“
Adelaide, are you ready in your sport shoes?” A loud male voice woke me up.
Seeing from my partially opened eyes, everything looked vague. In the blurred sight I saw the back of a
tall man.
A man. I was shocked---it was supposed that only Mum and I were in the house. What’s more, he knew
my name.
I gasped at the dreadful sight when I was about to jump out from my bed--- this bed was purely white in
colour and a light brown bedside table was found beside it. But the bed in my restroom was brown in colour and
I had no bedside table. I glanced around and I found a small piece of card on the bedside table. On the card it
wrote:
“
Room 198, The Great Hotel of China.”
Beside the card I found my passport, the latest stamp was dated “9th October, 1998”.
My heart was restless. Why was I supposed to be here? I turned on the television; the news report that
was being broadcasted was dated “12th October, 1998”. Wasn’t I sitting in Dad’s room just now? Why was I
here?
“
Adelaide, come and let’s go and visit the Great Wall,” that was a familiar voice.
“
Adelaide, are you okay? Come on we’ll be late,” in three seconds I figured out that it was Mum’s
voice.
“
Mum, can you come into my room for a while?” I shouted back to the outside of my room.
Mum came in, dressed in sportswear. I felt a sense of relief before I was puzzled and frightened again. I
found Mum’s face much younger, at least ten to fifteen years younger. I stared at her face. I found myself unable
to say anything.
“
Did you have nightmares last night? You seem so scared. Your face looks pale,” Mum smiled and
walked towards me, bringing me to the mirror and helped me to tie my hair. When I looked up to the mirror I
was completed terrified---I looked like a four-year-old girl.
What was going on?
“
Better hurry up ladies---the coach is coming,” form the mirror I saw the man, with brown hair and a
moustache.
Dad!
Mum brought me in front the man, he held my hands and led us to hurry down to the lobby. Before we
leave the room, Mum told me, “Follow Dad and don’t go elsewhere.”
He was Dad. And we were travelling in China.
Was this my past?
***
We got off from the coach and Dad lifted me onto his back.
“
Look, we’ll climb up to the furthest and highest point of the Wall,” he smiled lovingly, and took out a
camera from his pocket.
Mum took a photo for us and we took one together.
Dad carried me on his back and walked towards the first stone step of the Wall. I looked at the long
Wall. It was just like a dragon flying into the sky, so tremendous and majestic.
“
Here we go!” Dad walked up the stone steps and I leaned on his back.
I enjoyed being on his back so much---perhaps this was because I had never been so close to him. I
found it extremely comfortable and I could feel the warmth of Dad. I felt the same sense of closeness that I
came across on the day I visited Dad’s grave. This was the first time I found myself in a complete family.
Dad hummed as he carried me onto the steps. I followed him to hum the song with my breaking voice,
though its melody was unfamiliar to me. He smiled and even turned to me and said, “Nice singing dear.” I sang
even louder with him, regardless of my bad voice, because I was happy that I had a loving father.
While we continued to climb up the stone steps, I could hear Dad panting.
“
Dad, perhaps we walk together instead of you carrying me?”
He smiled at me and said, “Not until we reach that watchtower dear,” and he continued carrying me
and humming the song. However, I could hear him panting, quite loudly and frequently.
While we still have twenty to thirty steps to go, I could feel Dad’s shirt was soaked with his sweat. The
sweat turned half of his light green t-shirt into dark green.
“
Dad, shall we take a rest?”
“
Not until we reach that watchtower, Adelaide. Daddy wants to carry you up there,” he responded with
a big cheerful smile on his face. But I noticed that he was nearly exhausted.
“
Approximately ten more steps to go, dear,” said Dad, in an excited tone, “Let’s take a photo of your
first walk with Dad at the watchtower!” He even accelerated.