Fiction: Group 3
Today, and for the past few weeks, I’ve been giving myself some freedom to explore the crowded city, so I
have been walking around Queen's Road, with a guide to follow me wherever I go. He also pays all our
transportation fees.
Today, upon arriving at the tram station I went into a bakery shop. There was a young Chinese
who would frequently attempt to communicate with me, this time asking me if I'm ‘from English’.
I corrected him by telling him that I’m from England. He introduced himself as Michael, after
which I sincerely complimented him on his surprisingly good English, because he went to a British school.
Then he asked me if I'm going good in Hong Kong. I replied that I’m still trying to understand
everything around me, including some of the language. Then I mentioned 'this word that people keep using
for people like me'. Michael’s ears perked up at this,
“Oh! Gweilo?”
He explained that it was a Chinese term and that it meant ‘ghost man.’
'Ghost?'
'You look whiter than us, like a ghost.'
Chapter three
8 December 1941
Jamie woke up in a shock. Father was shaking him up, yelling something to him. His hair looked messy and
his face as shocked and confused as Jamie felt.
"I need to go!" Jamie heard Father say, "There's something going on."
"What?" Jamie said in confusion again.
Father pulled him upright and said to him, "The Japanese are coming. There's nothing to worry
about. Just keep safe and don't go anywhere, okay?"
Jamie could only nod. Father ruffled his head and went away, collecting things.
When
Jamie went downstairs, his father was already fully dressed, fumbling nervously with his belt.
"I will be back, promise," he said.
"When are you coming back?" Jamie asked.
Father hesitated a bit, "Tonight, if I can." Then he was gone, through the door to the horrors of
war.
Jamie quickly went outside and headed down the hill, contrary to his father's order. He rushed
through Queen's Road towards the bakery where Michael hopefully was. The shop itself was closed, but
Jamie ran to the side and went upstairs to where the actual residential flats were and pounded on the door.
A minute later Michael opened the door.
"Why are you up so early?" Michael blinked and Jamie explained everything. "Really?"
Michael said nervously, “But they're too-" a distant explosion interrupted him and then grave silence
followed.
Chapter 4
10 December 1941
Jamie’s father came home every night as promised. After avoiding the topic several nights in a row, Jamie
finally asked the burning question.
“How is the army doing?"
"Not good," he replied, wiping sweat from his brow, "Lots of casualties on our side. However, we
aren't sure how much damage we’ve done back at them. We're all on the defensive anyway."
"Will you be assigned to fight?" he asked.
"No. Probably never. The army values doctors," he said, "because we actually care about our
species. Soldiers are trained to take lives; doctors save them."
"Soldiers could just be following an order to fight," Jamie said, "doctors follow their hearts to heal."
"That's exactly what the differences are, my son," Father ruffled his hair again.
"Wait, what's the actual progress in the battle?" Jamie asked again
"Well, we're losing the Gin Drinker's Line. We're planning a general evacuation to the island
tomorrow," Father said.
"We're on the losing side."
Father just shook his head again; his sad eyes gazed towards the north, where the battle still raged.
