Mount Emily by Low Ying Ping

Author:Low Ying Ping
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789814655941
Publisher: Epigram Books
Published: 2016-09-19T16:00:00+00:00

On Friday afternoon, when Patsy and Maggie got ready to leave school, Elena was still not back from her music elective class. Maggie was anxious to get started, so Patsy left a note for Elena at her desk: “Gone hunting again. See you at Chinatown MRT station at 5pm. Only two more days left to save the world. Wish us luck.”

The two girls spent the afternoon on three different buses, the last one ending in Chinatown. Maggie had wanted to go there, as she had hoped the time magic, being seeped in ancient Chinese astronomy, might manifest itself in the heart of the Chinese enclave of Singapore. For an hour, they walked aimlessly around the open-air stalls selling all sorts of clothing, crafts and other knick-knacks, but finally gave up when it was close to 5pm.

“Where did you tell Elena to meet us?” Maggie asked.

“Chinatown MRT station,” Patsy replied.

“What station?” Maggie asked again, looking puzzled.

The moment Maggie said that, Patsy realised her mistake. “That’s right, the MRT system won’t be running for some months yet. But surely the station has already been built? Maybe we can still meet Elena there.”

“But there’s no Chinatown MRT station at all!”

Patsy stared at Elena, then slapped her forehead. “Stupid me,” she groaned. “Chinatown MRT station will only be built in about 20 years’ time! Elena will think I’m so dumb when she sees my note.”

Maggie frowned, wiping her sweaty, puffy face with the back of her hand. “What will she do? Do you think she’ll still come?”

Patsy looked at her friend with sympathy. Beads of perspiration glistened above her upper lip. The chubby girl was practically wilting in the heat of the late afternoon sun. “I don’t know. Maybe she’ll come and wait at the location of the future Chinatown MRT station. Or maybe she’ll go to the nearest available station, which is…”

“Outram Park,” Maggie wheezed. “It’s not open yet, but the station is already there.”

“Or maybe she won’t come at all,” Patsy suggested, adding hesitantly, “Maybe we should just go back to your place now to rest.”

“No,” Maggie said firmly. “How would Elena feel if she came all the way here and couldn’t find us?”

Patsy looked at her watch. It was almost five. “Okay then. Why don’t you go to Outram while I go to the Chinatown station location? If she doesn’t turn up by 5.15, we’ll meet back here and take a bus back to your place.”

Maggie agreed and the girls went their separate ways. But although they waited longer than the agreed 15 minutes, Elena didn’t show up, so the girls headed home in silence, Maggie dozing in the bus while Patsy daydreamed about life back in 2015.

The moment they entered Maggie’s house, they saw Elena asleep on the living room sofa. Patsy and Maggie exchanged looks of relief.

Maggie gave Elena a nudge. “Wake up, sleepy head.”

Elena yawned and opened her eyes. “What took you so long?” she asked, yawning again.

“We were waiting for you in Chinatown,” Patsy explained.

“Chinatown MRT station, huh?” Elena said.

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