DJ史密夫先生

花了近五百大元，昨天終於收到了考評局寄來的掛號信，英文卷和地理卷到手。

先看地理卷，終於知道為何結果與預期中差別這麼大。其中一條大題目大失手，拖垮了全科成績，選擇題也發揮不到應有水準。其餘幾條大題目不過不失，只有一條勉強稱得上有點驚喜，但也遠不足以收復失地。

然後看英文卷，更加感到可惜。全科總分倍大至667分滿分後，我差最多7分便達到高一等級的cut-off，或許當時多答對一﹑兩條選擇題，也有機會了。還有，原來作文卷在210滿分中，我只差2分就有5**了。（笑）

回想過去，每次面對一些佔分很輕的校內評核時，我們班的同學都會顯得很懶散，認為這些分數影響不大。那時我的中文老師想提醒我們，只差半分也足以令你趺一個等第。當時我還很狂妄地說，自己是大命的人，只會多半分而升一等第，相反的不會發生。事情就這樣發生了。

看到詳細的分數表時，我倒真的有一點自滿，因為英文作文卷的長文部分，42分我居然取得了40分（唯一的失分是Language分）。當時選這篇長文，其實是非常冒險的，因為過去的練習中，從沒有寫過short story，這次算是成功「單車變摩托」了。

坦白說，經過打上電腦的過程後，我已十分清楚這篇文是不值這個分數的。別人寫三﹑四百字，我寫了近一千字，筆速快﹑沒覆卷，自然錯漏百出。我很清楚，我能取得如此高分，完全是有賴評卷員只快速略過我的試卷，所以他/她同時也略過了大量的低級錯誤。而且沒有發現我的「二次創作」，如開首句是抄「a friend in need is a friend indeed」，結尾段是箴言4﹕23英文版﹑精彩地臨場翻譯《老子》等等。

下文有海量的串錯字﹑錯語法，我是刻意把這些敗筆留下的，「忠實」地反映「原文」。你們來評評理，值不值20/21。

題目大概是，香港話劇學會準備辦一個比賽，以「you are never too old to live your dreams」為主題，現正徵稿。而我要寫的，是一篇關於「the elderly realising their dreams」的short story。

A life we need, is a dream indeed.

Booming music, uproaring clubbers, hundreds of teenagers are dancing excitingly, surrounding Hong Kong’s most famous DJ. Who is under these fancy spotlights and performing hipsters’ trendy music? It is a eighty years old with white hair, rubbing the dishes.

Mr. Smith is probably the oldest DJ around the world. At first, his name was famous for being one of the most wealthy businessman in Hong Kong. To everyone’s surprise, he became a disco jockey two years ago, which was surely a great success.

Mr. Smith was born in a poor family, in his childhood, he always wished to learn piano, but their family could not afford the expense, although they also knew he loved music so much, as well he was talented, becausing he started using chopsticks to hit on the dishes, to perform surprising beautiful beat, before he actually knew how to speak.

However, Mr. Smith did not give up any chance to keep in touch with music, when he was in secondary school, one time he volunteered to be the props team for the audio tracks of the inter-school drama completion. That time, teachers appreciated that he has unique taste of music, knowing what music to plat at what time, he is talented to become a DJ. So, he was introduced to a DJ training programme with government’s scholarship.

Mr. Smith performed so well that, when he uses the syncthesizer, he hearbeat was like syncronized with the cadence. However, when asked if he would start this career, Mr. Smith said, “no, I still have to earn money for providing a happy life for my family.”

Again, this decision surprised everyone. His father, told that money is not that important, a life people need, is the happiness of the process of achieving their dreams. However, Mr. Smith did not believe in this, although he was young, he thought he was mature that he made a correct choice in his life, for being a businessman.

Ten years later, he was already a manager of a fanancial institute, earning above average income, he bought a large, comfortable flat for his parents. He thought he has achieved the responsibility of being the only child in the family.

Twenty years later, he is already the boss of that fanancial institute he used to work in, he was giving a profit of a hundred thousand every month, at that time, he thought he was the most success and happy man on the world.

Thirty years later, his family name was already on the stock market. He bought a palace for his parents, he thought his parents were very proud of him, until one day, he received a call from the hospital, “Mr. Smith, Miss Young suffered from a sudden heartattack, her time is near, you better come at once.”

Her mother told him that she was very proud of his son’s achievement, but she knew he was not happy truly from his heart, “mum know you have been such a good boy, but you should have know what mothers wish the most for her child, is the happiness of doing what they lover, you still remember what was your dream when you were young? Dad and I always wished you to do that!”

Mr. Smith was desperate for this, he thought he was mature, he thought his parents was proud and happy, but everything was in vain when one passed away, but a scar of sorrow and a melted bliss of happiness.

“I am already middle aged,” thought Mr. Smith, “I hate my chance to muss the opportunity when I was young.” He put his hands on his head, and noticed his hairline slightly slipped backwards, he no longer can become a DJ, because this was the youngstars’ work, not an old guy like himself.

Meanwhile, Mr. Smith’s son, Peter practicing piano beside. In fact he didn’t love music, but he loved Chinese philosophy and literature, young Peter did not notice his father was mad, he told him he did not want to learn piano anymore, but to learn Chinese literature, his father was furious and he forced him to continue practicing.

Another twenty years passed by quickly, his son, holding a few certificates of grade 8 instruments, published his first book ‘a dream indeed’, Mr. Smith was still mad for his son not worked as his dream, a musician, two hours ago. However, this moment he suddenly understood every word of his parents, when seeing his son’s happy face for putting a first footstep for his dream. He suddenly remember a phrase of LaoZi his son was studying “A Journey of a thousand miles, was from the beginning under your footstep.”

He forced his son to achieve his dream, but forgetting the importance of living own dreams, he thought he was too old to make this time, but he was wrong, everyone should live their dreams, it will never be too old!

On the next morning, Hong Kong’s richest businessman announced his retirement and put on his headphone, started writing like he used to, but on the five-lined notebook instead of a business report this time.

Finally, Mr. Smith stepped on the stage finally, when he was seventy-nine years old, creative ideas for producing music has been sedimentated in his mind for over half a century, today, he presented the love, sorrow and hope between the notes, and all his song were about, live rightnow! Do not hestitate to achieve your dreams!

Never forget your dreams, guard it tightly in your heart, for it is the true definition of yourself, it is the wellspring of life!