APRIL 23RD, 2022
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It's 5:30 a.m. Zhang Chi wakes up with mixed emotions. Uneasy and eager at the same time, her heart is pounding. This is the moment. It is the D-day she has been planning for months. Doubts cross her mind, but she quickly pushes that feeling away. Yes, she is determined. She will do it and she will do it today.
She rubs her eyes, trying to shake off the sleepiness. After being fully conscious, she slowly gets up and takes the crutches beside her bed. Not wanting to wake her mother, who is fast asleep next to her, she moves very carefully and tries her best to minimize the creaking sound as her crutches hit the wooden floor of her house.
Zhang Chi is ready to go wearing a white floral chiffon dress and her favorite converse shoes. She puts her long black hair in a ponytail to make it feel more refreshing. Before heading out, she peeks into her bedroom to confirm her mother is still fast asleep.
As she steps outside, shades of green are visible as far as the eyes can see. Fluffy clouds drift across the dark emerald sky, and the dwindling moon sits behind them. The sun hasn't shown its face yet, and layers of mist fabricate a gloomy blanket on the horizon.
This secluded wetland in China is densely covered with marsh, consisting of many small shallow lakes, vast meadows and grassland. In front of Zhang Chi's cabin lies a stretch of tall reeds loomed out of its murky water. Soil, mud, and moss submerged in the water blend in together and create a shade of dark pine green. Here and there, several water lilies float calmly on the water surface. Their rounded, variously notched, waxy-coated leaves are firmly attached to the stalks which arise from thick, fleshy, creeping underwater stems buried in the mud. Each cup-like flower has a spiral arrangement of its numerous petals. Their pink color gives a pleasant bright intermezzo to this somber morning. The fragrance of the flowers, combined with the faint scent of moss, is giving off a slightly odd smell in the air.
Cold air creeps through Zhang Chi's light dress and sends goosebumps on the girl's skin. This loner of a girl takes a look around. Before long, she finds it, landing in front of her: a black-crested male crane with white and gray feathers. His huge, rigid body, equipped with a tall neck and long legs, is sturdily standing atop the low water. The golden bill makes the bird look even more gallant.
Zhang Chi calls her favorite bird "Mo", short for "Mo Chou", a Chinese name meaning "free from sadness". She gave the bird that name because all her sorrow disappears whenever she is near Mo.
Mo is no ordinary bird; he is Zhang Chi's loyal friend who always accompanies her. Zhang Chi is a quiet girl who doesn't have many friends and often feels lonely, but after meeting Mo, her world becomes more cheerful. Due to her condition, Zhang Chi also does not have the freedom to move. But again, thanks to Mo, this girl can explore various places even with her physical limitations. It is also Mo who takes Zhang Chi to school every day, which is tens of kilometers away.
The teenage girl staggers toward Mo, and her best friend greets her with his signature crane dance. She puts away her crutches and holds on to Mo. Then, with his enormous, round wings, Mo grabs Zhang Chi and sits her on his strong body.
After sitting firmly on her best friend's body, Zhang Chi closes her eyes and lowers her head. Doubt wells up in her mind again. Is this the right thing to do? Is this worth trying? What if she fails? But…what if she succeeds?
Zhang Chi continues to ponder. There is a moment of silence there. But then, the stillness is broken as the chirping crickets and the ribbit sound of frogs are heard back and forth, along with rippling water.
There is no turning back, Zhang Chi thinks. She must do it. After making up her mind, the optimistic girl pats his best friend's neck as a sign that he could take off. Accompanied by her loyal friend and armed with pieces of information she gathered from her mother's secret diary; Zhang Chi flies high on a journey to find her long-lost father. Zhang Chi doesn't know what she will encounter on this adventure, but she remains calm, knowing she is with Mo, her companion who will always keep her safe.
