Memories, translated…
“Where was your favorite place as a child?”
He couldn’t help but feel surprised when he was asked this question by someone.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t get that, what’s that again?”
“Where was your favorite place in the world to be when you were a child?”
He objected, “Why such a weird question?”
“I didn’t intend it to be weird.” The woman on the phone explained, “As you’d signed up for an website account with us, you’d chosen three question as the secret question and supplied the answers yourself, that way, we can confirm that it’s you in the future. You chose the questions and the answers yourself, we didn’t do that for you.”
So this, was what happened. He’d signed on this investment website just a year ago, how come he has no recollection of it? What, was his favorite place to be when he was a kid? It’s a great question. And his answer? Should be something quite ordinary. He would’ve never picked a weird answer, to create problems for himself. The most logical answer is……
“the beaches, the favorite place I loved visiting in childhood was the beaches.”
“No!”, the woman said, “you have two more chances!”
A voice that gloated, she must play this gave often, and never got tired of it. He loved gazing out at the oceans, what’s wrong with that? Oh yeah, when he’d answered the question, he must’ve considered how precise it needed to be. The beaches can be located anywhere, not specific enough. So, it must be the name of a city then.”
“Keelung. My favorite place to visit as a child was Keelung.”
The memories slowly became clearer now. His elementary school was next to the mountains, whenever he has the time, he’d run to the harbors, to watch the oceans. Later, as he’d left this harbor with so much rain, he’d still missed the days he stared at the oceans.
“Nope. You have one final chance!”
Not Keelung either? Yes, of course it wouldn’t be, he’s the stupid one, he lives in Keelung now, so, it could no longer be Keelung. Perhaps, a bit more specific then? Maybe a certain place in Keelung?
“the harbor, my favorite place of childhood was the Keelung Harbor.”
From the school, walked next to the shores, he’d arrived at the hotel on the waterfront. He’d recalled it to be extravagant, with the navymen standing guard at the bridge.
“I’m sorry,” the woman on the phone said, “since you couldn’t provide proof that you are a member with the site, we can’t provide any services to you. Goodbye.”
“Wait.”, he’d urged her to stay on, “I’m sure I’ll recall it if I think harder. The fish markets. My favorite place of childhood was the fish markets in Keelung.”
Yes, that must be it. From his house, walked straight onto Chungchen Road, the fish market was only a few steps away. Two nights ago, for some unknown reasons, he’d dreamed of it, the basket full of live fish, he’d dreamed of the seawolf, Larson, that he’d become older than Larson.
But, it’s too late, she’d hung up already. He can’t believe it, that he actually got to talk to a live person, calling up this investment website, it’s really hard to come by. But unfortunately, he couldn’t guess his own answer, he couldn’t recall what he was thinking a year ago, why must he set up such a weird question.
Recalling it, he was shocked, to discover. If he’d had difficulties, communicating with himself a year ago, how can he expect to communicate with others outside of himself.
So, the operator merely reminded this man of his own shortcomings, the call also roused up his long and forgotten childhood days too, and, sometimes, unexpected things like that happen in life.
Mirroring the World 