind was mostly full
of the adventures I’d had and also those that I had yet to experience. Swashbuckling pirates, peace treaties with
foreign emperors, sea battles with nefarious armies were just some of the adventures I longed for back on land,
everyday daydreaming in the small town I called home. The ship that I was a sailor on was called “Ming Yun” or
“destiny” and I was recruited by the Chinese Emperor to give away the wonderful presents we had brought from
the Emperor, forging new relationships with a variety of countries. I was simply given my uniform, a pat on the
back and then we journeyed far and wide to create our own adventures like the ones I read about in my school
days. Yet so far, none of this had materialised.
CAPTAIN ZHANG WEI
The celebration went on into the night, everyone dancing like they'd forgotten how to stand still. Music rang
across the ship with dancing sailors twirling round and round with beer mugs in their hands. The celebration was
a riot of colour, everyone a little more hyped up than they should be. The red lanterns that hung above the ship
illuminated the deck with a red, hot glow as their shadows danced on the ocean. Everyone wanted me there at
the celebration, a smile painted on my face and a pint of beer in my hand. The only thing that kept me there was
the reverie of my return. I could already imagine it... Zhang Wei the greatest captain in the known world! I
snapped back to reality and could hear my crew screaming with joy and feel their feet disturbing the ground
around me. Their bodies moved together as they celebrated, rhythmically breaking into shapes and colours that
tickled my heart.
“All right, all right men” I shouted urging them to stop and look in my direction. “It's not that we expected plain
sailing, or for winds to be kind, the waves to be gentle; it's that we trusted our ship to carry us to shore no matter
the weather. They say it's only impossible until its done, that was our motto under all skies, upon all seas. We
believed we could do anything at all... and so we did. This is why I wanted to thank you all for your dedication
to China!”
A large cheer erupted from my crew as they threw themselves at each other, embracing one another after a year
of sailing in solitude.