The narrow street to my right buzzes with the tremulous anticipation of Chinese New Year. Watching on, I can make out the faces of strangers in the darkness – illuminated by the metallic red of the fireworks above. Everyone here is a friend, united under the bright lights and ready for the new chances that lie ahead of us.
I sit outside my grandma’s small, crumbling house of stone; the entrance behind me is little more than a widened crack in the wall. Voices mutter indistinctly from inside – glimpses of good fortunes, pitches of prosperity. My five year old cousin wheels up beside me, the pedals of his market-bought bike squeaking noisily. He is dressed in cheap red satin, to commemorate this day.
“Kung hei fat choi!” he exclaims for the thousandth time that day, his eyes twinkling. His nickname is Long, short for “Dragon”.
He is more like a panda.
“Kung hei fat choi,” I reply with a smile.
He stays with me for a few more seconds and then drives off, in search of more exciting company.
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Short Random Tidbits
RandomA collection of story openings, writing exercises and flash fiction. Genres range from historical fiction, sci-fi, non-fiction, fantasy and . . . everything else.
