My name is Natalie Hayes . I am twenty years of age and I live with my mum in Singapore . It has not been long since we lived there because my mum was a Banker in Australia and she got a transfer note from the Bank that she needed to move to Singapore to continue her course of work because they had new interns and old ones were to move to other countries.
Back in Australia, things had felt more predictable. The sun shone a little softer. Our neighborhood was quieter, older, familiar. But everything changed the day she came home with two big things—transfer papers from the bank and a gleaming new BMW 7 Series.
It all happened so fast. One minute she was sipping coffee and grumbling about her annoying coworker, and the next, she was tossing her tailored suits into a suitcase. The bank needed her in their Singapore branch—apparently, some wave of new interns were flooding in, and senior staff were being shipped to different countries like chess pieces.
We were one of those pieces.
The car came the same day as the papers, like some strange consolation prize for the chaos. She had always wanted that BMW. She said it made her feel powerful.
I wasn't sure how I felt.
The next morning, she left early for the bank, crisp in her navy pantsuit and that deep red lipstick that made her look like she had everything under control. I stayed behind, dragging boxes up the narrow stairs, unpacking towels and mismatched mugs, and filling the fridge with bottled water and takeout containers. The house felt sterile. Big, modern, and echoey—like someone else's life we were borrowing.
At least we had separate bedrooms now.
Back in our apartment in Melbourne, we shared one. And as much as I love Mum, sleeping beside her was a nightmare—literally. She talks in her sleep, mumbling random numbers and reminding imaginary people to file their reports. More than once, I'd woken up convinced someone was whispering in my ear.
So the second I finished setting up my room, I collapsed onto my new bed and stared at the ceiling fan. I felt... hollow. The excitement I thought I'd feel? It didn't come. Not even a nibble. My stomach had twisted into some kind of knot and forgotten how to be hungry.
Then came the knock at the door.
Multiple voices. Laughter. Footsteps crunching lightly on the gravel outside our small compound.
I peered through the curtain—three or four strangers stood in front of the door holding bags, boxes, and one person even had a dish covered in foil. Neighbors. Great.
Muffled voices followed as the door creaked open. I heard greetings, the clink of glass, the squeak of Mum's polite laughter.
I froze.
Something inside me recoiled.
Maybe it was the jet lag. Or the weird, floaty feeling that came from being uprooted. But I didn't want to meet anyone. I didn't want to smile or talk about where we were from or pretend to like pandan cake or rice dumplings wrapped in banana leaves.
So I did what any overwhelmed twenty-year-old would do.
I tiptoed up the stairs, slipped into my room, and quietly locked the door behind me.
The noise downstairs continued for a while—more greetings, some laughter, the clatter of glass. It was friendly. Warm, even. But it felt like it was happening in someone else's house.
I pressed my forehead to the cool window and stared out at the skyline, the strange mix of tropical trees and glimmering towers that made up Singapore. It was beautiful, yes, but foreign. Too foreign.
Maybe tomorrow I'd say hello.
But today... today I just needed to breathe
My stupid emotions were all over the place. One second I was fine, the next… tears slipped from my eyes. I didn't even realize I was crying until one splashed onto my shirt like a drop of guilt. 💧
I missed them.
Lilly . Ava.
We had always solved math problems together after class. I was the Maths shack—they never let me forget it. Lilly was our go-to for Science, and Ava? She made History come alive like she wrote the textbooks herself.
💻 "Heeey... don't even go there, girlfriend," Ava said, her voice cutting through my spiral. "Don't worry babe, vacation is just two months away, and we promise—we're coming to visit!"
💻 "Yes, girl!" Lilly shouted, trying to lighten the mood with her usual high-energy tone.
💻 "Yeah yeah... okay," I said, trying to force a smile.
💻 "Damn, girl... look at your room!" Lilly screamed a moment later, her face moving closer to her camera.
💻 "Well duh…" I replied with a half-smirk.
💻 "It's amazing, Ava! I know you miss us and all, but girl, you're already there now. Might as well make the most of it."
💻 "How is everything there?" I asked.
💻 "Well... you've only been gone two days, but the neighborhood is already as boring as school prom," Ava muttered.
💻 "Ugh, don't remind me," I laughed weakly. "My new neighborhood? It's as quiet as detention. I swear, the only thing I hear at night are—"
💻 Natalia , you have the right to go out without your mum's permission now, right?" Monique cut in. "You're an adult, remember?"
💻 "Ha! Everyone does… except me. You forget I have one of the most controlling mums in the world. And being a Protective mum just adds fire to the flame 🔥. Her hawk eyes are always on me 👀. I never even got a chance to learn how to be a proper adult."
💻 "Sooo... what are you doing right now?"
💻 "Err... not much. Just some neighbors downstairs with my mum. You know, the usual welcome committee routine."
💻 "What are you holding?" Ava asked, squinting into her screen.
💻 "Can you girls believe this estate actually has rules and regulations just because some rich and famous people live here?"
💻 "Woah! Really? So now you're neighbors with presidents and ministers?!" they both gasped in unison.
💻 "Hey... I didn't say that! I'm just quoting the estate boss. All he said was that some very popular people live here, so they gave us this 'new resident paper' to help us blend in gradually."
💻 "Have you read it?"
💻 "Nope. They handed it to us last night."
💻 "Well then, read it! Let us hear it too," Lilly said.
I unwrapped the folded estate paper and squinted at the printed text.
💻 "Only three rules?"
💻 "Read it out!" Ava said impatiently.
💻 "Rule number one: Too much noise is strictly prohibited and may result in eviction. Rule number two: No littering around the estate—offenders will be fined ten thousand dollars and taken to court."
💻 "What?!" Lilly gasped.
💻 "Keep going," Ava urged.
💻 "Rule number three: Residents are expected to maintain a respectful distance and privacy—no gossip, no taking photos of others without consent, especially around high-profile homes."
💻 "Woah. You're basically living in Celeb Central now."
We all laughed. The tension in my chest eased for a moment.
But then, as the conversation slowed, I noticed their eyes shifting to something off-screen. They had a test they were supposed to be doing together. They smiled politely, but I could tell I was distracting them.
💻 "Okay, guys. I'll go make something to eat. Chat with you later?"
💻 "Sure thing, love," Ava said gently.
I ended the call and sat quietly on my bed for a moment, staring at my hands. My room was beautiful. Bigger than anything I'd had before. Mum and I had worked together to organize everything—our clothes, books, makeup—even little things like our hair products and bath salts. For once, we both had space. Real space.
A giant glass window stood across from my bed's headboard. I walked over and rolled the curtains up.
The view stole my breath for a second.
From the second floor, I could see nearly the entire estate. Houses sprawled out in perfect order like a magazine ad. Some were brick, some painted creamy beige or warm grey. A few were wooden, with modern bamboo trim and flowering vines climbing the front porches.
At the far end was a giant white house, larger and more pristine than all the others. It looked like something out of a drama—flawless, intimidating... almost royal.
I wondered who lived there.
And for the first time since we moved, I felt something stir inside me.
Curiosity.
Maybe... just maybe, Singapore had something interesting waiting for me after all.