Children of the Sun
Coco Chen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQBJwG9Z9pE
About the Author……3~4 Prologue…………….5~7 Chapter 1...................8~23 Chapter 2…………..24~30 Chapter 3……….......31~34 Chapter 4…………....35~44 Chapter 5…………….45~48 Chapter 6……………49~52 Chapter 7………….....53~59 References……………60~61 Words Check= [3,674] Words in Oxford 3000TM = [93%] 2
About the Author
Coco Chen is a fourth year student from English Department of the Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages. Traveling, reading, and watching films are the top three activities she does in her leisure time. She was in Germany one year ago. While living there, she watched many films, such as thriller, comedy, science fiction and so on. After coming back to Taiwan, she was required to write her own novel. Although it’s her first time 3
to do it, she still enjoyed creating her own stories. She hoped children can find the story interesting.
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Prologue
In a small village, a boy named Jordan Thompson from the single-parent family lived with his mom and the other two younger brother and sister in a cramped, shabby, rented apartment. He was just a normal 10-year-old boy who, just like other children, was crazy for monster cards, toy guns, and video games. Unfortunately, he could not play now any longer. After his father died in a car accident, his mom had to bring up the kids 5
on her own. Therefore, Jordan, at the present time, had more important things to do. Delivering newspapers in the morning and collecting empty milk bottles back in the evening were his daily routines. His life was monotone until he met a girl, Sarah Watson, who was born with a silver spoon in mouth. Sarah, unlike other children from rich family, was outgoing, friendly, and supportive. They got along really well and soon became best friends.
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Life is unpredictable. We never know what would happen next. One day, Jordan found out the murderer of his father’s death. He stopped talking to people and even started ignoring Sarah. Sarah was upset and skeptical about the sudden change of Jordan. She decided to figure it out‌
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Chapter 1
Beep beep beep… “Time for work, Jordan!” The boy looked into the mirror and murmured. He flushed
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some freezing water on his face to make his sleepiness disappear. It was February. You would get a red nose as you stayed outdoors for only a short time. Not far away, there was a boy riding a bike with only one hand holding the handle since he had to throw newspapers with his right hand. “So this is for the Simpsons�, the boy throw it proficiently that the newspaper stuck just right under the door. 9
The door opened and the man inside shouted, “Thank you little boy!” “No problem Sir! Have a nice day”, then the boy quickly rode toward the next family. “It’s colder than yesterday!” Jordan pulled up his hoodie to keep himself warm. He speeded up on the way back home. “How’s work today?” His mom yelled from the kitchen. “Not bad. I’ve got to leave for school, mom.” He grabbed the toast and a bottle 10
of milk into his backpack and rushed to where his bike was left. The school bell just rang as Jordan arrived. He breathed a sigh of relief. He did not want to be late again so that teacher could save her time for questioning him for reasons. He rushed into the room with proud smile on his face, and then he started doing his daily routine at school: sleeping. After five minutes, there came the noise which sounds like high-heels. 11
“It’s Mrs. Wilson”, shouted the boy, who always stood at the door waiting for teachers. The class called him “Bryan the guard dog”. “Good morning.” greeted Mrs. Wilson as usual but with a smile that students have never seen before. When she was about to start the lesson, a sudden snore came from somewhere. She wore on her glasses and tried to find where the noise came from. “It’s Jordan again”, spoke the girl 12
impatiently on the last roll of the class. Mrs. Wilson frowned and slammed the blackboard with her stick which she had used to spank students. Believe it or not, the stick had been using for 10 years, but it still looked brand-new. This was how the students called it: magic wand. The heavy footsteps went toward to Jordan, but he still remained sleeping. It seemed like nothing could wake him up at this moment.
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“Wake up young man! A boy like you should be energetic! Not lying here as a corpse.” Mrs. Wilson scolded sternly to him. She had done this so many times that she even felt bored of doing this. Therefore, she recently began to use different sounds to wake him up which delighted her. “Quack, quack, quack…” The noise finally woke Jordan up. However, he didn’t feel embarrassed that he was caught sleeping in class. He looked at Mrs. Wilson with his tiring eyes. 14
Mrs. Wilson smiled with satisfaction. She felt that she had won the battle. Then she said to the class, “There will be a new student joining us today and I hope you could make friends soon.� The girl is Sarah Watson. Mrs. Wilson went out the room and brought a girl with her into the class. Everyone in the room was in awe of the girl Mrs. Wilson brought in. The girl looked elegant and clever. She had red hair and a ribbon was tied in her hair. 15
When she grinned, dimples on her cheek came out. “Sarah, there’s still a vacant seat next to Jordan,” Mrs. Wilson told her quietly and led her to the seat.
“Hello Jordan! I’ll be the one sitting next to you.” Sarah intended to shake hands with him. “Me too!” Jordan answered back reluctantly and continued to sleep.
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“What an arrogant person!” Sarah murmured. “I will never make friends with him! EVER!” The whole day, both of them did not talk to each other. But Sarah was still interested in Jordan even though she told herself not to. During the class, she was peeking him all the time. “His eyes go with his shirt so well! What a perfect combination!” She giggled.
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After school, Jordan collected all the milk bottles and went straight back home.
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The door was opened. An unfamiliar smell came out from the kitchen. “What did I just see? A chicken?!” Jordan yelled surprisingly. He couldn’t believe his eyes. It has been half a year for not having a bit of meat. “It’s your birthday, my sweetheart!” The house was filled with the smell of roast chicken and its delicious gravy. “Let’s have dinner now! We are hungry!” The other two kids shouted gleefully.
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The Mother took out a carton with a red ribbon from the fridge. “A birthday cake for me?” “Did you win the lottery mom?” Jordan showed the puzzled face. “Stop teasing your mother!” Mrs. Thompson said with a big smile on her face. “Make a wish and blow out the candles!” “I wish Dad could rest in peace up there.” said Jordan. His words broke the silence. 20
It was a year ago when Jordan’s father died. That day, his father went for work as he always did. The unexpected phone call came at noon on November 31st which changed everything. “Is this Mrs. Thompson?” From the other side came the unfamiliar voice. “This is she speaking.” “It is sad to say that your man died five minutes ago in a car accident. He had no breath as we arrived there.”
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The sudden news brought the Thompsons misery. “This is impossible! He wouldn’t just leave us alone,” cried Mrs. Thompson. The truth is unchangeable. No matter how hard we try to deny it, it still wouldn’t become a lie. Sometimes people just have to get over it and move on. Time doesn’t wait and it won’t stop for anybody, for any reasons. The eldest boy in the Thompsons, Jordan, patted Mrs. Thompson’s shoulder 22
and said, “Mom, I am going to take care of you, brother and sister. There’s no need to worry. I am the eldest child of the family and will be the one who takes care of all of you!” From that day on, Jordan Thompson changed. He was no longer an innocent boy. He was assigned to do a bigger task.
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Chapter 2
It was 6:30 in the morning. The Sun was about to rise. The air was fresh and birds are tweeting in the trees. “Ouch! Look what you’ve done!” The girl screamed and got up from the ground. “This is my new sport outfit! How 24
careless you are! Pay more attention while riding!” A boy with a deep voice said, “I don’t mean to do it. I am so sorry. It’s just that I am too tired.” “Jordan? Jordan Thompson?” “Sarah Watson!” “Could you please be so kind to help me gather the newspapers? I still have 5 places to go.” Jordan asked coyly. Sarah immediately helped him out.
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It had been a long time that she has secretly noticed Jordan. She often walked after him after school. Today is a great opportunity! She could finally have a reason to get close to him. Both of them walked together and finished the work. They got along really well. Jordan found Sarah a nice girl. “Do you want to go for a drink, Jordan?� Sarah was a bit tired because she had never done such a work for so long.
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“Sorry, I can’t spend money on that.” Jordan blushed. “It’s too luxurious for me to do that.” “Ok, then it’s my treat. I know there’s a nice lemonade stand nearby.” Sarah then took Jordan’s hand and ran toward the stand. When having lemonade, Sarah asked Jordan why he had to work so early in the morning. “What about you? Walking alone on the street at 7?” replied Jordan. 27
“Well, I was jogging. Just trying to get fit since I gained 3 pounds last summer.” “Say, are you working part-time? Are you lack of money?
If so, I could do you
favours.” Sarah asked him eagerly. Little by little, Jordan got annoyed by Sarah’s questions. He turned red and was about to leave. At this moment, Sarah held his hand tightly and said, “I want to be your friend and help you! I know you are a good person. So please stop pretending!”
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Jordan’s heart was dead since his father died. He told himself to be mentally and physically strong so that he could take good care of his family. He didn’t need any sympathy from others. He knew he could manage that. Also, he lost faith in human when his father was killed and the murderer still remained unknown. However, this time, he couldn’t keep on acting like he was fine. His tears welled up his tiring eyes. Then he told Sarah everything. 29
“What did you say?” Sarah couldn’t believe what she had just heard. The boy, who looked so brave, lived such a miserable life. She comforted Jordan and invited him and his siblings to visit her place for fun. Both of them knew well that they were now friends. Nothing could separate them from each other.
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Chapter 3
“Ding-dong” The bell rang. Sarah rushed to the door. “Welcome, Jordan! Oh and here are your sister and brother!” “Wow, the decorations in the house are so elegant and magnificent. The heater
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makes the room so warm that I even want to sleep.” Jordan’s younger sister whispered. “Did you see that, Jordan? A moose head! I’ve never seen a head like that before,” said Jordan’s little brother. At dinner, Jordan saw a clean-cut man with a mustache walking out from the wooden door. The man was Thomas Watson, Sarah’s father. “Good to see you kid!” The man smiled at the boy.
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Jordan was too nervous to speak to the man, but soon he felt comfortable, for Mr. Watson was a nice person with a sense of humor. All of them enjoyed the meal. They talked, laughed, and ate. “Jordan, what are your hobbies?” Mr. Watson asked. “Basically, I don’t have any hobbies. However, I do have a thing that I enjoy doing,” replied Jordan. “It’s painting.” Mr. Watson put down his fork and said, “Would you like to see my collection 33
in the warehouse. I used to collect art when I was in my 30s. And I guarantee you will love them at the first sight.” “That would be my pleasure!” Jordan could not hide his happiness.
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Chapter 4 Mr. Watson opened the heavy door. Heavy paint smell came out as soon as they walked into the room. “This one is the first one I bought in New York. I like its bright color.” Mr. Watson showed it to Jordan. “Also, this one is called The Sun.” “I see nothing but a bright sky, Mr. Watson.” Jordan felt confused. Mr. Watson laughed and said, “You couldn’t always see what you hear and 35
hear what you see. People are sometimes restricted by their stereotypes.” Jordan still couldn’t understand what Mr. Watson meant. “You see, Jordan. The sun won’t always stay in the sky. It goes up and down. That’s why you can’t see the sun in the painting but only the bright-yellow strings on it.” Jordan listened to Mr. Watson carefully.
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“One day, the sun would not bring us light and warmth. Maybe it would be the end of the world, or maybe it won’t. But the only thing I can be sure: the sun may disappear, but clouds won’t. At that time, cloud would bring us a silver lining.”
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After seeing the paintings, Mr. Watson and Jordan took a walk to the garden. “Mr. Watson, were you sad when you were explaining the painting? I could feel that you were trying to tell me something.” Jordan asked. Mr. Watson sighed. “I once killed a man in a car accident. Then I drove away without helping him. I was too scared to call the police because I was afraid that they would charge me. What I heard from 38
my assistant is that the man soon died and left his three children with his wife.” His tear dropped on his hand.” Jordan could not believe what he had just heard. His whole body was trembling. “I told myself to be a different person, so I started donating money to charities, orphanages, and now I want to help poor children, just like you.” Mr. Watson’s voice grew louder. “I could not sleep well since that bad thing happened. But whenever I help people, I feel better about 39
what I once did. I think that would be a silver lining for me.” “Mr. Watson, do you still remember his name?” Jordan asked him with anger. “How could I possibly forget. He’s Michael Thompson. His name would be with me until I die. I just could not let him out of my mind.” Finally, Jordan found the answer he had been searching for the past few years. However, he didn’t know what to do. His mind went blank. 40
Tonight could be the best night and the worst night in his life.
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The next day, Jordan did not speak to Sarah even though he saw her standing in front of him. Sarah did not know what on earth Jordan was doing. She felt upset and became angry. She ran to Jordan and asked for an explanation for his attitude to her. Jordan just kept silent. Whenever he saw Sarah, he turned back and walked away. It lasted for almost a month. This day, Sarah went directly to Jordan’s home after school. 42
Someone was shouting Jordan’s name from the outside. Jordan opened the door and found Sarah standing there. “Why are you so stubborn? I don’t want to talk to you because I don’t know what to say to you!” Jordan shouted at her. Sarah could not understand what he was talking about. She still stood there watching at Jordan. Jordan was annoyed. All of the sudden, a final decision came up to his mind. He said sorry to Sarah and left her 43
alone out the door, no matter how loud Sarah yelled. He made up his mind.
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Chapter 5
Jordan stood by the door, waiting for Mr. Watson. The door opened. Sarah came out with his father. “Jordan! What a surprise! Why are you here today?” Mr. Watson looked at him happily. “Mr. Watson, do you remember the story you told me the other night when I visited you? Could you please also tell you daughter? I believe Sarah would want to hear it.” Mr. Watson was shocked. The boy’s look was cold. 45
“Is he asking me to say that I killed a person in front of my daughter? What is he trying to do?” Mr. Watson felt strange and didn’t say anything. He sat down and looked at Jordan. “Mr. Watson, why are you so silent? Are you afraid of something? Or you’re trying to act like nothing happened?” Jordan spoke angrily. “You killed a man! And he is my father!” Jordan stood up and said, “My father is Michael Thompson. Thompson! I bet 46
you know the name quite well, don’t you? That’s why you want to help me! Because I am Michael Thompson’s son!” Mr. Watson was pale. He couldn’t deny it because every single word the boy said is true. He started sobbing.
At his moment, nobody had noticed what happened to Sarah. In fact, she was 47
so desperate that she fell to the ground. Her world just collapsed. She could not believe her kind-hearted father turned into a murderer in this situation.
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Chapter 6
“I was so scared then. I shouldn’t have done that. It was a hit-and-run. What am I supposed to do now?” Mr. Watson sat on the floor and looked at both Sarah and Jordan desperately. At the same time, his daughter, Sarah, was speechless. She couldn’t believe what she just heard. Her beloved father just turned into a heartless murderer, who killed her best friend’s parent. She got up and ran
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directly out of the door towards the street and tried to get some fresh air. She walked along the street. She always believed that this dramatic thing would only happen in TV shows and even laughed about it when she last saw the similar plot yesterday. She started to cry. All she knew what to do now is to avoid seeing his father and Jordan. It was 9 in the evening. Mr. Watson and Jordan finally saw Sarah walking towards home with an unhappy face. 50
However, it seemed like she had already accepted it. Abruptly, a delivery truck coming from nowhere drove fast by Sarah. She did not notice. The truck driver couldn’t stop the car at once. She got run over in front of Mr. Watson and Jordan. Jordan and Mr. Walton rushed over just to found a cold body lying under the truck. It happened so quickly. Sarah Watson was now lying in his father’s arm without breathing. 51
It was November 31st, 2012. On this date, the most important people in Jordan’s life had died because of the same reason. Jordan yelled at Mr. Watson. “Things you said about the silver linings are nonsense. There’s no silver lining in my world. There isn’t one now, and there won’t be one either.” Jordan ran back home. His heart was hurt again.
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Chapter 7
It had been twenty years after Sarah’s death. Jordan Thompson was a successful entrepreneur and owned many companies now. He also took part in many charity organizations.
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“Mr. Thompson, here’s your agenda. Now, we’re heading to Hope Mental Hospital,” the driver said to Jordan.
“Welcome to Hope Mental Hospital,” the guard at the hospital greeted.
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“Mr. Thompson, the old man is in the room A302. I am sure he is also waiting for you.” The nurse smiled to Jordan.
“The sky is clear today, Mr. Watson.” “I am sure he will agree with you, Mr. Thompson.” A nurse walked into the room with a glass of water. Thomas Watson went crazy after her daughter’s death and was sent to a mental hospital afterwards. Jordan went to visit him every weekend to see if he was 55
getting better. Sadly, Mr. Watson didn’t make progress. He still thought Sarah was alive. “My lovely Sarah! Come here and give dad a hug!” Mr. Watson hugged the doll and talked. “Mr. Thompson, I feel sorry for you. It seems like Mr. Watson couldn’t recover in a short time.” The nurse said. Jordan smiled at her and walked out the room.
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Nearly came the sunset. There was a man standing in front of two graves in the graveyard with a bunch of flowers. “My two dearest….” Tears dropped on the ground. The man took out a handkerchief, wiped out the tears, and said, “I wish you rest in peace and enjoy every moment here. I will miss you in the rest of my life. Dad, the man who killed you has been punished. And you…Sarah…We used to spend our time together.”
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Jordan could say no more. However, he deeply believed that their friendship is the sun: warm, bright, and everlasting. No matter which world they belonged to now.
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“You and I will meet again When we're least expecting it One day in some far off place I will recognize your face I won't say goodbye my friend For you and I will meet again�
-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (American rock group)
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References https://www.google.com.tw/search?bi w=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&sa=1& q=background+su http://tw.images.search.yahoo.com/se arch/images;_ylt=A8tUwJq2zhpTZW QAz99t1gthttps:// https://www.google.com.tw/search?bi w=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&oq=ha nd+in+hand+&gs_ https://www.google.com.tw/search?bi
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w=1366&bih=600&tbm=isch&oq=fal len+bike+&gs_l=i https://www.google.com.tw/search?bi w=1376&bih=600&tbm=isch&oq=fal len+bike+&gs_l=i https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/35 9513-the-most-beautiful-discovery-tru e-friends-make-is-that-they https://www.google.com.tw/search?bi w=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&sa=1& q=phone+call&oq
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In a small village, a boy named Jordan Thompson from the single-parent family lived with his mom and the other two younger brother and sister in a cramped, shabby, rented apartment. He was just a normal 10-year-old boy who, just like other children, was crazy for monster cards, toy guns, and video games. Unfortunately, he could not play now any longer. After his father died in a car accident, his mom had to bring up the kids on her own. Jordan started to live a totally different life.......
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