Fiction: Group 4
New Tales of the Pearl River Delta
Island School, Lee, Yun Jung - 14, Fiction: Group 4
t is bright like the glittering starlight at the deep dark night. The strong and shiny light reflected by the
river is shining on me. Brum, brum. I could hear the noisy sound of the engine. I also hear the chinese
classic music that I have turned on. I am here again for my job. There is my fellow there. I could see his
expression from here. He has a same job with me. The shiny river is opaque as my future. It is impossible to
see through this river.
Tic toc, tic toc. The hour hand of my shabby watch is pointing at 3. This watch is older than my
son. 5 hours have past already. Nothing is inside my net except one tiny fish which looks not good enough
to sell. My stomach started to tangle itself in knots and groaned with anticipation like a ravenous beast.
There is nothing to eat at here except that tiny bluish fish which looks sick. But there is nothing to eat
except that. I decided to grill that small fish. That fish tastes really weird! My fellow also tried. He said that
this fish tastes like shampoo. I agree with his opinion. This fish tastes bitter. I just throw that away. We now
decided to go back to have something to eat. I think we will not come back here before tomorrow. We
should come back here tomorrow. I wish I will catch more fishes tomorrow.
I smell the burning smell of the boat. Breeze is tickling the river and me. It made the boat to surge.
Shanier lights than few hours ago. Those lights are glazing at me. It makes me frown as I am just staring at
the sun. There is a shade under that tree. I’m now laying down this shade. Breeze is tickling me again. It is
very comfortable. It makes me feel like I am laying in the beach. But my thoughts interrupted me by feeling
like I am in a paradise. What should I do now. In recent times, the river became more opaque because of
the pollution here. Water pollution killed many fishes, and it changed some appearance of that fishes. The
fishes don’t look fresh enough. Some just looks like it is sick. Fishes like I caught like today. Should I find a
new job? Will I be able to catch more fishes tomorrow? When I was thinking with some matters, my eyelids
got heavier and heavier as there is a building above my eyelids.
Stronger wind is tickling at me now. It made me to wake up. It’s dark now. No more shiny lights.
The hour hand of my shabby watch is pointing at 7. Seven o’clock already! Snoring sound. I hear the
snoring sound beside me. I think my fellow also slept beside me. As I thought before, we just decide to go
back home today. There is nothing to do more at here. There is no guarantee that we will catch more fish if
we go back fishing now. So we just went home. I made a resolution that I will catch more fishes and earn
money tomorrow. I felt sorry that I did not earn any money today, but this was my only choice that I could
make now.
It was 8 o’clock when I went home. It was very dark when I was going back to home. I felt the
emptiness. Nobody except me was in the narrow wynd. No light. It was dark as I was in the bottom of the
deep ocean. After walking for few minutes, then I was able to see my house because of the streetlight. That
house is not big enough to live with my family. But there are no choices. We should just live at that old and
shabby house. We cannot move to a better house because we are struggling for money. Kreeeeeen. I opened
the door. It sounds like a bat crying. I went in, and I saw my wife. She looks like that she just arrived from
her job. My son is in the living room, which is the only space in our home except the kitchen. We ate
dinner, and we all prepared for bed. Me and my wife should go by waking up early in the morning, so we
usually sleep before 12 o’clock.
Beep. Beep. Beep. I hear the alarm ringing. It is 5:30 already. Time goes fast as the speed of the
light. My wife already finished preparing. She left, and I also started to prepare. It is now 6 o’clock. I also
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