New Tales of the Great Wall
Bakhita Fung, Group 4: Fiction, Island School
wall. Stretched forever. Nobody knew when it was built, nor when it would be destroyed. People say it
was there from the right beginning of the Earth, but it could have just been a myth. It wasn’t just a wall
for me. It was my second father. Someone who protected me, someone who would comfort me when I
needed comforting, my mind was constantly bustling, full of questions. After finishing off my daily job
of watering the plants, I wandered on and on, running my fingers through the rough, sandy wall. It felt
like it was talking to me, as it was about to answer my questions. I must be out of my mind, it was just a wall. How
could it answer any of my questions? Rubbish.
NaiNai, my grandmother lived on the other side of the wall, before she got married. She would often lean on
her wooden chair, close her eyes and tell me one memory. I remembered each one of them, from her first time
wearing Cheung Sham, a traditional dress worn in special occasions. She told me once how she got over the wall,
just after she got married with Yeye. I was very young, too young to understand. After then, she had never told me
what had happened, and how Yeye wasn’t here anymore. Whenever I asked, she would act like she was sleeping,
but I knew she was wide awake.
But there was one thing I did remember. Her dream was to reach the other side of the wall, her real home. She
wanted to go back and live in harmony, and see Yeye’s family again. She didn’t want to see Baba marching along
with his heavy armour, guarding the wall. These guards were tough, and if you were caught crossing over the wall,
no one would see you again. She wanted to explore, and always said, “Age is only a number.”
However, there was a sudden urge to fulfill Nai Nai’s dream. I wanted her to be happy, to see her smile for the
first time. I whispered in her ear, “Nai Nai, I will help you cross over The Great Wall Of China.”She was delighted
to know. She was waiting for this day, but almost certain that it would come. We trained as hard as possible,
without letting Ma or Ba know. We would mark where the holes were, where we could put our feet through, and
stored some food in our tiny leather pouches. One day, after tough training, Nai Nai finally said we were ready to
go. 10 o’clock sharp, she said. I could hear the seriousness but excitement in her voice. I knew how important this
meant to her.
We set off, just as she planned. The wall was at least 5 times taller than me. It was almost impossible. Taking
every step slowly and carefully, making sure that the guards wouldn’t hear us. All of a sudden, my foot slipped. It
was hanging, and as I looked down, it was at least 4 times my height till the mud roof. My heart was beating, hands
sweaty, and a loud drone in my head. We finally reached the last step. Nai Nai’s mouth reached from one side of
her cheek to another. In a few seconds, Nai Nai would be living in her dream.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps were heard. This was surely coming from a fierce soldier. They must have heard my
foot slip. Nai Nai’s smile faded away instantly. Her dream turned into a nightmare.
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