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writetomyheart2016-02-25 12:46 am
elindar.livejournal.com) wrote in writetomyheart2016-02-25 12:46 am
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[team three] under the lanterns
So I happened to hear about this Chinese Lantern Festival a couple of days ago and it gave me this idea. Set in the (alternative?) past, Jackson is about 7yo.
The guy in charge of the bao stall was friendly and smiley and even gave Jackson a small discount on the two steamed buns he bought. He smiled widely when he was handed two warm buns and waved at the guy before striding off. Jackson crossed the market area, zigzagging his way through the festival crowd, careful of not dropping the buns in his hands. When he finally caught a glimpse of his mother from between all the people, he smiled automatically and sprinted the last meters to her.
“Thank you so much, dear,” his mother smiled when he handed her the other bao.
They sat down to eat on a bench beside the stone wall of the temple.
It was time of the Lantern Festival. The market area and temple grounds were full of people; the cool evening air was full of hustle and bustle, music, laughter and smell of incense. And above all of them, hundreds and hundreds of red lanterns were hanging and filling the area with their warm glow.
Jackson was swinging his legs in the air and watching the countless lanterns over them while eating his bao. The lanterns were very pretty in his opinion, he could watch them forever. They had seen other huge and cool lantern displays on their way to the temple area; there had been flowers, dragons and all kinds of animals. Jackson also had his own little lantern with him; it was a simple white one with a prayer for good fortune and a painting of a snake to celebrate the new year.
Once they were done with eating, Jackson picked up his lantern and jumped to his feet. He took his mother’s hand and pulled her up as well, leading them inside the temple grounds. The bustle wasn’t as bad in there; most of the people were either praying or walking around, trying to solve the riddles on lanterns. Jackson left his mother to purchase incense and climbed the stairs to the second floor of the temple building. He walked around to the other side of the building, where there were less people and leaned against the stony fence, looking at the lanterns hanging above his head. They were glowing against the dark night sky.
Jackson was absent-mindedly reading the riddles written on lanterns closest to him, when he suddenly heard steps behind him. He turned and saw a boy around his age walking closer. The boy was carrying a similar small lantern Jackson had, and seemed to be completely dazzled by all the bigger ones around them. He kept walking while looking up and didn’t notice Jackson until he was right next to him. The boy looked a bit startled, so Jackson gave him a small smile.
“Were you solving the riddles?” Jackson asked on a whim.
The boy gave a small, embarrassed laugh. “I’m not very good at them...”
“Me neither,” Jackson grinned.
The boy smiled back at him and leaned against the fence beside Jackson. He seemed a bit shy but friendly, and there was something curious about him, something Jackson couldn’t quite put his finger on. He felt somehow familiar, even though Jackson was sure he’d never seen the boy before.
“It’s my first time at Lantern Festival,” the boy then said. “It’s been super fun!”
Jackson raised his eyebrows in surprise. “...First?”
He didn’t have a chance to ask more questions, because there was suddenly a bright woman voice calling out to someone. “Yi Eun? Are you there? We’re leaving soon!”
“Oh, I need to go,” the boy said immediately. He was already turning to leave but stopped in his tracks, seeming a bit hesitant. He then turned back to Jackson and held out his paper lantern.
“You take this. You can hang it up somewhere before you leave.”
Too confused to say no, Jackson took the lantern from the boy. “...Thank you.”
The boy smiled at him shyly before turning around and jogging off. “Bye then!”
The curious feeling stayed even after the boy was gone. Jackson lifted the lantern he’d received, taking a better look at it. Like Jackson’s lantern, this one also had a picture of a snake on it, and a written wish. But unlike Jackson’s wish, this one was written in English, with small and neat handwriting.
I want to become better at basketball. - Mark
Against the boy’s suggestion, Jackson didn’t leave the lantern at the temple. He left his own but somehow didn’t feel like parting from the other. So he took it home and hung it up in his room, keeping it lit even after all the festival lanterns around the city were put out. He kept it as a memory of this curious yet familiar boy who’d been amazed by the lanterns, who’d had a shy but friendly smile, and who apparently like basketball very much. He kept it as a reminder of this short encounter that for some reason, to Jackson, felt meaningful.
tagging![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kira_shadow!
The guy in charge of the bao stall was friendly and smiley and even gave Jackson a small discount on the two steamed buns he bought. He smiled widely when he was handed two warm buns and waved at the guy before striding off. Jackson crossed the market area, zigzagging his way through the festival crowd, careful of not dropping the buns in his hands. When he finally caught a glimpse of his mother from between all the people, he smiled automatically and sprinted the last meters to her.
“Thank you so much, dear,” his mother smiled when he handed her the other bao.
They sat down to eat on a bench beside the stone wall of the temple.
It was time of the Lantern Festival. The market area and temple grounds were full of people; the cool evening air was full of hustle and bustle, music, laughter and smell of incense. And above all of them, hundreds and hundreds of red lanterns were hanging and filling the area with their warm glow.
Jackson was swinging his legs in the air and watching the countless lanterns over them while eating his bao. The lanterns were very pretty in his opinion, he could watch them forever. They had seen other huge and cool lantern displays on their way to the temple area; there had been flowers, dragons and all kinds of animals. Jackson also had his own little lantern with him; it was a simple white one with a prayer for good fortune and a painting of a snake to celebrate the new year.
Once they were done with eating, Jackson picked up his lantern and jumped to his feet. He took his mother’s hand and pulled her up as well, leading them inside the temple grounds. The bustle wasn’t as bad in there; most of the people were either praying or walking around, trying to solve the riddles on lanterns. Jackson left his mother to purchase incense and climbed the stairs to the second floor of the temple building. He walked around to the other side of the building, where there were less people and leaned against the stony fence, looking at the lanterns hanging above his head. They were glowing against the dark night sky.
Jackson was absent-mindedly reading the riddles written on lanterns closest to him, when he suddenly heard steps behind him. He turned and saw a boy around his age walking closer. The boy was carrying a similar small lantern Jackson had, and seemed to be completely dazzled by all the bigger ones around them. He kept walking while looking up and didn’t notice Jackson until he was right next to him. The boy looked a bit startled, so Jackson gave him a small smile.
“Were you solving the riddles?” Jackson asked on a whim.
The boy gave a small, embarrassed laugh. “I’m not very good at them...”
“Me neither,” Jackson grinned.
The boy smiled back at him and leaned against the fence beside Jackson. He seemed a bit shy but friendly, and there was something curious about him, something Jackson couldn’t quite put his finger on. He felt somehow familiar, even though Jackson was sure he’d never seen the boy before.
“It’s my first time at Lantern Festival,” the boy then said. “It’s been super fun!”
Jackson raised his eyebrows in surprise. “...First?”
He didn’t have a chance to ask more questions, because there was suddenly a bright woman voice calling out to someone. “Yi Eun? Are you there? We’re leaving soon!”
“Oh, I need to go,” the boy said immediately. He was already turning to leave but stopped in his tracks, seeming a bit hesitant. He then turned back to Jackson and held out his paper lantern.
“You take this. You can hang it up somewhere before you leave.”
Too confused to say no, Jackson took the lantern from the boy. “...Thank you.”
The boy smiled at him shyly before turning around and jogging off. “Bye then!”
The curious feeling stayed even after the boy was gone. Jackson lifted the lantern he’d received, taking a better look at it. Like Jackson’s lantern, this one also had a picture of a snake on it, and a written wish. But unlike Jackson’s wish, this one was written in English, with small and neat handwriting.
I want to become better at basketball. - Mark
Against the boy’s suggestion, Jackson didn’t leave the lantern at the temple. He left his own but somehow didn’t feel like parting from the other. So he took it home and hung it up in his room, keeping it lit even after all the festival lanterns around the city were put out. He kept it as a memory of this curious yet familiar boy who’d been amazed by the lanterns, who’d had a shy but friendly smile, and who apparently like basketball very much. He kept it as a reminder of this short encounter that for some reason, to Jackson, felt meaningful.
tagging
kira_shadow!