Fiction: Group 4
Reminiscence
St. Mary's Canossian College, Ng, Katie - 16, Fiction: Group 4
young man’s reflection was glaring back at a young girl by the pond; suspicion etched into his
round-edged face, and the same alertness was present in both pairs of caramel brown eyes. He
probably thought she doubted if he was manly enough. Indeed, she was.
The girl turned sideways, and so did he. She observed carefully but there was no trace of femininity there,
not with her flat chest. She then looked at her feet where she was wearing a pair of shoes far too big for her
and difficult to walk in. It was a hand-me-down from her great grandfather her uncle. It kept rubbing
against her feet and formed annoying blisters.
The girl quickly stuffed her hair into a top hat which she found in her uncle’s wardrobe. Her fringe kept on
getting in her way and stuck on her lips. Unlike the other men, she didn’t shave the front half of her head as
she was a girl. Fortunately, her uncle’s hat was too huge to sit on her tiny skull but enough to cover that
fatal difference set upon her.
She took a last glance at the young man’s warm tone in his brown eyes, and continued going on her way.
Despite of the mist obscuring most of the street in Zhongshan, she was able to know the way where she was
going. She has passed by this place ever since she was able to walk as a toddler, looking at it full of
admiration and respect. This is a place she was forbidden, by law, to enter. And today, she would infiltrate
this sacred place that she has kept long in her heart. In front of her now were two large oak door, and two
guards standing next to them. Over the door hung a blazing red banner, proclaiming, in block black letters,
“The Ministry of Examination”.
Her throat was dry and her heart skipped a beat. She took a quick glance towards the guards.
What if they
recognize me? What if they found out I am a girl?
And for a short moment, she wanted to just give up and
go back home. But it was then her mother’s voice rang in her head.
“Ah Qing, ” her mother murmured when she was trying to get the little girl to sleep, “ don’t ever let
anything get in your way, my darling. You will be able to achieve anything you want.”
“Is it true mother?” the little girl said while yawning, “ I can do whatever I want?”
“Yes my sweetheart” her mother chuckled, “ Just follow your heart. You are so brave and special my
darling girl.”
Calm down, Ah Qing.
She told herself.
You are on a mission for all womenkind. If you should fail,
hundreds will follow your footsteps.
She took a deep breath, removed the fringe of hair stuck on her lips
and walk into the examination centre.
The rest of the process is quite easy in comparison. She found a seat, registered and took out her brush pen.
She always wondered why her brush pen has a dragon sign inscribed. Her mother said her father picked it
up from somewhere and gave it to her before he disappeared. She hoped one day she can reunite with her
father with the brush pen. She finished the papers early, believed she would pass with flying colours, and
walked out the centre.
At that exact moment, while she was trying to walk without rubbing the blisters, she slipped. Her feet
turned outwards, before she knew it, she was on her back. Everyone was deadly quiet as they turned to stare
at her. The examiners, the candidates, the guards, and even the man sweeping the floor, all stared at her
with open mouths.
Then she realized. Her hat fell off, revealing her jet black hair and unshaved forehead.
A
