Pingxi Mini Trip Essay / That Red Swallowed by Deep Blue

Text & Photos / Throat Lozenges

To be honest, I’ve long forgotten what the weather was like that day, but I remember the train was packed with people, and we were squeezed in so close.

“Are you okay? Isn’t it crowded?” Such concern felt almost pointless, because the train had pretty much reached the point of immobility.

“Yeah… I’m fine…” I replied, only to be jostled again by an elderly man behind us, bringing us even closer.

We endured the awkwardness and chatted idly. Our hearts, like the train, swayed all the way to Pingxi.

Unavoidably, we had some local snacks, bought a sky lantern — entirely red with black characters written on it, which looked quite nice.

“You write on this side, I’ll write on that side. No peeking before we’re done!” You hid on the other side of the lantern from me, crouching down and furiously writing your wish with a brush.

Writing on a sky lantern together was a bit cramped, but it also meant we could take our time.

After finishing the sections each of us was responsible for, we swapped to take a look.

Huge wishes like “Win the lottery jackpot!” and “Lose weight successfully,” along with your various other hopes, lay crookedly across the lantern like caterpillars.

In one corner, I spotted the nickname you called me, written small, along with a few words.

“Hey kiddo, come here — Auntie will take a photo for you!” The auntie helping with the lantern release taught us how to let it go while also taking photos — she was quite professional.

“Only by releasing it like this will the lantern fly high and your wish come true~” Following her method, the lantern indeed surged eagerly toward the night sky. The wishes on the paper grew smaller and smaller until they disappeared.

On the return train, there were fewer people. We exchanged some casual pleasantries.

“Take good care of yourself,” I said. “You make sure to eat properly too,” you replied.

Then, like the sky lanterns, we each flew into the sky, burning up our own passions until we drifted apart.

 

When you recall each little trip to Pingxi, do they leave different ripples in your heart? Do you still remember the wishes written on those lanterns?
Turn your thoughts into words. Write your own story.

Pingxi Mini Trip Essay Contest