It seems like it was only yesterday - getting out of school on a hot summer day. My friends and I would race each other to the street comer. We always wanted to be the first in line to see "Uncle Lee".
"Uncle Lee" arrived every day after school on his motorcycle. He happily sold us cold ice creams from the freezer on the side of his motorcycle. It wasn't much, but it made me and my friends so happy.
Recently, filled with these memories, I decided to take a trip back to my old school. I wanted to see if I could still buy an ice cream from old "Uncle Lee" Sadly, when I got there, I could not find him anywhere.
So I stopped by my old headmasters office. We had a nice chat and I told him all about my successful business. Then I asked him about "Uncle Lee". "Oh, that's right," he said to me, "you boys were always so fond of Uncle Lee'. I'm sorry to tell you, but he had to retire (退休)."
"Why is that?" I asked.
I'm not really sure," my headmaster went on, "I think the government wouldn't renew his license."
Without doubt, I was feeling quite sad when I left my old school. I decided to walk down those old streets for a while and reviewed the memories of my youth (青春).Then, just as I was thinking about going home, I saw him. It was "Uncle Lee"! He was, of course, much older, but I would never forget that face.
So I ran over to see him. He still remembered my name I couldn't believe it! We talked for a while, but it was getting late, so I had to go.
Later that night, I began to wonder more about why the government would make that old man stop doing the job that he loved. Then I thought about my own children. "They'll never have the chance to know an 'Uncle Lee'", I thought.
It is true that Hong Kong is changing every day. I only hope that we will not lose the things which make us truly special.
