HKYWA 2015 Fiction 3 to 6 - page 687

Fiction: Group 4
Something about Baiyun Shan was just so disarming. Its attractiveness was undeniable, but the energy that
poured out from the mountain… It lifted your spirit and awaken your soul. It breathed the breath of life on
you and it filled your heart with such joy that it seeped through your lung tissues and pleural membrane,
passed straight through the intercostal muscles and out of your skin. It lighted up your eyes and gave you
that healthy glow on your skin.
Perhaps it was the nature. Back home in Hong Kong, most of our limited land was used for commercial
and residential land use. The busy roads and all our transportations emitted so much pollutants that could not
dissipate, trapped by the canyon effect of all the wall-like buildings. Hong Kong had more mountains than
you could have imagined, yet they never gave out this peculiar vibe. They were either removed to give way
to buildings or looking greyish with all the binge eating of carbon dioxide causing indigestions. It was rare
seeing a patch of clear blue sky or pure white, fluffy clouds, let alone fragile wisps that wrapped around
mountain tops in such elaborate and elegant manner. I supposed Guangzhou was rapidly developing as well,
but at least some parts of nature was left unscarred. I shuddered thinking of the possibility of losing this…
Baiyun Shan was making my fingers tinkle, itching to have a paint bush in hand to paint the ever-
changing clouds on canvases, painstakingly noting down every minute detail of the way they coiled around
the mountain, the way they lingered even when they were drifting way, the way they became one with the
greenery… the list could go on and on without ever coming to an end. Try as I might, there would simply
not be a way to capture the interactions between the clouds and the mountain on paper unless I started
drawing moving paintings. This was truly exquisite.
With ample time on hand, I decided to go and test my luck, wanting to buy paint brushes, paint, a palette
and blank canvases. I strolled down the streets and saw a myriad of small stores. There was one for tea leaves,
one for drinks and snacks, one for women’s clothing, one for rice and… yes! One for art tools! I got what I
needed in record time and rushed back to the hotel room, giddy like a child. I had to stifle a yelp of
excitement when I set up the canvas and picked up a paint bush. It had been three months! Three months!
This was like giving a man who had wandered in the blistering desert for days a bowl of clear water. I was
positively humming with energy right now, standing here preparing to fully immerge into the fine art of
painting.
I stared at the mountain and the cloud for a while, just observing and taking notes of the shades of colour.
Awestruck, I had decided, was a great way to stimulate my aesthetic part of cerebrum. I dabbed a speckle of
white and started mixing paints to get the exact hue that I wanted. As the work went on, the excitement
seeped away, and in its place a deep tranquillity and satisfaction lied. As I alternated between looking at the
scenery and my canvas, I found myself immersing more deeply into the picture. In my attempt to capture
the essence, I was lured further into the embrace of Mother Nature. As the sun set over Baiyun Mountain, I
put down my bush and reclined my chair, just appreciating the view. This was bliss. How I wish I could stay
in this moment forever!
By morning, I was all packed and ready to go. With my dried canvas tucked under my arm, I checked out
of my room and walked leisurely to the Immigration Office two blocks down. When I was handed my
temporary visa, I thanked the officer earnestly this time. I was standing on the platform, humming softly to
myself, watching the train slowed down to a stop in front of me when realisation hit me—I no longer
thought of the train journeys to and fro home and Guangzhou a tiresome chore. I no longer considered the
trips to the production line a dreadful job that needed to be fulfilled. Instead, now as I looked at it, I was
rather keen to return. Why?
The unexpected day-off, that must be it! Or was it the mountain and the clouds? It was painting. It was
doing what I enjoy every once in a while. It helped to release the tension and divert me attention. It
stimulated my brain and poured spirit and soul into me, preventing me from reverting to that worn-out
shadow of myself. It gave me time to think things through, a time for contemplation and reflection. It was
necessary, and just as equally important as eating and sleeping.
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