Click-click.
The tip of the pen shot outward.
Click-click.
The tip of the pen retracted back in.
Toss from one hand.
Toss to the other.
Click-click.
Click-click.
Staring out the window in front of his desk, Johnathan noticed how mesmerizing the Singapore skyline was at this time of day… To be frank, he was going to miss the view. It was a fairly decent spot, after all; level 67 of a high-quality hotel complex. The internship program he’d been working in provided a host of benefits most would consider luxurious—the hotel was only the tip of the iceberg. Johnathan’s unique set of skills made him a highly valued asset in the corporate world, and everyone fought tooth and nail for a piece of him. In the end, Dynapro won out, managing to sway him with a cushy intern position and a free flight to Singapore.
The past few years had been a bit of a blur for Johnathan… He doubted, despite the competition over his employment, that his efforts had really contributed to much. Dynapro (short for “Dynamic Productions”) was a big company, after all; what could one small intern do to actually make a dent? Johnathan had realized this earlier than anyone else thought he would… These few years had been nothing but filler to him, something to do to pass the time. What mattered more to him was Singapore itself.
Such a beautiful city, a model of what a state really could be… It was clean. It was safe. It was delightful in ways no other place could be. Sure, there was a bit of an issue regarding police brutality… Oh, and the government didn’t exactly take too kindly to criticisms… But brush away those inconveniences, and Singapore was as good as heaven.
Of course, he was leaving now… forced to return back to the New World, his home nation of America. Johnathan admired the genius of the Constitution and the freedom it granted, but compared to the near-utopia of Singapore, America always seemed…
…Lesser.
Not in all senses, however. One could not deny that America produced the largest GDP on planet Earth, with not even a single nation coming close since the start of the 21st century. But there were other parts of America that just seemed… unruly. Take certain cities, for example: Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston—a quick look at any one of them, and they don’t exactly scream “paradise.” One could argue it’s because of inefficient governance… Another could say the fault lies in an abundance of liberty. Whatever the reason, America isn’t perfect. It’s got its pros, it’s got its cons, just like any other country in the world.
But maybe, just maybe… the cons could shrink. Perhaps the cons could lessen to a point where they lie unrecognizable—a mere inconvenience rather than a legitimate burden. Just like Singapore itself.
It’d be a beast of a project… starting on a local scale, then expanding onto the national stage, but with enough determination it could be done. Maybe it could even be done without compromising personal liberties, too, eliminating the one flaw of Singapore itself in the process.
…
Or perhaps it’s too ambitious. He’s just an intern, after all. Johnathan could never take on such a task.
At least…
…Not right now.
Johnathan strolled down the hall, suit well-fixed and briefcase in hand, walking fast in order to catch his flight back to Austin and hopefully grab a bite on the way. As he walked, he eventually ran into the boss himself— Mr. Liu Yan-do.
While he wasn’t the CEO of the company (or really head of any major role), he was still Johnathan’s boss, a man he trusted greatly and treated as if he were his own father.
“Johnathan! I trust you are prepared for your flight—?”
“Oh, you know me, Mr. Yan-do. Ever caught me unprepared before?”
Liu chuckled before guiding Johnathan over to the hotel café. ”Come, come… I checked your flight. You’ll have time for a quick breakfast before you leave.”
The two sat down at one of the vacant tables near the café, a surprisingly cozy joint Johnathan had only swung by a few times before. It had, in large glaring letters, a poster hanging over the pastry display case reading: JAVA BEAN: CAFE & BAKERY.
Johnathan’s attention snapped back to his boss, who was trying to get his attention. ”What’s your order? I was about to go up.”
Johnathan chuckled. ”Honestly, I hadn’t thought it through… I was planning on swiping a donut before hopping on my flight, so… that’ll probably do fine.”
Liu shook his head. ”That won’t do… Too plain. Too simple. You’re leaving Singapore, after all! Why not go out in style? I’ll get you some kaya toast and a cup of kopi.”
Johnathan laughed to himself, never quite getting used to Mr. Yan-do’s stubbornness.
After a few minutes, Liu returned with two plates of kaya toast, a cup of kopi, and a black coffee. Johnathan frowned when he saw Mr. Yan-do’s choice of beverage. ”Straight black? What happened to your normal espresso?”
Liu shook his head once again, this time waving his hand as if to dismiss the question. ”I’m trying to cut back on the sugar… oh, and the caffeine too; those things will be the death of me if I’m not careful…”
Johnathan arched an eyebrow. ”You sure those aren’t just the words of the missus…?”
Liu shrugged. ”Perhaps Mrs. Yan-do provided some… light advice.”
The two laughed as they ate and chatted away. They spoke of politics, global developments, corporate happenings—there were rumors Dynapro was going through a rough patch. Johnathan made a good decision not to stick with the company, apparently.
Eventually, though, the conversation looped back to that bit— Johnathan’s final departure. ”So… Mr. Katsauros. Striking out on his own.”
Johnathan put down his mocha and nodded. ”Yep… I’ve got a buddy down in Austin who’s willing to give me a hand with my startup. It’s time to take a break from letting these corporate shills control me—”
“—By becoming one of your own, eh?”
Johnathan chuckled. ”I have other plans than to sit around and discuss how to best screw over the 99%.”
Liu smirked. ”Trust me, eventually you’ll reach a point where you’ll be nose-diving into your pool of gold just like the rest of the elites—that is, if you don’t keep your greed and ego under control.”
Johnathan stared down at the floor solemnly, thinking over Mr. Yan-do’s words. Liu placed a hand on Johnathan’s shoulder, looking him eye-to-eye. ”Everyone gets tempted by these things eventually, Johnathan. I may not be Christian like you, but even us Buddhists see danger in the great sins. While I was partially joking about the ‘corporate shill’ piece—you have shown remarkable restraint in terms of financial greed—you will be tempted, and for you, I believe your main struggles will be your pride and your lust.”
Johnathan rubbed his chin for a moment before responding, ”I can see pride, absolutely… but lust?”
Liu nodded. ”Yes, lust… I know breaking away from Amber was painful for you, Johnathan, but the way you’ve been going about dealing with this pain hasn’t been healthy.”
Upon further thought, Johnathan could agree. Ever since he broke up with his longtime high school sweetheart, Amber Langsley, about halfway through college, Johnathan had been hopping from person to person, girl to girl, in small rapid-fire relationships hoping to recreate the same spark he had with Amber way back then. Moving to Singapore hadn’t helped, either; initially, he thought it’d distract him, but he quickly realized he was still doing the exact same thing—just with Singaporean women instead. He never tried to hurt the folks he dated… Most of the time, they never seemed hurt anyway… just disappointed. And so was he. Liu knew this.
“…I don’t know if this is on the table for you, Johnathan, but perhaps once you return to Austin, you could consider… getting back together with Amber. Perhaps that’d solve the issue.”
As crazy as it sounded, Mr. Yan-do had a point. Their breakup wasn’t intense and it wasn’t heartbreaking either; it was painful, but slow. Neither one of them thought they had a spark at the time. Not the same spark back when they were younger… But then again, perhaps it could be brought back. Perhaps the spark never died, but was only ever buried.
Perhaps—
Perhaps…
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
An alarm went off on Johnathan’s watch. Time to dash.
Liu looked upon Johnathan with both fear and hope in his eyes: fear of what his pupil could become, and hope in what he could do for the world. In the end, though, the only one with Johnathan’s future in their hands was Johnathan himself; this fact both of them knew.
The two hugged one last time as Liu smiled upon his shining student. ”Do what you must, Johnathan… but never forget who you are. Never forget the good you’re capable of doing.”
Johnathan nodded, a smile on his face as well, as he picked up his briefcase and walked out the hotel door. As he stepped out and breathed in the fresh air of a Singaporean morning, he turned around and looked up at the hotel he called home for the past few years now. Finally, he turned back around, and for the last time in a long time, Johnathan admired the view of the Singaporean skyline before hopping into his taxi and driving into the sunrise.
Mesmerizing, isn’t it?
Peter J. Chesterton 