Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2020complete | Page 27

A Living Land
Diocesan Preparatory School, Pang, Jianan - 11
Thousands of miles of land, millions of people…… The Greater Bay Area lives up to its fame. And
I’m in the midst of it all.
I have always wondered what it would be like to live in a whole new dimension, and this is the second
best thing. I longed that my life could be different, that I could start over, and by moving to the GBA I
have been given an opportunity. The GBA is a dream for everyone.
As I am offered this new option, I worked hard and my life unraveled in front of me. I loved the GBA
and was convinced that I should stay here forever. It held so many new and fresh places and made myself
see the world in a different perspective. But not all talk was about the good of the GBA. Some people
didn’t want it to stand, as saying it was a threat to Hong Kong’s independence.
As so many people have been saying that, my thoughts began to waver, and I started to doubt the
GBA.
“Why should we have a Greater Bay Area?”
“What is Greater Bay Area?”
“The Greater Bay Area is nothing but a problem!”
Maybe the GBA isn’t such a good idea after all.
One night, I thought about all those gossip. Those cruel words about the GBA sent a chill to my heart.
What if the GBA really won’t stand and all those opportunities faded away? My eyes drifted towards a
notebook which I had written down all my dreams, all the hopes I had: 1. to live in the GBA, to work hard,
and make my new life more significant. Then I looked to the painting that I had painted more than a year
ago. It was the GBA; the world that I imagined would be like. The painting was disturbingly familiar, as if
I had seen the GBA from the sky, and captured all the features. But that isn’t possible, I thought, I haven’t
even seen the GBA then. Although I reassured myself that was unlikely, the painting showed too much
likeness that I can’t ignore. My heart rapidly fluttered as I came to the conclusion. No, it can’t be. I
pushed the thought aside.
The GBA is a place full of technology. But, I didn’t feel overwhelmed as I took in everything. I only
find it fascinating; all those fresh knowledge planted a seed in my brain as I began to comprehend
everything. The GBA…… it is more than just a new place in the globe…… it is more than just a place
where people live…… it is alive. I finally realised the secret; all the memories started flooding back,
drowning me in a deep pool of remembrance. The thunder that had rumbled when people cut down the
trees to make room for buildings was not just a typical storm; it was the GBA growling in protest. The
warm sun that had shined for days weren’t just luck; it was the GBA smiling down on the community
services. The longer winter this year is not just……
The realisation hit me as hard as any ball would. The GBA is alive! I repeated it three times and I
still could not believe it. I felt a rush of protection for it. Then I remembered the ghastly comments about
it, and I couldn’t have suffered worse. Am I becoming obsessed? Is it possible to be living in a place that’s
alive-----a place that has its own opinions?
After that, I lived in fear of the GBA, which was probably natural, since the knowledge of the land
that I’m living on is alive. I felt helpless, well; it wasn’t every day that you get to deal with a living land. I
have read many books describing these kinds of situations, except that this is real; and I may not get a happy
ending like the heroes in countless stories. What should I do?
Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing what to do is the worst kind of
suffering. So I should just wait for troubles to come to me, not go looking for them. Well, what could go
wrong with living on a live land? Actually, everything could. The ground could just open up and swallow
me, and not waste any energy on it. I could run, but I know that I would never escape from the GBA’s
wrath. However hard I try, I would never shake off this piece of knowledge, for it would haunt me until
the end.
Unless……sometimes, not knowing what I’m doing allows me to do things I never knew I could
do. I decided to investigate, to observe things that the GBA had in store for us. And I’m really glad I did. I