Fiction: Group 4
because all these things are created for all humans, and man or not, you have the right to enjoy it.
Appreciate it. All these thoughts, while we were walking, came to my head.
As we walk by, we saw the river was already filled with flower petals. All the colours you could ever
imagine: ivory, pink, lavender, light blue, pale yellow… I was surprised at the beauty of this place. Can
anything I have ever seen in Britain compare to this sight? I have always thought, we were English, we
should do everything right and above others. But now,
boy
, I was wrong! In this obscure little village, was
blessed with rivers and mountains that surpassed anything I have ever seen in Europe, I dare say. When we
were about to reach the tree, we saw a sea of flowers already claiming its place on the grass.
Cheung looks at those flowers and said to me, “Isn’t this beautiful? Look at that one,” he pointed at one that
was particularly huge. “Let’s gather them!”
I nodded and we start picking up flowers that have fallen. Very soon, the basket was filled with variations of
white and pink flowers and petals. We left the basket next to the tree and went to the river. I wanted to get
in, to swim in the sea of flowers, but Cheung warned me that I will catch a cold if I did. So, I reached my
hand into the cool water and scooped up some flowers. The water, as clear as crystal, slipped slowly through
my fingers drip by drip. “Like raining diamonds”, Cheung said.
The season of raining diamonds went by with the summer sunshine. Leaves fell and cover the ground like a
carpet. We played in the fields, picked apples and cherries from the trees.
We went back to my home. While we were eating the fruits, Cheung asked me, “Hey, what’s that you
wear around your neck all the time?”
“Oh, it’s a cross.”
“What’s a cross?”
I went over to my bookshelf and picked out the Bible.
“Have you ever heard of God?”
“No…but…I like his work?”
We both laughed like idiots. I didn’t know Cheung has this strange sense of humour. We spent the whole
afternoon indoors, with me explaining Christianity to him.
After a while, Cheung said that ever since the Qing fell, he wanted to have more exposure to the world. I
offered to give him an English name. I named him Albert, after my best friend in Britain who moved to
Poland. Al for short. But still, I like calling him Cheung better. It gives him his identity, his identity of
being Chinese; of being different from anyone other nationalities in this world. Keeping his original name, I
think, in a way, protects the thousand years of traditions and culture passed on in his motherland.
For a few months, my parents and I left for another village to do some more research. I told Cheung I’ll be
back. My parents and I travelled upwards along the river, and after spring came we went back.
“But let me tell you something, the water up there definitely do not have flowers covering the surface.” I
said to Cheung, pointing to the river.
“Huh? Without the surrounding environment a river is just a river!”
“I know!” I whined, “It’s so boring! When Spring came I thought at least I could collect some flowers, but
the flowers there are not blooming!”
“All I will say is that’s just sad.”
“Hey, Cheung…” I said as I slowly sneak behind him.
“What.” Cheung starred at me.
“Do you think flowers bloom so pretty in here because of your presence?”
Cheung didn’t say anything. He stared at me with a blank expression on this face.
He kicked me in my shin. Ouch.
A bird flew above our daydreaming heads. Cheung pointed at it and told me a song his grandmother taught
him to sing when he is a little boy. It goes like
“little bird, little bird, how free and pretty you look in the
sky. Soar high, and if you’re ever hurt, don’t cry, don’t fret, you’re not alone, you’re coming home, home
to the Pearl River where you belong…”
I never forgot the words to this nursery.
It was the season of raining diamonds. We can finally go into the river and play. As we were splashing water
at each other, we saw this fish swimming to us from afar. It was so beautiful. Maybe it’s the sun; maybe its
summer; but the fish seemed to have rainbow scales and sparkling fins. In the river shining like tiny crystals
