Mina Shanti Hsu
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Contents
About the Author……………. … page 1 Synopsis…………………………..page 2 Chapter 1 The Loneliness……pages 3-7 Chapter 2 Friends…………...pages 8-12 Chapter 3 Secret Base……..pages 13-21 Chapter 4 The notebook…..pages 22-25 Chapter 5 Mina…………….pages 26-27
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3
About the Author
Shanti Hsu was born in 1987. Reading and traveling are the ways that she approaches this world. She wrote her first English novel “Mina� in 2007.
This
book is about friendship and dreams. She believes that dreams are like feathers which guide you beyond your life.
Synopsis
Samantha didn’t have any friend in school, and she was in her hour of darkness. She was very unhappy, until she met a real friend, Mina.
Although they have totally
different personality, they share their happiness and sadness with each other. These two girls’ friendship and dreams became treasures in their lives. 2
Chapter 1
The Loneliness
Sunshine illuminated Samantha’s room. She rose for the clock which was ringing, and got up lazily.
After putting
on her uniform, she went down stairs and had breakfast with her parents. “Good morning, Dad,” Samantha said entering the dining room. “Good morning, Samantha. last exam?
How’s your
Did you do a good job?”
Father asked. “Well…, I think it was fine,” Samantha 3
answered . “Samantha, remember that if you want to enter the best college, you need to be more diligent. O.K. ?�
Father said firmly.
Samantha just nodded her head, but said nothing. She really wanted to tell her parents that she wanted to decide her future by herself. instead of courage.
However, silence Afterward, she took
a bus to school.  The bus was crowded; every one looked tired and empty. It seemed that everyone was so close. 4
However, no one
understood each other.
All the
passengers knew their destinations except from Samantha.
Samantha knew the bus
was on the way to school, but she felt she was lost.
Samantha took a deep breath
to make herself feel better, and looked at the passing view outside of the window.  The classes were boring and drab. Samantha liked to watch the blue sky and the white clouds when she felt tired during class. She did have some friends in class. However, she didn’t feel very close to them.
The reason that they wanted to be 5
Samantha’s friends is that they could copy her homework, and get better score on exams. When Samantha was packing her book bag after school, some of her friends called her. “Hey！Samantha. me with our homework?
Can you help We have a
group blind date tonight,” one of them said, when the other burst into giggles. Samantha was afraid to lose their friendship, so she answered, “No problem.”
The other girls left the
classroom without saying “thank you” or 6
“good bye”. ＊ She sat alone in the empty class room.
The class room used to be noisy,
but now, it seemed too big and too quiet for her and her loneliness. She tried to finish her classmates ‘homework before going to cram school.
However, she
stopped. Inexplicably, tears welled up in her eyes.
7
Samantha felt really lonely.
8
Chapter 2 Friends “Hey, why are you alone here?” Samantha was shocked when Mina greeted with her.
Mina had skipped
classes that day. She just wanted to get her book bag.
Actually, she always
skipped classes, so not only her teachers didn’t like her but also her classmates spread rumors about her. On the other hand, Samantha was impressed on Mina, because to her, Mina always looked confident and didn’t care or worry about what other people talk on something about her. That’s exactly the way she was. 9
“I don’t want Mina to discover that I‘ve cried,” Samantha thought. So she kept quiet.
However, Samantha‘s
ignorance irritated Mina.
“So I always
don’t get the idea why you guys are called “good students”.
It’s true that you
always get good scores on exams. think you must fail in manner.
But I
That’s
what good students always do, I know,” Mina said coldly. These words like a knife stab into Samantha’s heart. “How can you say that ? You don’t understand how terrible my life is. I can’t decide my own future. I have to be 10
the best student or my parents will be disappointed.
I…I don’t even think I
have a friend at school. I …You will never understand, because you are so independent, so…free.”
Samantha’s
voice became weaker, and tears came streamed down her face.
The sunset
tinged of sadness around the class. There was silence between them. ＊ Mina first broke the silence. She said,” My mother died when I was 13. Furthermore, my father only cares about his career and his mistress. 11
We haven’t
talked to each other very much since my mom died. I have to make money by myself.
That’s the reason I seldom come
to school. So, I don’t think I am as free and independent as you think. Since then, I have promised her to seize the day, and always face my troubles with a smile. I’m sorry if I just said something which hurt you, I didn’t mean it.” Then, Mina looked at Samantha. smile on her face. laughed.
There was a warm
Then, both of them
It was the first time that
Samantha thought she belonged to this place.
Mina helped Samantha finished 12
homework.
Then, they came home
together in the beautiful sunset. “I have a friend in school, a real friend,� Samantha thought.
13
Chapter 3 Secret Base No one knew about Mina and Samantha’s friendship because it seemed that they still had no interaction in class. Besides, it was hard to associate Mina with Samantha because they were totally different kinds of girls.
They didn’t talk
to each other in school. However, they shared their happiness and sorrow on the phone every night. ＊ Samantha talked on the phone with Mina one night.
They talked about what
the teacher did in class. “Do you 14
remember what teacher said in class? I really agree with her！” Mina asked. “Me, too.
She said that from now on,
you will be on a journey between who you think you are and who you can be.
The
key is to allow yourself to continue the journey in the ocean of the books.” Samantha answered.
Then, she asked
“Mina, have you ever thought about what you are going to do in the future?” “Uh….Let me think… Do you know that I love taking pictures? ” Samantha remembered that once Mina’s photograph had won an award in the school. 15
There
was a boy rose his hands toward a huge cross. in that picture.
It is so impressed that Samantha would not forget that sight, “Yeah, I remember….You are really good at photography.” “So, having my own show one day is my dream,” Mina said without hesitation. “What about you, Samantha?” Mina asked. 16
“I …I’m not sure. I mean I don’t really know what I really want to do in the future. In fact, no one has asked me this question before. It seems to me everyone, like my teachers or my parents have had already decided what I am going to do in the future.” Samantha‘s voice become weaker.
She felt anxious and couldn’t
speak anymore.
“Hey, listen
“Remember “we are the choices that we’ve made.”
Everyone can only give
you suggestions, but it’s you who have to make the decision.
Samantha, trust me
that you can find your own way.” 17
“Actually…, I ‘m very interested in writing.
I have been writing and reading
since I was a kid.
But since I entered
high school, there has been no time for me to keep reading and writing. ” Samantha said.
“I think you are good at writing,
you know. You have this talent. So keep doing what you like, don’t stop it, O.K?” Mina tried to encouraged Samantha. The next day, Mina gave Samantha a notebook. She wanted Samantha to write down her story, her life.
18
Mina gave Samantha a notebook.
 Several weeks later, Samantha was called on by the teacher.
They talked for
a long time, and Samantha left the officer sadly. Mina found out that there must be something wrong with Samantha. Therefore, she asked her during the break. “Mina, the teacher just called me to the office because I didn’t do well on the mid-term exam.
This is the first time 19
that I don’t get the highest score. So the teacher and my parents are disappointed with me.
Even myself, I don’t know if
I am not good at studies, otherwise what I can do to let other people like me, or notice me… . ”Samantha said while looking down at the floor.
The bell rang;
it’s time for class. “Wait for me at the front door after school, Samantha. want to take you somewhere.”
I
Mina
smiled at Samantha and entered the class. ＊ That afternoon Mina and Samantha arrived at grassland near the airport. 20
“This is my secret base.
In the past, if I
was unhappy, my mother would always take me here.
We would yell out loud
and it made me feel better. Then we just looked at the sky and laughed together,” Mina said. It was a magic moment for Samantha who forgot her sadness when she looked at the planes had taken off and landed on.
The wind blew her hair softly,
and the sunshine shined on her face. “Now, it’s your turn,” Mina said. Samantha yelled out loud, and they laughed together.
“I hope our dreams
come true one day,”
Mina thought. “I 21
wish that one day when I become a writer, and you have your own show, we will still be good friends,� Mina said to herself.
Both of them made a wish
silently, and they left the secret base hand in hand.
They had gotten their courage
to face tomorrow and the uncertain future. However, no of them knew, it was their first time, but also the last time that they would go to the secret base together.
the plane upon their heads.
22
Chapter 4 The Notebook One night, when Mina went to the convenience store to buy the supper, a drunken truck driver suddenly hit Mina. He was too scared, so he drove away immediately. A woman called 911, and some people yelled and grouped around Mina.
The ambulance came and took
Mina to the hospital.
However, it was
too late by the time Mina was sent to the emergency room. That night, a young but brave spirit softly disappeared in this world.  23
The phone rang when Samantha was having dinner with her parents.
She
picked up the phone. “Hello?” she said. “Hello, this is Samantha’s father speaking. Is thisSamantha?”
“This is Samantha, sir.
May I help you？ Is something wrong with Mina？”
Then what Mina’s father
said on the phone was just like the echo across a valley, it’s too far and too small. Suddenly, Samantha felt dizzy and lost her balance when she heard the bad news. Her parents hurried to hug her, but Samantha couldn’t control tears fall down . Samantha couldn’t believe that she 24
wouldn’t be able to see her best friend anymore. ＊ Samantha didn’t go to school for nearly a week after Mina’s funeral. She locked herself in her room.
Her parents
were very worried about her. She picked up the notebook in the drawer which Mina had given her. Suddenly, she saw something Mina had written on the last page.
Samantha read it word by word,
and then she ran to that secret base. ＊ The sun was still shining, and the 25
sky was blue and wide.
She yelled
loudly, and it seemed that she was talking to Mina.
Samantha understood that
Mina hadn’t left her, it was she who had left Mina and their dreams.
She
promised Mina that she would seize every day, and become a writer in the future. plane flew upon, Samantha then smiled for the first time since Mina’s dead.
26
A
Chapter 5 Mina Seven years later, there were some teenagers chatting on the street.
They
were going to see their favorite writer and writer’s show which named “Mina”. Samantha became a famous writer,. She looked at the pictures that Mina had taken.
They reminded her of the youth
that they had had together.
The
teenagers entered the show noisily. However, when they saw the pictures which taken by Mina, all of them became silent.
Although the photographs were
flimsy, the power and soul in them 27
touched everyone’s heart. “I’m not afraid to die. It’s more I’m afraid of time. it.
Not having enough of
Time to figure out who I’m supposed
to be, to find my place in the world before I have to leave it.
Samantha, my best
friend, always remember that we are the choice that we’ve made. No matter if we are apart or together, I will always give you my wish.”
This is what Mina had
written in her notebook.
28
Samantha didn’t have any friend in school, and she was in her hour of darkness. She was very unhappy, until she met a real friend, Mina.
Although
they have totally different personality, they share their happiness and sadness with each other. These two girls’ friendship and dreams became treasures in their lives. 29