Journal #1 by Ivy Thibodeau (novels for students .txt) 📕

Date: April 5, 200 (Chang’an)

I’m about to leave for Dunhuang. It’s going to take a couple of days to get there I think. I’m worried that something bad might happen on the way there, you never know what you could run into on the Silk Road. But one thing I’m worried about is getting robbed. I’ve worked hard for the money I earn and the crops I grew, but someone may not care and only want the money and food.

Everyone thinks about this at least once when they leave their home, if something bad is going to happen on the road, if and when they’re going to return home to their friends and families. Luckily I don’t have to worry about getting home to my wife and kids, for I have none, and wish to keep it that way until I can get a good home and enough money to take care of them. Plus, I’m still young, only the age of 26, I have my whole life ahead of me.

I can still see my mother crying as I was packing up my stuff to leave, her begging me to stay home. She too, is worried I won’t return home, but my father is with her to keep her mind at ease. I promised her that I would be home in about two years, maybe sooner, maybe longer. She did not like that, but father calmed her. I hope she is okay, that father’s business is going good without me there to help. But I know they will be fine, they can take care of themselves. I’m just worried that one will get sick while I’m gone and I’ll not know of it till later on, when I should return home.

I should not think such things, i should believe that everything is going to be okay, that they are safe and sound and nothing bad will happen to them. I need to have good thoughts, that’s what will help me leave and make good money to return home with to help my father’s farm. He sells wool at the near by market back at home, and with the money I earn selling my goods, it could help my father get more sheep or get more help. But whatever he does with it, he will help his business.

But I should be getting some rest so I can leave tomorrow. So next time my dear friend.

Yul.

Date: June 1, 200 (Dunhuang)

Sitting here, listening to all the people talking, learning more about what is out there. I’ve learned a lot these past few months, traveling with all these people. I’ve seen how others do things, how they live, it’s so different. But in a way, I like it, I like the different ways of life, I think it’s amazing how some many people do things so differently.

I’ve sold a lot of things and made a lot of money for father. I think he will really like it. But I miss home, I wish I was there, my mother’s cooking is what I miss the most, her sweet food, the way to blend different spices to make it perfect. Just thinking about it, is making my mouth water and my stomach howl in want.

I’ve made a few friends along the way. I met a set of brothers, they are selling milk. Then there’s this young lady, she is the brother’s little sister. She reminds me a lot of home, the way she acts, the way she moves. I think I’ve found the girl I’ve been waiting for. But it’s still too early, I’m not ready for that. I still want to make sure I can give her the life she wants the life she deserves.

Her name is Pi Lin, such a beautiful name for such a beautiful lady. She really has an interesting way to look at life, I’ve learned a lot from her. She tells me of her travels with her brothers, the stories she’s heard along the way. The people she’s met, it’s all so amazing.

I met her in this cave a few days back, the way she was looking at the walls was so graceful, everything she does is graceful. I was just going in there, because of all the stories I’ve heard from people coming back, the way they said that the writings on the walls were beautiful, but the only beauty I saw was Pi Lin.

Here she comes now, I must go and see to her. I shall return with more tales of my travels, and hopefully there will be more about Pi Lin. So next time my dear friend.

Yul.

Date: June 12, 200 (Taklimakan Desert)

Right now we’re in the Taklimakan Desert. We are low on water and the heat is bad. We have to keep moving for if we stop he may not start moving again. Many have fainted and we have had to leave them behind, for they were too heavy for us to carry, and if we were to carry them then many more would end up fainting.

Pi Lin is still traveling with me, but her brothers had went a different way than us, saying it was faster. We have gotten closer over the past days. I’ve learned more about her, and I’m afraid to say, I think I’m falling in love with her. But I know I can’t, not yet. She needs more than I can give her, but she claims she needs nothing more than to be by my side.

I haven’t sold much since the last I had written. Not many people are in the Taklimakan Desert. But that’s okay, I’ll be making more money once we on back in the city.

I have heard word that a wool story isn’t do that good. I hope it’s not my father’s business. I want to go back home and see how they are doing, but I’m worried that I won’t have enough money if my father’s story is doing bad. I’m trying hard to do good for him and to make my mother proud of me..

I hope we get through this place soon, I’ve been close to fainting, but to keep myself awake, I’m writing, even now, I’m trying not to fall asleep, worried that if I do, I won’t awake. It seems like it gets hotter every day, but that could just be me. I don’t understand how people can walk through here, I feel like dying, and I’ve been here a few days. Luckily we’re almost out… I think.

It’s so big, and dry. We have gotten stuck in the sand a few times. IAnd even more at night when we stop. We’ve learned that we have to keep moving, so we have someone always leading the oxes.

But I’m too tired and Pi Lin wants me to sleep. So next time my dear friend.

Yul.

Date: September 23, 200 (Marakanda)

We have just gotten to Marakanda, and I have to say, it’s much better than back home. I can see father’s shop doing good here. But he says he won’t leave his home, which I can understand.

Pi Lin is loving the area, she says she’s always wanted to come here and now that she is, she wants to move here and have her kids grow up here. Which, I guess I can deal with, I really like it here, but I can’t leave my father and mother, they need the help with home and everything.

I think that with everything happening, I don’t think anything bad is going to happen. Everything has been going good so far, between meeting Pi Lin, to meeting her brothers and selling more crops. My father is going to be so proud of me. And I think he is going to like Pi Lin, she’s everything he’s ever wanted me to be with.

But I’m still a little worried that something bad might happen. I mean, everything may be going good now, but it can always turn around and go bad. I know I shouldn’t think like this, that I should believe everything is going to be okay, but how can I? Everything has been going too good. Something bad is going to happen, and I just don’t know what it is yet, and I’m worried about what it is going to be.

I still like Marakanda, and I can see why Pi Lin loves it so. I guess I wouldn’t mind having my kids grow up here, but I would like them to grow up in a not that good town, that way they won’t get use to this lifestyle. Pi Lin likes it though so I can deal with that.

But Pi Lin wants to go to one of the markets. So next time my dear friend.

Yul.