3, Uzuki 202X, Singapore
"I feel like I'm at the bottom of a deep canyon," Uzuki murmured, gazing at the narrow gaps between the distant high-rise buildings.
She was floating on the water installed on the 2nd floor of one of those buildings. It was the swimming pool, one of the facilities of the condominium she currently lived in, with some restaurants, cafes, and a supermarket on the first floor. The shops were located directly beneath the pool. Uzuki felt strange, imagining herself being buoyant above unsuspecting people shopping or having tea under such a massive body of water.
Those high-rise buildings, visible from her, including her condominium, were mainly inhabited by expatriates and their families like her, most of whom were only temporary residents on this small island. She also observed, just behind the nearby buildings, a similar, but different cluster of high-rise buildings known as HDB flats, or the government-subsidized housing, designed for local people.
It could be said that most people in this country, the locals or foreigners, lived in such skyscrapers except for a privileged few owning their solitary houses. High-rise buildings were essential for a small land with a large population like this island nation. In theory, skyscrapers could keep adding rooms upward infinitely, making it possible to accommodate an unlimited number of people, no matter how many there were, Uzuki imagined and thought that living in such buildings was not bad.
"Yet, if buildings can grow upward endlessly, it looks like the Tower of Babel. And I don't know if such a way of living is really good for humans, but now, I am just a part of great anonymity, surrounded by unfamiliar neighbors, and unknown to anyone. Such a situation can effortlessly protect me," Uzuki whispered to herself. "Of course, I'm nothing special, just an ordinary person. I don't have any secrets worth protecting, nor any that others would want to uncover, like a celebrity. Even so, living here must be a good way for someone like me to lead a fleeting, temporary life."
Despite the many residents living in this condominium, the swimming pool always felt deserted. Uzuki pulled herself out of the pool and sat on one of the chairs paired with a parasol lined up at even intervals on the poolside deck, which had a sleek, luxury ambiance.
Uzuki whispered, "I often see shuttle cars driving around here. They are for cram schools run in Singapore. So elementary school kids on this island don't hang out with their friends after school to attend those cram schools. I can understand high schoolers like my son going to cram school, but maybe even elementary kids these days are busy with lessons and activities, she thought to herself. Of course, children accompanied by their parents or maids sometimes showed up after school, but Uzuki had never seen this swimming pool annoying crowded. That might be because the swimming pool was always dim and quiet with the shadow made by those high-rise buildings, Uzuki wondered but was unsure of the true reason.
"Yes, it was dim despite the tropical climate here. I imagined it would be brighter before coming here, but no matter how sunny, the impression I always receive from the land is darker than expected. Maybe because of the thick rainforest? Not only this swimming pool with the long-time shadow but also the entire land of this island bears something like a greyish mood.
Out of nowhere, something flashed through her sight, cutting across the small slice of sky bordered by the buildings. At first, it looked like nothing more than a bright yellow blur, but she gradually realized it was a bird.
"Wow! I can't believe there is such an amazing-colored creature! Like a vivid yellow that has just been squeezed out from a paint tube! " Uzuki was surprised, but the sensation quickly dulled, fading into an insignificant memory. Lately, that was how things had been for her. No matter how deeply something touched her, it never lingered in her heart. It was like sand slipping through her fingers, she thought.
The swimming pool was narrow but so long, stretching along the building's width like a canal. It was fringed with a dense growth of shrubs planted to keep its privacy, always providing a shadow as black as the buildings.
And, some kinds of the trees were often in flower: the bigger one was plumeria, and the smaller one was jasmine. They seemed to emanate a sweet, weighty fragrance in the air.
The flower's petals looked like something artists had carefully created, as if carrying a strong resolve to keep their entire shape as flowers, concentrating their energy on converging toward their center points. They appeared to be arranged to adorn the pool deck and the aquamarine water.
The water surface always bore a complicated color mixture, changing its patterns frequently, depending on the sunshine status.
"Hey, Uzuki. How have you been?"
A voice suddenly fell overhead, and Uzuki turned her body towards the voice. That was Mrs. Chang, a Singaporean standing there, clad in sky-blue swimwear. She lived in this condominium with her son's family including little grandchildren.
"Hello, it's been a while, Mrs. Chang."
Uzuki replied. She was one of the people who frequently appeared in the pool.
"The regulars at the pool are the elderly, myself included," was her usual phrase when explaining to her husband about the people Uzuki usually saw at the pool.
"Have you traveled somewhere recently?"
Mrs. Chang asked Uzuki.
"No, as I told you before when we chatted."
Uzuki said, wondering how many more times she would hear the same question from Mrs. Chang. Within a week ago, Uzuki had just replied to Mrs. Chang in the same way, and thought, too.
"As you live in such a convenient place, you should make the most of it, exploring more places while you can. One of my son's co-workers goes to Australia almost every weekend, I heard. It's so close to Singapore that even just going to enjoy Aussie beef at a weekend BBQ is totally worth it!"
Saying loudly as if she were an employee working at a travel agency, Mrs. Chang began to step down into the pool water, passing by Uzuki's deck chair.
At that moment, something stuck in Uzuki's mind. Uzuki didn't identify what had puzzled her, but couldn't shake the feeling something weird had called Uzuki to halt.
"I have to walk in the pool for more than 1 hour today because I had too many sweets yesterday at the Mandalin's afternoon tea," Mrs. Chand continued.
Hopping from one afternoon tea to another was Mrs. Chang's pastime. She passionately uploaded photos of elaborate finger foods, scones with clotted cream and jam, cakes, and sandwiches with the gorgeous ambiance of tea rooms all over the island on her Instagram account, which had many followers. Every time Mrs. Chang saw Uzuki, she reminded Uzuki to hit the "Like" button for Mrs. Chang's works. "Yesterday's was also offered by the hotel as a promotion," Mrs. Chang explained. "You know, I love having afternoon teas, but having them all the time just makes me gain weight. How terrible! But I want to grow the number of my followers more and more."
After sinking herself into the pool without her head, she continued.
"But, I once thought that just trying to boost the number of followers was a foolish behavior. Now, I am that foolish, don't you think so, Uzuki?"
Uzuki returned to consciousness by being called the name.
"Sorry, I wasn't listening. I must have spaced out."
Mrs. Chang exaggeratedly opened her eyes wide and said, "Oh, come on, you're always spacing out! You always look like your mind is somewhere else. Do you have something worried on your mind?"
"Sorry, I'm just curious about..., Did you say Australia is so close to here?"
Uzuki asked Mrs. Chang, almost automatically.
"Yes, it's very very near. Is that a problem?"
With a bit baffled expression, Mrs. Chang asked Uzuki.
"Oh, no, it's nothing. Please don't mind me, but I am wondering how fun I can go on a short trip. Singapore is such a hub for traveling anywhere in Asia, and the airport is so conveniently accessible from anywhere on this island. Once my son's school goes on a long break, I'm sure my family will take a trip somewhere."
Uzuki was still caught in an unexplainable feeling but responded in a hurry.
"And, I always enjoy your Instagram posts of elegant afternoon tea parties!"
Uzuki added in succession.
"Oh, but you look uneasy. Are you really OK?"
Mrs. Chang stared at Uzuki with a worried look.
"Thank you, Mrs. Chang, but I am just a bit tired as I've been outside for a long time today. I have to take a rest," Uzuki stood up and started to gather her belongings by the pool.
Uzuki murmured, "I need to check the world map immediately."