The Two Boys Who Got Lost

I walked to the town beach in my neighborhood, as usual, this cloudy morning. Few people were walking around on the beach. The weather forecast predicts a winter storm warning, which will affect Rhode Island in the coming two days. Speaking of the weather, I remember an impressive scene happening on this beach.

A few years ago, in the middle of October, my siblings and their family members visited my husband and me at our new home in the United States. 11 people, including me, were staying in our house. All the rooms and the basement were occupied. I took them on a tour to see our new living place. They liked it here, a suburban area, with no tall apartments, calm ... and the beautiful town beach. It’s very different from our hometown, Hong Kong.

About time, the US is 12 hours behind HK time. They are living opposite day and night. Jet lag is a physiological reaction that can happen to everyone. On the second day of their trip, my younger brother’s nearly three-year-old son, Nick, woke up very early in the morning, just like the first day. He talked loudly to his parents and ran around in our house. The noise disturbed everyone in the early morning. So, my brother walked Nick outside for the reason of less noise at home.

This was about 4:30 am. They walked along a few avenues and roads. They felt cold because they didn’t bring jackets to go outdoors. After some minutes, they arrived at the town beach. Then, they took a rest there. It was windy and foggy. Very soon, the landscape was getting hard to see. Visibility was just about ten feet. That weather didn’t allow them to explore the path back home. They felt colder than before. They were afraid and started to panic. They were lost in a murky and cold place. My brother wanted to make a phone call to his wife.

OH NO!! He forgot to bring his cell phone. They couldn't communicate with others and continued to be stuck for a long time. They hugged each other to keep warm. And the father placated his son. They even felt they would die on the beach. At this unfortunate moment, they saw a kindly and pretty fairy with a halo on her head. She slightly walked close to the two pitiful guys. Her face felt familiar, but still not clear. Soon after,

“Lovely wife” and “mama” were spoken by the two guys. My sister-in-law found them on the gray beach. She knew her family well - where the lost persons might go ... or she got a calling? Her explanation was that she had a premonition that the two boys were getting lost. It was because her husband’s cell phone was left on the pillow, and they hadn’t shown up for more than one hour.

Finally, no one got hurt and everyone was safe at home. All the family and I woke up and heard this story. We all were so sorry for the unpleasant experience! After undergoing that, I could see Nick’s family forming a stronger relationship. Years later, when I asked Nick about his story of getting lost on the beach, he replied, “... at an extremely chilly and scary moment, my mama saved papa and I!” The story was deeply photographed in her head.

I believe in destiny. It helps people to connect with their love. Like the picture of the moment, two boys were discovered by a fairy who was surrounded by a luminous aura.

~

by Ann, 2024 02 12
Hong Kong

Rabbit Rabbit

An example of a superstition is if you say the phrase “Rabbit Rabbit” as your first two words to people on the first day of the month. Then it will bring you good luck for the rest of the month. I heard this from a weekly chat group in the US.

It is a conversation group I joined a few years ago. We can talk about anything or share our daily life experiences. We are from different countries, and working to improve our English skills through talking. One day in the meeting, a Japanese girlfriend told us about this superstition, “Rabbit Rabbit”. When I heard about this, I immediately had to ask if it was true. That was a magical and interesting thing and we wanted to know more, but no one knew. So, we talked for a while and then changed to other topics.

After the meeting, I researched this “Rabbit Rabbit '' rumor on the internet and finally found more information. The phrase comes from an old English tradition. Even Mr. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President of the US, also said that phrase every month for good luck. I couldn’t fact-check it. But I would love to believe it works.

Since then, I have tried to say “Rabbit Rabbit” to someone every month. The feeling was so exciting and fresh. Maybe it’s because I am assuming I’m going to be lucky, so I feel comfortable – like something is protecting me.

Even now, saying these two words is an important task for me. I mark it on my calendar. On each last day of the month, I write a couple of Post-it notes on my desk to remind me to say them. Sometimes, I feel like I am a magician who knows how to say magic words. Feeling cool!

~

Shuk - Hong Kong

WHAT!

I like to eat chicken wings. Honey is my favorite. One day, I went to a grocery store's hot food kiosk to buy some. I saw a few cooking styles of chicken wings on the food warmers, but they didn’t show the names. So, I used my finger to point to one of them and asked the staff serving at the counter, “Hello, may I know what the taste of the wings is?”

Immediately, I got a frown and a loud, “WHAT?”

I felt surprised and embarrassed! Then I quickly asked another way. “I mean, is it a sweet taste?” Her attitude turned out to be nice and she replied that it was a little spicy. Chili is not my favorite, so I bought something else I liked.

I just wanted to know what it tasted like. I guess she might have misunderstood that I wanted to taste it before I bought it. Or, I said it in the wrong way. This was an unenjoyable experience, but it reminded me when talking to people I must use the simplest way to say something, which helps to reduce confusion or misunderstanding.

~

- Shuk, Hong Kong