Fiction: Group 3
bed, and let the tears drown him. He cried so hard that his eyes ached badly until he could cry no more. ‘I
should get a bandage’ he thought. Pushing the pain away, he fought his way to the window sill, where his
first aid kit was. Clicking it open, he carefully removed the bits of shattered pieces of glass and bandaged his
hand. As he was about to close the box, he noticed something at the bottom of the kit, a notebook. It was a
plain red notebook with only one word on it. Xiang, his mother’s name. Though his heart ached since it
reminded him of the memories, curiosity took over him and he carefully turned over the first page. It was
his mother’s handwriting and it read,
’Dear Johnny’ His heart pounded at the sight of his name. His mother, the one who abandoned had
something to sya to him. With shaking hands, he read on ‘My dear child, when you read this, I may be
resting in another world. I am so sorry, Johnny, I never meant to hurt you or harm you, but reality gave me
no choice. I was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago and the doctor said it was already incurable.
Medication was the only way to reduce my pain, eventually; I will suffer from pain and die. At this point I
am terrified, I had thought of your father, and of you and I could never bear to see your sad faces , watching
me die, I want to remember you as the happy innocent you. Hence, I asked your father to give you a break
from school, and travel with me along the Pearl, and then I shall leave you to wait for my doom. Your
father opposed at first. He said he would stand with me forever, but when I begged him on behalf of you,
saying and devastated you would be to see death’s true nature at such a young age, that you could never
bear it. Hence, your father promised. Please do not blame him, my dear; it was because of my selfishness
that he had done such a thing. And it is because of me that he is to live in agony, but when a day comes
when he finds himself another woman whom he loves, do not stop him. For I shall never forgive myself if I
was the one who robbed my husband of his eternal happiness. You as well, you are my pearl and I shall
never let anything hurt you or, worry you trouble, Henceforth, I give you my notebook; to write down
your worries and doubts each day, so you will always be a happy pearl’
Mum
Johnny’s eyes were filled with tears as he finished the letter, He understood everything now. It was because
of his parents’ love then his mother put herself in pain, it was for him that his mother left him, he
understood now. He was the one who was bad, not his father, His father was brave, he found himself a new
life. While, he was still stuck in the shadows. He stood up. He had a vision now; he had a plan for his future
life. He shall carry the past with him by writing a story of his happiest trip, and he shall name it. New Tales
of the Pearl River Delta.
