Chapter 5

Cottonwood flowers
Dabbed the nostalgia
On my journey
The face of Mount Peace
A dace in the wind
Who has stolen
Your naivety


The day of our graduation fell on a Saturday. Parents and relatives were invited to join the ceremony and the open house planned by the school. All the graduates sat in the front row and the rest of the school in the back. The right side of the auditorium was reserved for VIPs. Everyone wore a red flower on his or her chest. Everywhere you went you bumped into flowers and banners which were used to decorate the entire campus. It was an important day for us, the sixth graders. When the principal introduced the best student of the year, a thunder of applause roared across the whole auditorium. Then Yang Dong-Yu stood up and walked straight up to the podium. He first bowed to the principal and then the other teachers sitting next to him.

“Today is our big day, an honourable moment we shall never forget. Education is the door not only to knowledge but also morality and values, which make us different from other spices…” Every one was listening attentively and at the same time amazed how a speech like that could be delivered by this brilliant 12-year-old. Of course the speech was polished by our teacher but I heard Yang Dong-Yu basically wrote the talk himself. He went on talking about his dream, saying that he wanted to be a pilot when he grew up. He thanked his father for the opportunity he had to go to school. Of course Yang Yu-Fong was not at the ceremony; only Yang Hui-Ching was there.

“How could he still thank his father after all what he has done to him?” asked I inconceivably in my little mind. “Did he lose his mind or what? Was he being too naïve or completely insane?” as I ruminated over his words. I must ask him I told myself. After the ceremony, I ran to Yang Dong-Yu, telling him I needed to talk to him. He grinned at me and said ok. “Why did you still thank your father after what he did to you and your sisters?” asked I bluntly. “What did he do? What did you know? No matter what, he is STILL my father! Do you understand? Without him, there would never be US, me and my siblings!” retorted he. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to judge but I thought…” “You thought what? You have no right to criticize my father. Perhaps you meant well but please stay out of this,” getting more impatiently as he spurted out these sentences. “I just hope you are happy and safe,” said I with a heavy sigh.

My heart sank to the bottom of the Pacific as I walked home that day. I thought the sky had also turned its back to me; gray colour was filled in every object reflected on my irises. I was trying to show my concern. Was it too much? I recalled an old saying in Chinese: Only mind the snow in front of your door, don’t even bother the frost on the roof of others. Wasn’t that selfishness? Wasn’t that what made us so cruel and lack of altruism in society? Perhaps I was the only person who was too naïve? I wanted to cry but I did not. Instead, I pulled out the English textbook for the junior high and started to learn the alphabets…