WARNING: From this point onwards, the amount of cheese is mindboggling. Please exercise caution. Feel free to leave a comment, but please, refrain from any stupid comments. I don't have a title. Got any ideas?
Here goes...
Hung lay on his back, his thoughts deep in the clouds above. He put his hands behind his head as he let out a long sigh. Mai, he thought, where did you go? He knew the answer to that, but he could not do anything about it. I need you here with me, right here beside me, Hung thought as he rolled onto his side. His face was wrought in anguish he stared at the empty patch of grass. He took out his wallet and pulled out a photo. Mai, he whispered as a tear trickled out of his eye.
Hung was in first grade, walking by himself to school when a group of fifth graders ran up to him. They threw him against the wall and demanded for his lunch. Trembling violently, Hung fumbled around for anything that he could give to them. He took off his little schoolbag and was about to empty it onto the footpath when a small hand grabbed his wrist.
“Go pick on someone your own size!” said the owner of the little hand. Hung looked up and he saw a little girl, barely his own size. The bullies looked at each other and laughed uncontrollably. Not feeling so brave anymore, the little girl’s cheeks turned into a bright red. Hung was now absolutely mortified, because the boys had stopped laughing and shoved the little girl against wall beside him. He started crying, grabbed the little girl’s hand and prayed that it would be over soon. Their little fingers tightly wrapped around each other’s hand as they were pinned against the wall, powerless to stop the bullies from taking their bags. Hung slumped down against the wall, still crying. The little girl looked at him, shook her head and left. Hung was all alone again, now crying harder than ever. Few minutes later, the little girl returned, shoved an ice-cream in front of his face and ordered him to stop crying. Hung promptly stopped and they sat together on the sidewalk, licking their ice-creams.
“What’s your name?” the little girl suddenly asked. Hung quietly answered her and she said,
“Okay! My name’s Mai. Let’s be friends, okay?” Hung nodded slowly and a smile crept to his lips. He finally had a friend.
From that day on, Hung would always be seen around Mai. They always sat next to each other in class and played together after class. Whenever Hung was bullied, Mai was there to step in and chase them off. Whenever Mai took a fall, Hung was there with a bandaid and water. The shy little boy and the boisterous little girl grew closer to each other and became inseparable.
One day, when Hung was 17, they were walking home from school as usual. Mai suddenly stopped Hung and tearfully said to him,
“Promise me that whatever happens, we’ll always stay together. Promise me that whatever happens, we’ll always try to find each other. Okay?” Hung had never seen Mai cry before, not even when they were bullied the first day they met. He was confused, because he knew that Mai knew that he would say yes. Hung promised her anyway and Mai threw herself at him, grabbing his neck and crying deeply in it. Hung hugged her tightly, stroking her head, softly telling her to stop crying.
The next day, on his way to school, Hung walked to Mai’s house but found nobody was home. Confused, he kept on walking to school but couldn’t find Mai everywhere. Worried, he asked one of their teachers if they knew where Mai was. Puzzled, the teacher replied,
“Didn’t she tell you? She left with her family to Australia.” Hung just stood there, eyes wide and mouth open. He could not believe it. The teacher tapped him on the shoulder. He blinked then ran home as fast as he could. He could not believe it. She was gone. Tears fell with his feet as he ran home. This can’t be, he thought, she isn’t really gone. This is just a trick she’s playing on me. Then he remembered the promise he made yesterday.
Whatever happens, we’ll always stay together.
He fell onto his knees and broke down again. Amidst his tears, he told himself the cruel truth. She was really gone.
It had been five years since that day. Hung had been thinking about her every day, getting a job the week after for this day. You left without a word, he thought, and I never got to say I loved you. He got up and looked down the road as the summer breeze blew in behind him. He grabbed his rucksack and set off down the dusty road.
I’m coming Mai, he thought, I’m coming.
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