Fiction: Group 4
In fact, she had never stopped crying inside her heart. There is no way to let it go. There is no way to
reunite.
It was months later that she learnt that it was the Nationalists who burnt down the bridge while retreating. It
was a year later that she accepted the truth that he was gone and the battle ended. It was two years later that
she was married to another man of equal qualities. It was ten years later that she learnt that he had retreated
to Hong Kong then settled down in Taiwan.
*
Grandma closed her eyes from the nostalgia.
“Would you like to meet him again, if you have the chance?” Gwen asked with concern.
“Of course I do. Perhaps your grandfather is listening somewhere up there, but I do want to see him again,”
Grandma admitted. “But I won’t, even if I have the chance.”
*
Ling was watching over the Pearl River again. It was her favorite seat in the house. The Guangzhu Bridge
was being rebuilt. It was the early years of this new nation.
“We are proposing the socialist movement…” the radio said.
The door bell rang. Must be the postman.
“I’ve got a letter for you,” said her sister. “It’s from Hong Kong.”
She took her letter and read carefully. That was his handwriting. Scruffy yet aligned.
In the letter he told her that he had lived in Hong Kong for all those years after his retreat, and would soon
be moving to Taiwan to avoid any prosecution from the Chinese Government.
Ling knew the reality. Her family has suffered enough being suspected of alliance with the Nationalists.
There is no way she could meet him again.
“So that’s a goodbye.”
She put her head on her palm, thinking over and over the days of youth and war and love and fire. Her
fingers touched her earlobe unintentionally, the piercing now replaced by a new pair of earrings given by
her husband.
*
“Why would you not? You loved each other so much! And this stupid war just pulls everything apart. Why
would you not want to meet him again?” Gwen was a little bit agitated. She felt so unfair for her
grandmother.
“No, my dear. Sometimes separating is the best option we have,” she said, “and so many times we have no
other options.”
*
The family arrived at the Southern end of the Guangzhu Bridge. They put Grandma in a wheelchair so they
could easily find the best spot on the bridge.
“Why do we need to make a fuss out of this? It takes so much work to come here. My flat can see the
fireworks alright,” Grandma mumbled.
“This is the best spot to see the fireworks in Guangzhou – right on the Pearl River,” Gwen said. “And I’m
leaving for Hong Kong in a week’s time, so it’s best if the whole family can come and celebrate the New
Year together. I’ll stop by at Zhuhai first – my boyfriend just so happened to be there for a week. You
wouldn’t believe how easy moving around is now. I can leave tomorrow evening and still have plenty of
time... Oh, that’s the firework!” Gwen screamed excitedly.
Red, blue, silver… the fireworks drew outlines of flowers on the dark canvas. The ships setting off the
fireworks on the Pearl River were so close to the bridge Gwen felt like they were covered in orange sparks.
Only this time, there were only the explosions of the fireworks, not the bridge.
“Grandma, is that pair of earrings new? Last time you were wearing the flower one,” noticed Gwen.
“Eh, it’s none of your business, kid,” Grandma started to get a bit grumpy. “And it was a firethorn.”
Gwen took the cue and switched to another topic. “Oh well, I asked Jeff to look for that guy in the archive.
I have got a copy of the news…”
“Shush, young lady. I told that I am not interested anymore. Can’t you just keep your mouth shut and
watch the fireworks?”
Gwen decided to listen to her grandmother but she knew that there were so many words Grandma didn’t
say under her ranting.
*
