(Written by a twelve-year-old Chinese girl who will be studying in England again this fall)
When I was young I lived with my grandparents. My grandma is a really loving and kind person, and granddad is kind, too, he’s always very dignified. That’s probably because he was a director general when he was younger, and he expects everyone to give him respect.
One day, he was having a nap after lunch, and as I observed him, he didn’t seem to look his age at all. He looked much younger, and I felt as if I had to do something to make him laugh because he hardly every laughs or smiles any more.
As his birthday was coming up, and he always uses a magnifying glass to read, I decided to give him a pair of glasses. They’re very expensive in the stores, so I made him a pair. I took a colored pen from his desk, and thinking that green would suit him best, I drew a pair carefully on his face. I felt as if I could be an artist when I grow up because they looked so realistic. Looking at his amazing glasses, I laughed, and the sound woke him up.
What’s up?” he asked with a straight face – not knowing that the glasses made him look very different.
I rarely go to the park with him, but was so happy with what I’d done that I decided to offer, and said, “Would you like to go for a walk when you get up?” I was trying my hardest to cover the funny feeling inside of me.
“Yeah – ‘ya tou’ – you changed your mind? For once you want to take a walk with me.” Listening to him, I was so happy, as I felt that what I’d done was just amazing, and so we both got changed and started on our walk.
On the way, everyone – especially our neighbors – had wild looks on their faces when they saw granddad. I knew why they looked that way, but he was obviously wondering what was happening. “What’s so strange about me?” he kept saying.
“No, there’s nothing….of course not….you look just the same.” I was laughing inside, but didn’t want him to find out what was happening. It was just amazing. I had no idea how it would end. He realized that something was wrong as everyone was laughing, but he didn’t know what it was.
“What is it? Do I look really bad? Or is it you? I don’t really understand what is happening. Normally people don’t look at me like this. They respect me. I wonder why they don’t today.”
“Ha! I thought to myself; I’ve got you this time.”
When we arrived back home, my grandma had finished her nap, and she burst out laughing when she saw her husband. “Hmm, you’re nice looking today!” and that comment made granddad ever more curious. I did a “shush” sign to grandma, and she nodded to let me know she understood.
“What is wrong with me? When I walked on the street everyone seemed to look at me as if I was a beggar or something? What is it? Tell me!”
“Well….”, I said, “Do you promise that you’ll not be angry when you find out?” I was trying to keep out of trouble by saying that.
“Okay! Whatever! Just tell me. It is really getting on my nerves. Why is everyone talking about me? What’s wrong?”
I couldn’t wait any longer and said, “Just go and look at the mirror in the bathroom”, and then ran straight to my room. Even though I locked the door, I could hear him shouting “What! What will the neighbors think about me?
I thought it was quite funny that he was so angry and couldn’t help laughing while I was still alone in my room.
When I came out, however, I realized how angry he was and wanted to tell him I was really sorry, but I couldn’t find him at first. He was still in the bathroom washing his face.
Grandma was laughing, but I didn’t hear my granddad laugh at all…not even once.