Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020complete | Page 633
A Change for the Better
St Margaret's Co-Educational English Secondary and Primary School, Cudia, Kim - 16
His eyes drank in the skyline: bright lights dotted the horizon and high rises peeked through the
morning haze. Aiden never loved his life in the countryside, where opportunities were as scarce as
proper meals and corruption spread like disease, but he’d learnt to accept it. Yet by chance, he was
here now. He could only dream of a busy city life in the Greater Bay Area, and it was about to
become his.
It was only six in the morning, but the sound of people’s chatter had already started to fill
the air, and Hyperloops were up and running on their tracks. 0600. Good morning. Please
proceed to your workstations. Today’s weather is bright and cool. You may want to bring a light
jacket with you. Have a lovely day.
He tore his eyes from the window, his mind refreshed after the city’s Timekeeper’s first
string of daily reminders. Quickly downing his cup of tea, he grabbed his bag and his Timecard
and quickly swiped it across the control panel next to his door. Every house had one, for
automatically logging information related to commuting time, working hours, and the like. Aiden
marvelled at what for many was a quotidian act - this was one of many Greater Bay Area’s
technological marvels. It, as were all things, was precise down to every last detail in an effort to
estimate the city’s productivity.
Such was life in the heart of the Hub — that was what the Greater Bay Area was known
as internationally. It was the epitome of advancement, as the bright minds behind it had
orchestrated the art of routine and discipline, all while infrastructural and technological
development, quality of life, and social stability was finely tuned. In fact, it was seen as the perfect
world — an ideal one in any scenario because it meant new beginnings, a second chance at life.
Whoever came here was given the chance to pull themselves out of poverty, and whoever left had
reason to worry about their wellbeing.
As he walked to the train station, his mind rolled over the events of this past week. Seven
days ago, his little sister June lay bedridden, the new strain of virus that was discovered in the
villages poisoning her system and crawling its way to her heart. Six days ago, his mother, who had
never once showed hesitation or fear for all his life, broke down in tears. Five days ago, he offered
to break into the only hospital for miles around to retrieve medicine for June’s condition. Four
days ago, June’s eyes fluttered shut, and his heart shattered into a million pieces. Three days ago,
his mother whispered I love you to him, because they were the only family they had left. Two
days ago, by complete and utter luck, he won the annual Lottery that admitted a total of five
people from all over the country to complete an internship in the Greater Bay Area. One day ago,
he waved goodbye to his mother, promising to earn enough to support her even from afar, feeling
torn as ever. And… here he was now, determined not to waste his clean slate. He just couldn’t
afford to.
The noise of the station interrupted his thoughts. The Hyperloop is arriving. Please allow
passengers to exit first. He found himself in the midst of a sea of people, all making phone calls and
chatting about new business plans. Inside the Hyperloop was no different — each cabin was lined
with cushioned seats and commuters working on their tablets, and in the far corner were booths
occupied by businessmen and women discussing agendas over breakfast. Never before had he seen
such dedication to work. Even the few schoolchildren there were busy reviewing their class notes.