Riding with Street Racers
The line between film maker and friend had long been blurred. For most of them, I am not even the journalist or filmaker person anymore. I am just the neighbour and friend who hangs out who pass by and say “hello” every day. I am one of the crew. I am one of them.
That was the plan. To put away the camera, until they trusted me. Which is exactly what happenned but in the back of my mind I am still the observer, the recorder, I never completely participate. And it takes something a little more out of the ordinary to knock me back to reality, which is sometimes I need to step up a little and put a hand in their lives when one of them needs help.
A month ago, Fu Gei’s girlfriend thought she might be pregnant. I never heard anything more about it, so I thought that it was a scare and it was all over. That was until tonight when someone asked, “Is the everything okay?” and he went, “No,” someone said, “Is she pregnant?” and he goes, “I don’t know.”
“How can you not know??”
“Because I don’t. Well I think she is.”
“Why don’t you get a test?”
“I don’t know.”
It goes on for a while, and I just kinda go, “Why don’t you care? Don’t you think you’re the father?”
“50-50”
“Then is she your girlfriend now?”
“Yes.”
“Then don’t you think as a man, no, as a boyfriend, no, as even a friend who cares about someone else you should go to the doctors with her?”
He looks down.
“Do you think you’re going to have the baby?”
“No, She doesn’t want it.”
“Okay, then why are you not going to the doctors now?”
“She will, once she has enough money.”
“Why do you need money? Why doesn’t she go to the government clinic?”
“I don’t want to go to jail.”
“You won’t. Since when is having sex in Hong Kong out of being married illegal?”
“Everyone says I am going to go to jail?”
“WHY?”
“Because she is underage!”
“No she’s not, she’s 16.”
“But that’s what everyone says!”
Sigh…
Yan Sham-Shackleton Online 