Fiction: Group 2
Tossing The Rope
Bradbury School, Ahn, Jay Hugh - 10, Fiction 2
ll I do all day is look for clams. I’m very good at it, an expert.
As far as I can remember I’ve always
scoured for clams and that’s all we ate.
“I wish more people lived on this island” I mumbled to myself. Mom and dad say I should be
thankful towards our ancestors who found this clam rich island.
I’m getting sick of eating the same thing
every day.
“Dinner time!” I dragged myself over to my parents
“Ming Xia!!” I knew that warning tone.
I took my plate and topped it with clams. “Clam salad again?!” I groaned. Father always told me the
importance of clams. I couldn’t help but wonder why food on the other island smells so wonderful over
there at the other islands but not here? I’m sure they eat something that tastes as delicious as it smells. My
dad taught me that there are countless tiny islands in this area. Each island has one animal or produce unique
to the island.
I once I saw a white bird that can’t fly that sings every morning and wakes everyone up.
I had a wonderful dream. Maybe the boy on the island to the north is sick of eating that wonderful
smelling bird too. There was only one way to find out. I waited until the boy could see that I was throwing
something important at him. I stuffed a clam in a leaf and threw it as hard as I can towards the island.
It
didn’t reach him right away but drifted ashore.
He looked at me then opened the parcel. He looked
confused so I did a gesture of putting the clam in my mouth. He put it in his mouth and hollered in delight.
He ran to his hut and emerged with something. He picked a leaf from his tree. He threw it to me and I
caught it. I opened it up. The great smell enveloped me in a second.
“Father, mother!” They emerged furious for I’m not helping them to harvest clams. Before they could
scold me I took out the piece of whatever it was and shoved it in their mouths. They squealed with
excitement. Mother’s eyes filled up with tears and father exclaimed that this must be the chicken he’s only
heard of from elders.
Whatever it was, was exploding with flavour. The juice was running out of my mouth
and the scrumptious meat was tinted with flavour. I ran back to the island and kept throwing clams just as I
did earlier hoping he would send more of the delicious meat. I learned that sharing benefits me!
The other islands were too far so Dad helped me to throw clam leaves. The neighbours to the west sent us
a large parcel filled with large leaves I’ve never seen before. I carefully opened the package and to my great
surprise there was a bundle of plant I’ve never seen. It came with writing on it. I didn’t understand but the
drawings showed a man putting the plant in the ground and watering it.
“Well at least we ought to give it a try?” We planted it near our pond and waited, day after day. Dad
suggested eating the vegetables instead of planting them but I insisted and begged to continue waiting. What
was once one corn cob became 5 then 10 we decided it was time to bite into it. We hurriedly pulled away
the green bits and gazed at the pure caramel yellow corn. We took a bite out of it each. It burst in my
mouth. The corn tasted so sweet!
Trading between islands was prospering. Everyone started trading what they had and never knew what
they will get in return. It was quite common to see parcels floating in the water. Eventually with all the
ropes connecting the islands I came up with a crazy idea to bring the islands closer. I gave everyone a strip of
corn stalk and I asked that one everyone pull at the same time. Some say I was crazy. Everyone pulled so
hard that the ground shook and
I could feel the ground move underneath us. Inch by inch the separate islands were connecting. The sand
rose. Waves brewed and the people shivered against the onslaught of quakes. Shadows appeared and
shadows to figures finally figures to faces. Their cheery and smiling faces were very comforting to see. By
now the little boy I shared my clams with was now a young teenager. One of those flightless birds sauntered
over to our side of the island and a muddy pink thing came nosing in our clams and started gobbling it up. A
once separated delta was now united as Hong Kong/XiangGang, the city of scrumptious scent.
Years had passed before I returned to the beach that started everything. I looked around the different areas
picturing how things were before all the islands united to Hong Kong. I chuckled as I sighted the old
fashioned huts and the decorated clam shells. Sharing truly connected us like never before.
I am proud that
my children and their children can enjoy this great city.
A
