A Wish

The sky is clear, reluctant to move from the horizon as if wanting to stay longer to maintain the brightness of the beautiful sky. Even though the sun is hiding behind the clouds, it doesn't want to go down on the western horizon.

"Grandma, the Summer Festival starts tonight, can we go have a look, Grandma?" Tan Ruo asked to Grandma.

Grandma who was reading, she lifted her face towards Tan Ruo and smiled "Okay but you will be accompanied by Qing Yang, and don't come home too late, okay?" Grandma agreed.

The summer festival comes once a year. And every year there will be a celebration and all the children really like to come see, spend time playing and what's worrying is that they like to lose track of time when they have fun playing around.

"Yes, Grandma" replied Tan Tuo happily as he called and approached Qing Yang who was studying alone in the corner of the room "Qing Yang let's go" ask Tan Ruo.

"Hmm... let me tidy up the books first" Qing Yang replied as she closed the books and arranged them neatly on the table.

Qing Yang, Tan Ruo and the other children rushed off, when they got to the summer festival "Wow.... Qing Yang is very busy! Look, there are a lot of games, I go there first." Tan Ruo immediately left as soon as he finished saying.

"Hey Ruo...." Qing Yang called out, Tan Ruo turned around.

"Yes" replied Tan Ruo

"Don't take too long, remember Grandma's message" Qing Yang reminded

"Yeah, I remember." Tan Ruo turned around, instantly disappeared into the crowd, and the other kids followed him.

Qing Yang walked alone in the hustle and bustle of the night of the festival, looking up at the rows of hanging lanterns lining the streets with various decorations. She took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" someone said suddenly.

Qing Yang looked for the source of the voice and recognized the person "Huh Mister…. Why is Mister always around everywhere I go these days, and always appears out of the blue". She said ignored the Mister's question and looked back at the lantern.

"It was just a coincidence," replied the Mister with a smile. "Beautiful, isn't it?" The mister repeated the question earlier because it had not been answered.

"Huh..." Qing Yang looked at the Mister in surprise "Oo... yes" she answered doubtfully.

"Soon there will be offerings for the sea and then the lanterns will be released into the air containing everyone's hopes," said the mister, explaining by looking at the lanterns in the air.

"Yes" replied Qing Yang still staring at the lantern with a meaningful look "A wish" she said again.

The mister looked at Qing Yang, her answer seemed to harbour something of deep hope. "Have you ever set your hopes up?" the Mister asked curiously.

"Hmm… Not yet" Qing Yang's gaze was still dreamy.

Without another word the Mister grabbed Qing Yang's wrist, pulling her away.

Suddenly Qing Yang was shocked and without knowing any further, but her body was already following, walking through the crowd, and finally arrived at a shop where there were many lanterns with various decorations hanging in the shop. She looked at the Mister in surprise.

"Come..." The mister invited Qing Yang to come in. "Choose a lantern" said the mister again.

"Hmm for what?" Qing Yang asked in surprise.

"Don't you want to convey A Wish?"

"Hmm..." Qing Yang mumbled incoherently.

Seeing Qing Yang still confused, the Mister chose two lanterns, Qing Yang swiftly blocked the Mister, her body approached the Mister's and leaned forward to his ear, whispering in a barely audible voice "I don't have enough money to buy a lantern, Mister" for a moment Qing Yang's face turned red with embarrassment.

The mister smiled at Qing Yang and said, "Don't worry, I gave one lantern as a token of friendship". Hearing the Mister's answer, she felt reluctant and embarrassed. The two lanterns that had been chosen and packed, the mister paid to the shop owner and took Qing Yang to the seaside where the lanterns of hope were released.

"Here" said the mister while handing a lantern to Qing Yang, she didn't budge, seeing no response, the mister withdrew his hand and passed a lantern into her hand.

"Make your wish, let the sky hear your wish"

"Hmm... will the wish really come true?" Qing Yang asked doubtfully, she wasn't sure that her wish would be granted, her eyes looked expectantly at the Mister standing before her.

"Depending on the wish, how much desire is contained in it, and it can attract the attention and sympathy of the gods in the sky and in the end arouse their hearts, then the wish will be granted" explained the mister. "Come, release it and make hope together".

Together they prepared the lanterns, opening them wide to let the bubbles fill the air. In the middle of the fuel holder which if ignited will make the lanterns air and fly high.

As the lanterns were ready to be lit, both Qing Yang and the Mister, held onto the base of the lantern. The two looked at each other for a moment and smiled. Then the other Mister's who was always near him. Giving the small torch to the Mister, the Mister released one hand that was holding the lantern to take the torch. he raised the lantern he was holding in front of his face so he could see its centre. Slowly he brought the torch closer to the centre, instantly lit up. A thin white smoke drifted, the mister slowly let go of the lantern he was holding. The lantern is in the air.

The mister faced Qing Yang, smiling at her. Qing Yang was flustered, not knowing how to respond. The Mister's gaze from Qing Yang turned to the lantern she was holding. Qing Yang held the lantern up to her face. The master brought his hand holding the torch to the centre of the lantern and lit it. Instantly the lantern also lit up.

The mister waited for Qing Yang to let it go but she just stared at the lantern in her hand. Seeing this the Mister said. "You can let it go." Her eyes seemed to see his face.

Qing Yang slowly opened her fingers, released her lantern. And the lantern was in the air just like the Mister's.

The two lanterns floated in the air, getting higher and higher, following the direction of the wind blowing away the hope of every lantern that was released. The mister and Qing Yang both closed their eyes.

In a moment the Mister had opened his eyes, saw Qing Yang still closed her eyes, he smiles, a moment later she also opened her eyes. And looked at the lantern that she released go fly away.

"What are your hopes?" asked the Mister, breaking the silence of the night.

"W... What" surprised, Qing Yang decided to say her wish while still staring at the lantern "Hmm... May the heavens take care of the emperor's health, so that the emperor can continue to lead this country by maintaining peace without war so that there are no more children who lost their parents to being left behind to fight and never came back. May the sea protect the souls of the people who go out to the sea to catch fish, so that they can return home safely to meet those who are waiting for them to return." Unknowingly, tears flowed down her cheeks. Realizing that she was crying, Qing Yang immediately wiped away her tears and glanced at the Master in embarrassment. "Sorry," she said.

The Mister became awkward, he was eager to help, finally carefully asked the question "Hmm... why did you make that wish?" the Mister asked curiously.

"That's because I live with children whose parents left them behind, some of them go to war, they really miss their parents' love, sometimes they ask me, 'if mom and dad were still here it would be very nice, I can ask them to buy me the toys, ask father to make a kite and play together to fly it into the sky, ask mother to cook delicious fish soup', at their age they can no longer feel parental love, it's very sad".

"Then what is the reason for the second wish"

Qing Yang did not answer the question, she chose to remain silent. In turn she asked. "Hmm... What is your hope Mister?" Qing Yang asked to avoid answering the question earlier.

With a smile the mister knew that the answer must be very painful for Qing Yang that why she has been cried and he didn't want to force her to answer, finally he chose to answer Qing Yang's question "I hope that this country is safe, peacefully, no more wars. May all your wishes be granted by the deity"

Qing Yang was shocked beyond words, surprised by showing her eyebrows knitted together, as if in a battle over who was the tallest between the right and left eyebrows.

"Why, it's weird, isn't it? our hope is the same, my reason is because I also love peace, so there will be no more bloodshed for the sake of power itself. The second is because I feel you have a hope that you have kept for a long time, earlier you said, 'A wish' a wish that seems no longer able to be fulfilled".

Suddenly from a distance, Tan Ruo called out, "Qing Yang, let's go home," said Tan Ruo and the other children.

"Okay," replied Qing Yang, who had already turned to face the children. Then she returned to the Mister and spoke. "Sorry Mister, I have to go home" as she bowed her head to say goodbye, without waiting for an answer from the mister. She turned to walk, past another Mister who had always accompanied the Mister. Approach the children where they are standing waiting. Once again, she turned back and face to the Mister raise her hand and waved, the other children also followed her waving to strangers they had met for the first time. Then leave, go home.