Hidden Monastery

by Gabrielle Wang

  Going Home

  On the footpath by the paperbark tree in Trumper Street, Mai squinted into the sun. She stared at the two figures approaching – a dark-haired boy and a fair-haired girl.

  Could it be… ? she thought. No, Jax doesn’t walk like that… so straight and tall and confident.

  Mai balanced on one leg, bent down to pick up her stone, then paused again. There was something about the boy that was familiar. Standing up, she watched as the two figures drew closer. Then a feeling of excitement grew inside her, and she ran towards Jax, calling, ‘Mama, baba, gege hui lai le! Gege hui lai le! Older brother is back! Older brother is back!’

  When Mai reached Jax, he lifted her off her feet and they hugged, their faces covered in smiles. ‘It’s so good to see you, Mai,’ he said.

  Then he heard Ma and Ba as they came out of the house.

  Ma hugged him tightly and stroked his hair. ‘Mingzi, you’ve grown so,’ she said.

  Then Ba put his arm around Jax and drew him close. ‘Hao haizi, good boy.’ He looked into Jax’s face, then he took his hand and turned it over. For a moment he stared at the creature mark that lay peacefully in Jax’s palm. ‘I am so proud of you, my son,’ he smiled.

  Jax suddenly remembered Yu Yu, waiting patiently to the side. He took a step back, opening up a space in the circle for her to come in.

  ‘Ma, Ba, Mai… this is Yu Yu,’ he said.

  Ma stroked Yu Yu’s golden hair. ‘So pretty,’ she said in English.

  ‘Ma, ta zhi neng shuo Zhongwen. She only speaks Chinese,’ Jax said, laughing at the surprise on their faces.

  Ma patted Yu Yu on the arm. ‘So, you are going to stay with us?’ she said.

  Yu Yu looked startled, then nodded happily.

  ‘You’ll have to dye your hair black then,’ Ma said.

  Yu Yu was shocked.

  ‘Just joking.’ Ma’s face lit up in a big smile.

  And everyone laughed.

  ‘Haole,’ said Ba. ‘Mai, take Yu Yu inside to your room. It will be her bedroom now as well.’

  Mai put her small hand into Yu Yu’s. ‘I’ve always wanted a big sister,’ she said, shyly looking up at her.

  ‘And I a little sister,’ Yu Yu replied.

  As Mai led Yu Yu through the front door, Jax smiled. The Abbot must have arranged it all, he thought. And now Yu Yu is part of our family and will always be with us. He couldn’t think of anything he wanted more. They were a family again.

  Then Jax remembered something. Something important. He reached inside his T-shirt and took off the gold necklace. ‘This is yours, Ma,’ he said, handing it to her. ‘I took it without asking you, I’m sorry.’

  Ma gently touched his hand. ‘No, Mingzi. It really belongs to you.’

  ‘To me… but how?’

  ‘When you were a baby, a monk and his little dog came to visit us.

  ‘The Abbot and little Ruby,’ Jax said softly.

  ‘He asked to look at your palm and when he saw it, he left this necklace. He told us that we had to keep it safe, no matter what. And when the time was right, to pass it on to you. Then he went away and we never saw him again. So you see, Mingzi, it has always belonged to you.’

  ‘Jax! Jax!’ Mai’s excited voice suddenly burst through the front door. ‘We’ve got a s’prise for you. Close your eyes and no cheating.’ She rushed inside the house. A few minutes later she returned, holding a soft golden bundle.

  ‘You can open them now,’ she said. Mai held up a little puppy. ‘It’s a cockle’ spaniel, Jax. Baba brought her home today. Isn’t she cute?’

  Gentle brown eyes looked into his, and for a moment, they reminded Jax of Ruby, dear Ruby. He stroked the puppy’s golden head. It was silky soft.

  ‘The Abbot said that every Peng Master must have a dog,’ said Ba, smiling.

  Jax took the puppy from Mai. ‘She’s beautiful, Ba, thank you.’ Then he laid his cheek gently against the puppy’s head. ‘Sapphire, I’ll call you Sapphire.’

  ‘Come, Mingzi, you must be tired,’ said Ba, putting his arm around Jax.

  ‘Lai ba,’ Ma called from inside the house. ‘Dinner is ready.’

  About the Author

  Gabrielle Wang was born in Melbourne and is fourth-generation Chinese Australian. Her great-grandfather came to Victoria during the Gold Rush in the 1850’s. Gabrielle went to art school, then worked as a graphic designer and illustrator before moving to Taiwan and China where she lived for seven years studying Chinese language and painting.

  Her first novel, The Garden of Empress Cassia won the Best Children’s Long Fiction in the 2002 Aurealis Awards and was shortlisted for the 2003 Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards. It is also published in the UK and has been translated into Spanish. Gabrielle’s second novel, The Pearl of Tiger Bay, published in 2004, was shortlisted for the 2005 Aurealis Awards.

  Gabrielle lives in Melbourne with her partner, Steve, and their two children, Lei Lei and Ren.

  More information on Gabrielle Wang can be found on her website: www.gabriellewang.com