THIRD WRITING PRIZE WINNER –
WINTER 2022 – 2023
is Mandy Lam
of St. Thomas, Ontario – CANADA
WHAT DOESN’T FIT IN RED POCKETS?
What’s the best about Chinese New Year?
The family dinners and the red pockets I collect!
With the red pocket money, I might finally be able to buy myself a bike this year.
Visiting my favourite cousin, Joey is also something else I love to do.
Joey and Auntie Ping live on the other side of town.
As Ma drives, I look out the window of our car.
The streets always get busier on our way to their house.
I am not sure where all the busy people are going because most of the stores are closed.
Some stores even have broken windows.
Some people are not as busy. They are sitting on the sidewalk with a blanket and a jar of coins in front of them.
Joey and I are always excited to see each other.
As soon as we get there, Joey invites me to play outside.
Off we go!
Joey passes me an old meter stick. He has one too, with tape wrapped around it.
He drops a ping-pong ball on the ground and hits it with his stick.
I love playing street hockey with my favourite cousin, but my hockey stick is a lot nicer than a meter stick.
I must remember to bring mine next time.
“Lunch time!” yells Auntie Ping as she opens the door.
Joey and I drop our meter sticks and run.
“Last one there is a salty duck egg!” I scream.
Joey runs ahead of me, but he trips and scrapes his knee.
I help my cousin hop on one leg as we follow Auntie Ping into the bathroom.
She opens a drawer full of half-cotton swabs.
The cotton swabs we have at home have cotton on both ends.
I think Auntie Ping cuts theirs into two so they would have more.
She uses one to clean Joey’s knee.
Joey feels better when Auntie Ping serves lunch. Her homemade dumplings!
We each have a napkin beside our plate and chopsticks.
They are napkins collected from one of my favourite fast-food restaurants. Cool!
Auntie Ping washes some apples for us.
She has a big bowl in the sink to catch the running water as she washes the fruit.
After we eat, Joey waters their plants with the bowl of water she has been saving all day.
That’s when I notice the holes in the sleeves of his shirt.
Ma lets us watch TV before we leave.
Joey offers to let me sit on the side of the couch that has no holes.
He turns to me and asks, “Do you want to choose a show?”
But they don’t have any of the shows I like.
When it’s time to say goodbye, I hug Joey and Auntie Ping.
“We’ll visit again soon!” says Ma.
I sit in the back of the car and watch the busy streets slowly disappear.
I ask Ma, “Can Joey come over to watch TV with me next time? We have more shows.”
“Uh huh, of course!”
I can see Ma smiling and nodding in the mirror.
Then I ask, “How come Joey doesn’t have nice clothes and a nice hockey stick like I do?”
All I can hear is the wind moving past our car.
Finally, Ma says, “That’s because we are very fortunate. Sometimes, for some people, it is more difficult to make a living.”
I couldn’t stop thinking about what Ma had said.
Back at home, I take out all my Chinese New Year red pockets and write Joey’s name on each envelop.
On our next visit, I make sure to bring all the red pockets and not a single one less.
I imagine Joey grinning ear to ear when he gets this special gift.
On our next visit, I hand him all my red pockets.
But he isn’t smiling.
Joey looks down at the holes on his sleeves.
Then Joey goes outside by himself without inviting me.
I wonder why Joey seems upset.
Is it because he thinks that I am making fun of the holes in his clothes?
Or is it because my red pocket money can’t help Joey at all?
Maybe he thinks that I will give him all my red pockets every year from now on. And he doesn’t want that.
From inside the house, I see Joey trying to fix the meter sticks he plays hockey with.
I have an idea. Perhaps I can help Joey in other ways.
“Joey, come with me!”
I find some strong tape and show him the way coach teaches me to wrap my hockey sticks at my hockey camp.
Joey is so happy when he hits the ball and scores on me.
That’s the smile I have been looking for.
I help Joey with his homework.
I show him that adding numbers can be easy.
Then, we read a book together and Joey learns some new words.
Instead of watching TV, I help Joey and Auntie Ping make rice noodle rolls.
Auntie Ping puts them into small boxes and sells them to the neighbours.
She gives me one box to take home as we say goodbye.
At the door, Joey gives me a big hug.
“Thank you for being here today,” he says.
That’s when I realize there are many things you give that don’t fit in red pockets.
In the back seat of the car, I say to Ma, “You know what doesn’t fit in red pockets?”
Ma laughs and asks, “Oh, what is it?”
I look at the box of rice noodle rolls on my lap.
“Love!”
~The End~
About the author:
I am an educator with a Master of Education. In 2013, I completed a course in creative writing for publishing and became passionate about creating literary content that allows STEM and creativity to intertwine. I have written and self-published a children’s book named “Seven Ate Nine” on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing in 2020. In addition, I have published articles in the City Parent magazine, Ontario Association for Mathematics Education, and Ontario Journal of Environmental Education.
More recently, I have been creating stories that share my childhood experiences as a Chinese immigrant with the theme of empathy and kindness. Like many immigrants, I grew up with a frugal lifestyle. I was taught the values of working hard, being grateful for what I have, and helping others. I am also passionate about diversity in books, and I hope that there are more stories from the Chinese community. When I am not writing or teaching, I am spending time with my two daughters, who are my greatest inspiration.
