#1 - Mei Yee - “Act upon what is right even when it might not be easy.”

Most people, although knowing what is right and what is wrong, select the choice which requires less skill and less danger. The easier route. Mei Yee chooses to go the right way of what most people choose as wrong. At a young age, Mei Yee, a strikingly beautiful girl, was beaten by her father. Although she had a sister and mom who tried to ease her pains, it wasn’t enough. Later, when her father needed cash for more booze, she was sold to Longwai, a famous gang, who made her work as a prostitute. After she arrived at The Walled City, she realized that there was no escape. Mei Yee chooses the riskier situation out of her options because it always turns out to be moral decision. It is the fact that she knew the consequences of her actions that differs her from the usual population. It is her positive decisions and moral acts that represent my original proverb, do what is right and logical although an easier choice may be available.

During her time in The Walled City, Mei Yee was given many opportunities to escape the town. The offers that she was given, would be taken by most people in the city without a second thought, but she denies them, waiting for the right and perfect moment to pop in. Mei Yee was seen as the “perfect girl” for the Ambassador Osamu. Osamu has had a close relation with Longwai for a long time, which shows no doubt that he has met with other prostitutes such as Mei Yee. She was treated differently and always had the best environment to live in. Osamu treated her, not like a prostitute, but like a prosperous, elegant girl, like a queen. But Mei Yee wasn’t fond of the ambassador. She liked the way he was acting towards her and that he was being such a gentleman, but she didn’t think that she would feel the happiest with someone she didn’t love. This becomes fact when she meets Dai. Dai has been coming to her window to use her and get information out of her. Mei Yee accepts this deal, with one condition, that he will get her out of the brothel. Dai had the first intention to use her and break the promise, but without him knowing, as he kept visiting her, their relationship got closer and he felt the need to help her and get her out of the brothel. Mei Yee’s only thoughts were of Dai and getting out of the city, but one day the ambassador came with a proposition. Living with him with a luxurious lifestyle or staying with Longwai. Longwai almost positive that she will answer with a firm yes, leaves to room to give her some time. Alone, Mei Yee ponders about the choices given to her, a glamorous life with riches or fulfilling a friend’s promise with a chance of gaining happiness with her mom and sister. She denies Osamu’s offer and puts her friends, family, and happiness as priority and takes a chance. Although there are many risks and problems that she has to go through to achieve her goal, she makes it through and ends up getting exactly what she expected. Reason being that true love doesn’t come with luxury, but it comes with love, pain, and sorrow.

When Mei Yee is given the choice of doing the right thing or taking the easy path she takes the right path by choice despite the harsh consequences. While Mei Yee was at the Brothel, she experienced many unfortunate situations which brought a scar to her life. She had many friends in the Brothel that helped her make it through the tough times and harsh moments and one of her closest friends was Sing. Sing, also a prostitute, had the greatest amount of experience with Longwai so as soon as she saw the opportunity to run she took the chance. As she ran out the window she got caught by Longwai’s bodyguard who took her to Longwai reporting the situation. Longwai furious at what happened applied heroin into her blood stream using a syringe. After a ceaseless amount of applied heroin, Sing turned into an animal who basically lived for drugs. She was out of her mind and was not the same. Mei Yee was traumatized by this and this stayed in her heart for a long time. Later in the story, with an actual, feasible escape plan, Mei Yee tells the other girls about how they would get out of palace safely. Most of the girls agreed to her proposition except Yin Yu. She did not want to be any part of the escape, fearing the consequences prepared for such acts, and told the girls that if they didn’t disband the plan she would tell Longwai. Although Mei Yee was hindered because of the result reaction of Sing, she came out strong and decided to go out with the plan. Her trust in Dai and the other girls led her to determine between what is right and what is wrong and how to act upon those answers. Mei Yee had the choice to not have taken the risk of her and the other girl’s lives, but she was inclined to the right thing no matter what.

Ever since the ambassador met Mei Yee, he felt love at first sight. He brought her flowers and treated her very well and like no other. They were together for so long that she knew every freckle on his body, but he did not make her heart sing. The ambassador made very frequent visitations to try to move her feelings, but it didn’t budge especially because of the boy from the window. Dai had started to come over to the window of her room mainly for business motives, but before he knew it, he grew attracted to her. They started to share conversations and tell each other past experiences and this assured that the ambassador was going to have no chance with Mei Yee. So as Mei Yee grew farther and farther away from the ambassador and closer to Dai, the ambassador started to doubt her and was suspicious that she was cheating on him. His anger brought him to leaving bruises on her body and even choking her wanting to know the situation. Although her life was at risk, she didn’t expose Dai or his plan which could have stopped her from almost losing her life. The decision she made to not snitch on a friend resulted in her leaving the brothel. Trust and friendship can steer you to make the right decisions that you will later not regret.

<David Yang North Hollywood High 9th Grade>