The Greatest Gift
Renaissance College Hong Kong, Sum Chuen Li, Fiction: Group 3
A
ltan’s father once said to him, “Just look at this. Just look at this land. It is barren!”
He brashly snatched at the sand under his feet, letting it run through his fingers.
“Its nothing. Absolutely nothing. One can only prosper in this,” He pointed below,
“With trade.”
Altan continued to trudge in the soft sand, one foot in front of another. Many years ago, he
had been left bereft in this world, supposedly of nothing, according to his father. He was thinking
about his father, a man whom he hadn’t seen for many years…
“Altan, listen to me. When we arrive, bow to Chieftain Kofan. Remember to say, ‘Esteemed
Lord Kofan, thank you for your hospitality and generosity to our family.’ Okay?” His father spoke
whilst urging his camel on.
“Oh oh! Look there, a lizard! Can we stop to have a look?” His attention was diverted, his
curiosity attached to the animal.
But his father had only urged the camel even faster, his voice lashing out, “We must hurry,
and did you even hear what I said?”
“You always tell us we must hurry, we travel all day long, what for?”
“For money… Money is the key to the world, if not for me earning more everyday, your life
would be horrid!”
Altan frowned, confused. “Don’t you have enough? I see you counting coins everyday!”
He stopped the camel then, his face contorted with rage. “The more money I get, the more
secure your future becomes!” Altan then kept his mouth shut, knowing that the consequences of
doing otherwise would not be pretty.
Altan lifted his head to squint at the rising sun. It had turned a pinkish red. What a sight!
His breath escaped him. It was simply beautiful. He pulled his donkey close as they shared a
quiet moment. Then his face broke into a grin. He gazed down lovingly, and it stomped its hoof
on the sand.
“Don’t worry, I won’t force you to go if you don’t want to, but I promise if we go, we’ll be there
in no time!” He peered again, trying to identify the smoke of the familiar clan that he had once
travelled to many times, “There, there, I see it!” A simple home and hearth. His destination was in
sight. “No hurry… All in good time, if it pleases me,” Altan muttered to himself.
Along the road, his mind wandered back to the conversation with his father.
“Son, you must continue the family business… You are the only son in the family. You will
inherit everything I have. You must start to study.” His father placed a hand on his shoulder;
Altan’s excitement flew with the newfound sense of responsibility.
“Really? Thank you, father! B-But, can I share it with my sisters?” Altan had inquired innocently.
His father’s reaction was immediate, “No! You are my son, my heir!. Why do you want to share
it with your sisters? You are the man of the family. You must stand up to it!”
Altan was never an ambitious boy. “B-But, what if I can’t stand up to it? I just want to play…
W-What if I was a girl? Would I have to inherit and continue the family business?”
His father rose to his full height and said, “You must stand up to it. If you cannot, you are not
my son. To stand up, you need to study and become one like me. If you were a girl, so be it, be a
