Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020complete | Page 630

The doors of the high-speed rail slid open, and the sight beyond knocked Calum’s breath out of his
lungs. The Greater Bay Area was glorious. Not in the traditional sense of the word, not the glory of
decadent luxury of bygone eras - no, glorious in that it stood tall, sleek and glistening under the blazing
sunlight.
His eyes were drawn towards an imperious column of glass which pierced the sky, on top of which the
name ‘Deloitte’ sat proudly. A few blocks past, a delightful white building resembling a tiramisu was
decorated with a big green ‘BGI’ logo. Both of these architectural wonders projected holograms - variations
of ‘Hiring! Applicants welcome!’- that to Calum, looked suspiciously like ‘New beginnings!’. His heart
stuttered.
The train tracks sat proudly over the meticulously woven tapestry of pristine roads and immaculate
gardens; steel skyscrapers towered over the splay of activity - the floating city was an ode to the industry of
human development. The distant hum of traffic, the nearby hustling of people rushing to work, from work
- together they created a symphony of commerce, of progression.
Alfie and Ebony tugged at their parents in wide-eyed amazement, gasping at the gigantic billboards and
plasma screens that covered the fronts of the buildings. For once, Calum found their enthusiasm infectious,
lips turning up involuntarily at the corners. He couldn’t resist throwing a look at the glossy Ferrari Roma
that whizzed past, couldn’t help the giddiness blooming as his surroundings started to intoxicate him. In the
sea of people dressed head-to-toe in Gucci, he felt within himself a flame roaring to life.
‘Soon… Soon, Ed, we’ll be just like them,’ Cal promised.
And in her voice, there wasn’t a sliver of doubt. ‘Yes,’ she agreed breathlessly, ‘Just like them.’
‘Jesus, Ed -?’ Calum tore his eyes away from the computer screen for one second before going back to
scrolling furiously through the page. ‘$70,000 per month! As a marketing director!’
…
Eden hummed from where she was folding laundry on the couch of their newly-rented apartment. ‘And
you know what the best thing is?’ Calum wavered, his voice cracking with emotion. ‘Applicants don’t need
to be extremely qualified - even secondary education is accepted!’
The man’s eyes shone, and he looked absolutely elated. One would never relate this buoyant young man
to the jaded shell he had been a week before. It’s been years, Eden noted tenderly, years since I’ve seen him
beam like that.
‘You know… I think moving here is the best decision we’ve ever made.’ Calum scooted over, taking
Eden’s hand in his and dropping his gaze. ‘It’s such a breath of fresh air. In Hong Kong, I never thought I’d
have the opportunity to reach my full potential. But here… I finally know what it’s like - to spread my
wings and fly.’
When he looked up, his eyes were filled with unspoken gratitude.
Two weeks in, their fairy-tale began to morph into a nightmare.
…
Calum divided his time between hovering anxiously over the landline and pacing a hole into the floor.
Eden watched him worriedly, but knew better than to console him. At the first shrill ring, Calum was up on
his feet in seconds, clutching the phone with trembling hands. There was nothing Eden could do except
watch as her husband’s hand tightened around the receiver in a white-knuckled grip.
She didn’t manage to make it out of the room before the telephone crashed against the wall.
…