Fiction: Group 2
The Birthday Gift
Singapore International School, Shek, Hoi Ching - 10, Fiction: Group 2
y name is Ah Ping. I am one of the few lucky ones in my birthplace - Doumen, who gets the
precious chance to study. However, in most people’s eyes, I was born to be an unlucky girl.
“Dad, when will we arrive at the Chime Long theme park?” Amy asked her dad excitedly. It was
her 10 years old birthday and she could never imagine that her birthday trip to the Park would have changed
the life of another 10-year-old girl.
“Dad, you see…” Amy spotted a little girl trembling on the street corner.
“Darling, you really need to hold our hands tightly as there are a lot of bad people who will kidnap
children.” Amy’s mum said very seriously. What Amy worrying about was not herself but the skinny girl
in the dark corner.
“Happy birthday to you...happy birthday to you!” Amy blew the candles and made her birthday
wish as her parents finished singing. “Darling, can you tell us your birthday wish this year?” Amy’s mum
was so eager to know. Unexpectedly, Amy paused for a while and shook her head. Her mum and dad
were puzzled why Amy was unusually calm as she always used to have an elated mood, especially on a
blissful day in a jubilant place.
While the happy family was heading to their hotel for rest after a whole day’s fun at the Park, Amy
saw the skinny girl being pushed into a van by some gangsters. Out of curiosity or maybe philanthropy,
Amy had the instinctive judgment that the girl must have been kidnapped by the gangsters. Or you may say
that Amy had read too many detective stories.
“It is time to go back to Hong Kong after we have finished our breakfast!” Dad said. “Dad, you
see, it’s that girl! She is begging. She must have been kidnapped and exploited. We must save her, dad!”
Amy said earnestly. “Darling, this kind of phenomenon happens every day in nearly every corner of the
Pearl River Delta. Let’s go!” Dad said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. “But, please dad, we may have
saved her whole life. Mum, you asked me what my birthday wish was, I now tell you - to save the girl! ”
Amy’s request really caught her parents by surprise.
Despite Amy’s sincere request, her parents just ignored her and led Amy away by holding her
hands. Fortunately, she could manage to take a photo of the girl.
Amy and her parents were back to Hong Kong living at their comfortable home. However, the
girl’s image was so vivid in Amy’s mind that she had dreamt of her for three consecutive nights. Being
awaken by her dreams one night, Amy did a lot of research on the internet and found that quite many
children were kidnapped in the Guangdong province as they could be sold for a good price or used for
begging for a living. She suddenly recalled that she had taken a picture of Amy.
On one Sunday morning, Amy told her mum that she missed her dad very much and suggested
that they should pay a surprise visit to her dad who was working so hard in Macau. “Hi, darling, why are
you here?” Amy’s dad was so surprised to see them as they had never given him a “spot-check” as such.
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