The Last Generation

The Boy

Squinting just a little and cocking her head to a side, Tiarna moved quickly. Short sharp strokes of her beloved iPen against her thin Surface tablet. She alternated between looking up to trace what was before her with her eyes and then down again to ensure she was capturing it just right. Not right in the sense that it was an accurate depiction of what was before her, but rather, right as defined by Tiarna. Tiarna tapped the top corner of the screen to switch the material of her iPen, shifting from a paintbrush that had been key to setting the dull grey background to a grainy texture to bring out the flow of the water. This was just how she saw it and she desired to remember it.

At first glance, it was aesthetic. The water cascaded from the left to the right, emerging from and disappearing again in small drains that were so narrow that it barely resembled a drain. In between, the water danced down different layers and textures of stone, getting cleaner and more drinkable as it passed through the material. Her hand fought to keep up with the movement as her mind fixated on the knowledge she had acquired about these very water displays. She had passed them so many times without once knowing what they did, but now, she had grown to admire them greatly because they served a larger purpose. And perhaps, a little bit of her admiration for an inanimate object stemmed from the longing to have a higher purpose as well.

At every juncture, the water was getting purified in a different but necessary way. Of course, for good reason, the initial water coming from the pipes from the homes within this neighborhood was hidden from sight. But after the first few rounds of purification cycles, the water was finally glossy and clear. It emerged from the ground ready for a display like this. These were the final rounds of cleansing, where the bacteria in the water would be destroyed by the enhanced permeable stone and under the heat of the sun. After coming up for air, the water went back down under to be channeled back into the houses for use.

At times like these, technology was pretty beautiful.

"What are you up to this time?" A familiar voice sliced through Tiarna's concentration.

As a knee jerk reaction, she hid her Surface behind her side. Looking up, she found Andrew standing just behind her with fascination in his eyes. Heaving a huge sigh relief, Tiarna placed the Surface back on her lap. Papa had installed a few unique programs into Tiarna's Surface, which gave her the platform to draw and paint, but there was a small caveat. He had told her repeatedly that these programs were from beyond Singapore and if she ever got caught with them, they would be removed forever. Thankfully, as her childhood friend, Andrew had seen much worse. So this would be next to nothing.

Andrew was taller than the average boy and he had slowly started to bend over to the point where he could sit down uncomfortably on the ground beside Tiarna. As much as he liked to have Tiarna in his company, Andrew always felt a sense of discomfort around her. It was not her exactly, instead, she felt so out of place in the environment that at times she dragged him along with her. As his soft buttocks grazed the hot floor, he wished there were seats nearby. He looked around and when he found none in the vicinity, it made him wonder why for just a short moment. But soon, his let his other thoughts push him to forget.

"Hey, Andrew." Tiarna inspected Andrew as he leaned over her shoulder trying to take a look. Her eyes swept across his high cheek bones, which matched his high nose bridge. In all the years that Andrew and Tiarna had been friends, Tiarna had always found Andrew a little different from the other boys. She was not just referring to his personality, but also his features. Clearly, his features were sharper than those of the boys in her neighborhood or institution. They were more defined, or perhaps, she was just distracted.

"Hello, T." Andrew smiled, a warm boyish smile that brought a confusing redness to Tiarna's cheeks. "So, let's see what you've got there."

Tiarna narrowed her eyes at him, suddenly shy, "It's nothing much, really."