An Ocean Apart I Chinese!fem!reader

Sunday, November 12th, 1990.

                                                          中人女水

I am very tired tonight, but this has been my best Canadian birthday. I finish it with time to write in you - my beautiful new diary. I have never had a diary before. I didn't know what a diary was until Mr. Hughes explained it to me. I was very scared when he asked me to stay behind at the end of school on Friday. I thought I was in trouble and he was angry at me. I also thought he would shout at me and make his mustache go all bristly-like it does when he yells at Ivor Jones for pulling my hair. Bess had to push me to go up to his desk. She was going to stay but Mr. Hughes waved her out of the classroom. It was all right because I knew she would wait for me. Bess makes me braver. Mr. Hughes had a package in his hands which he gave to me. At first, I did not understand until he said it was a birthday present. This made my face get very red, especially when he said that I was the hardest working student he had ever had, that he couldn't believe how my English has improved so much in 3 years. He doesn't understand and in fact, no one does, except maybe Bess. I have to work hard. I am lucky to even come to school, I must learn all I can as fast as I can, so I can work and help my father earn the money we need to bring Y/M & Y/L/B to Canada. I wanted to bring the present home and open it on my birthday, but Mr. H (I'll just type Mr. H instead of Mr. Hughes bc it's easier for me to type.) made me open the package then, and there you were, Diary, so beautiful with your bright red cover and my photo from picture day smack in the middle. Mr. H said that I was to use you to practice writing in. I thought that meant handwriting drills or that maybe you were lovely to look at but dull to use. But no, Mr. H says I am to write in you my thoughts and feelings as well as what happens to me. This is a very strange thing to do, I think. Who would be interested in what I, Y/N Y/L/N thinks or what I do? When I told Bess all this on our walk home, she thought so too, but she also said that I was very lucky because Mr. H hadn't given her a present on her birthday. Declan liked my diary too! :) Oh, this is so hard. I don't think I have done what Mr. H wanted, Diary. I have only written about you, but I haven't written anything about what I did today and it was such a good day. I will do better tomorrow, I promise. I must stop now though because my hand is getting very crampy.

Signing off, Y/N.