‘
Are you sure you’re all right?’ There’s a light tap on my shoulder and I nearly jump a mile. I squeeze my
eyes tight, fearing to turn around. ‘It’s just my imagination. It’s just my imagination.’ I keep mumbling these
words as if they are my mantra.
There is another tap on my shoulder and this time I decided to take a peek. I look down onto the floor
behind me and a pair of muddy shoes flashes into my sight. They look familiar. Wait…reddish brown,
clay…these shoes are the same as those of the Terracotta Army. Who would wear such kinds of shoes? I turn
around and…
‘
What?’I can’t believe my eyes. This is not happening; a clay statue is talking to me? The hot air must be
causing me to hallucinate. I blink twice at him, hoping the soldier in front of me disappears, but only to find him
staring at me suspiciously.
I glare at him for a few seconds, and then transfer my gaze to each of the soldier standing beside him,
searching for a clue. But there’s nothing other than a row of soldiers staring back at me with the same
expression.
The soldier must have seen the horror in my eyes, so he quickly says, ‘I can explain this.’
‘
Okay’ I say, waiting for him to explain everything to me.
His face is solemn and he finally says, ‘I overheard your conversation with Calvin. I know that the Great
Wall is collapsing and I think this has awakened the souls inside us. This may sound crazy, but years earlier,
when QinShiHuang carved us, he gave us a soul that would only be awakened when the safety of his belongings
were being jeopardized.’
“
Oh, so QinShiHuang foresaw that the Great Wall was going to collapse. This is so much like that movie
‘
Night at the Museum’” I joke with disbelief.
‘
I don’t know’, he shrugs. ‘But his Majesty must have his reasons for summoning us. All I know is that
we have to save the Great Wall.’
‘
So what’re we going to do now? Barge outside and scare everyone on the street? You are a golem!
Remember?’
‘
Actually, we have a plan, as long as you help us.’
I sigh. ‘I don’t really have an option, do I, since we’re all stuck here? Fine, just tell me what I’ve to do.’
‘
Well, as you can see, we have around three thousand soldiers and horses. If you can let us out at midnight,
then perhaps we can fix the Great Wall.’He says slowly.
‘
Are you kidding me? It’s the Great Wall for God’s sake! How can you fix that? We don’t even have the
material for fixing it; this plan of yours is never going to work.’ I tell him.
‘
How do you know it’s not going to work when you’ve never tried? All we need is some shovels, cement
and laterite.’ he says curtly.
‘
Fine,’ I finally say, ‘but promise me to be careful as you are apparently a walking golem, it’s going to
scare the hell out of the locals.’
‘
Is that a yes?’His eyes widen and his mouth turns into a smile.
I nod. That’s when I know our deal is sealed and there is no turning back.
I hardly sleep after our ‘talk’ in the early hours of the morning, fearing that the plan will not work out.
Everything has just come too hastily and it’s almost like a dream to me. How often do people encounter this
kind of problem! So, when I hear the tinkling sound of keys turning in the knob, I quickly step out of the door.
‘
Oh, thank God. You’re here.’ I straighten my shirt and greet Calvin.
‘
You stayed here all night!’ Calvin asks in disbelief.
‘
Someone locked the door last night,’ I say sheepishly, recalling the magical night I had yesterday. We’ve
eventually reached a consensus and decided to go to the Great Wall at one tonight. Since the Great Wall is only
500
miles from here, there would be plenty of time for us to come back before six in the morning. No one would
ever know that we’ve been out. All I have to do now is to sneak out of the museum and buy the materials we
need tonight. I grin at the thought of this perfect plan.
‘
Pat?’I jerk back to reality and notice Calvin frowning at me. ‘You are talking aloud. Are you sure you are
okay? You can have a day off today.’
I turn around and fake a smile ‘Sure, what could have happened? I’m just wondering what I should do
now.’ I look at the rows of the Terracotta Army behind me and smirk.
The following day goes on as usual. Calvin is busy examining his artifacts and I continue with my work.
The Terracotta Army is standing at their original position, because just like any other fairy tale, they had
changed back into stone at six this morning. When the dawn came, I make an excuse to stay behind and
promised the security guards that I would lock the door for them. I check on the tools we need this evening and
stack them into several piles. It’s been a few hours and nothing has happened yet. I begin to worry if the
Terracotta Army would really ‘wake up’. That is when the clock strikes Twelve.