Read Online Sunny Days and Moon Cakes by Sarah Webb - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Webb
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and Papa’s wedding day. Papa’s in a smart black suit and Mama’s wearing a red silk dress with a gold dragon twisting down the front. Her hair’s tied up in a bun and there’s a red flower tucked behind her ear. She looks beautiful.
The final photograph that I have is of my whole Chinese family: Mama, Papa, me and Min. It was taken just after Min was born and she is all wrapped up like a caterpillar in a white blanket. Mama is holding her tight against her chest. Papa is next to Mama, his bald head shining in the light, just like his eyes. I am standing in front of them both, looking a bit serious, and Papa has his hand on my shoulder.
Mum and Dad don’t know I have these photos and I’ve never shown them to Min. They’re the only thing I still have from my old life and I want to keep them a secret, just for me – my own special link to China. Usually they live in a shoebox at the bottom of my wardrobe with my other special things, but I put them in the back of my sketchbook before we left the house this afternoon because I wanted to bring them with me.
I check that Mum is fast asleep and then I slide out the wedding photo and study it. Mama smiles at me with dark laughing eyes. Papa’s smiling too. He’s holding Mama’s hand, his chin tilted up proudly. I hold the photo in my hand, drinking them in, before slipping it away again.
Finally I drift off to sleep, Mama’s bird nursery rhyme running through my head and my sketchbook still firmly clutched in my hands.
Chapter 12
China! We’re finally in China. I feel a rush of excitement as I wait to step off the plane. Mum is standing beside me. Dad and Min are in front of us. Min asked the air steward if she could be the first person off the plane, because she’d been born in China and this was the first time she’d been back. I was mortified and Mum seemed a bit embarrassed too, but Dad thought it was hilarious. The air steward said he’d make sure of it. He asked me if I wanted to join Min, but I shook my head and stared down at the floor.
“She never talks,” Min said. “It’s really boring.”
Mum told the man that we’d follow on behind. When he’d gone, she gave out to Min for being mean to me, but my darling little sister went all huffy. “I was just telling the truth,” she said.
She was, but it still hurt.
There’s a crowd of people behind us now, all anxiously waiting for the doors of the plane to open so they can disembark. I can feel their impatience bubbling and snapping at our heels. It’s making me nervous.
Mum leans towards me. “Special day for you, pet. For all of us. First Sullivan family visit to China – the country that gave us our two beautiful daughters.”
I nod.
She presses her lips together, the way she always does when she’s trying not to cry. The last time she was in China was when she collected me and Min from the orphanage. I guess being back here reminds her of all that. I take her hand and squeeze it to say,
I know, Mum
.
“Thanks, Sunny,” she says. “You’re my best girl – you know that, don’t you? I love you so much.” Tears spring to her eyes.
I give her a
Mum, come on!
look and she smiles again and wipes her tears away with her fingertips.
“Sorry. Just your old mum getting emotional. Ignore me, sweetheart.”
The plane’s door is wide open now and the air steward waves Min goodbye and wishes her a good trip.
“Ready, Sunny?” Mum asks me.
I nod. My heart is racing, so I take a few deep breaths. As I walk out onto the plane’s steps, a wave of hot air hits me. It smells different to Irish air – metallic, sharp and strangely familiar. I squeeze Mum’s hand again.
“Warm, isn’t it?” she says. “Not like rainy old Cork, eh?”
Then we make our way down the steps and onto Chinese soil.
We walk up towards the airport building. Min and Dad are about ten strides ahead, Min dragging Dad along by the arm. She’s so impatient. I wish she’d wait for us. I always thought
The final photograph that I have is of my whole Chinese family: Mama, Papa, me and Min. It was taken just after Min was born and she is all wrapped up like a caterpillar in a white blanket. Mama is holding her tight against her chest. Papa is next to Mama, his bald head shining in the light, just like his eyes. I am standing in front of them both, looking a bit serious, and Papa has his hand on my shoulder.
Mum and Dad don’t know I have these photos and I’ve never shown them to Min. They’re the only thing I still have from my old life and I want to keep them a secret, just for me – my own special link to China. Usually they live in a shoebox at the bottom of my wardrobe with my other special things, but I put them in the back of my sketchbook before we left the house this afternoon because I wanted to bring them with me.
I check that Mum is fast asleep and then I slide out the wedding photo and study it. Mama smiles at me with dark laughing eyes. Papa’s smiling too. He’s holding Mama’s hand, his chin tilted up proudly. I hold the photo in my hand, drinking them in, before slipping it away again.
Finally I drift off to sleep, Mama’s bird nursery rhyme running through my head and my sketchbook still firmly clutched in my hands.
Chapter 12
China! We’re finally in China. I feel a rush of excitement as I wait to step off the plane. Mum is standing beside me. Dad and Min are in front of us. Min asked the air steward if she could be the first person off the plane, because she’d been born in China and this was the first time she’d been back. I was mortified and Mum seemed a bit embarrassed too, but Dad thought it was hilarious. The air steward said he’d make sure of it. He asked me if I wanted to join Min, but I shook my head and stared down at the floor.
“She never talks,” Min said. “It’s really boring.”
Mum told the man that we’d follow on behind. When he’d gone, she gave out to Min for being mean to me, but my darling little sister went all huffy. “I was just telling the truth,” she said.
She was, but it still hurt.
There’s a crowd of people behind us now, all anxiously waiting for the doors of the plane to open so they can disembark. I can feel their impatience bubbling and snapping at our heels. It’s making me nervous.
Mum leans towards me. “Special day for you, pet. For all of us. First Sullivan family visit to China – the country that gave us our two beautiful daughters.”
I nod.
She presses her lips together, the way she always does when she’s trying not to cry. The last time she was in China was when she collected me and Min from the orphanage. I guess being back here reminds her of all that. I take her hand and squeeze it to say,
I know, Mum
.
“Thanks, Sunny,” she says. “You’re my best girl – you know that, don’t you? I love you so much.” Tears spring to her eyes.
I give her a
Mum, come on!
look and she smiles again and wipes her tears away with her fingertips.
“Sorry. Just your old mum getting emotional. Ignore me, sweetheart.”
The plane’s door is wide open now and the air steward waves Min goodbye and wishes her a good trip.
“Ready, Sunny?” Mum asks me.
I nod. My heart is racing, so I take a few deep breaths. As I walk out onto the plane’s steps, a wave of hot air hits me. It smells different to Irish air – metallic, sharp and strangely familiar. I squeeze Mum’s hand again.
“Warm, isn’t it?” she says. “Not like rainy old Cork, eh?”
Then we make our way down the steps and onto Chinese soil.
We walk up towards the airport building. Min and Dad are about ten strides ahead, Min dragging Dad along by the arm. She’s so impatient. I wish she’d wait for us. I always thought
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