Short fiction: Singapore Dump Wisdom
by Andrei Vaduva
Yusuf was coming back from breakfast and a quick promenade to the iconic Merlion statue. It was only his second day in the bustling Southeast Asian metropolis. The excitement of a tourist discovering a new city was untouched, especially after having one of the finest Indonesian dishes in the street food area, rendang Sumatra.
After a great start of that day where Yusuf took endless pictures of every single building he could lay his eyes on, he reckoned he ought to take a break. After basking for hours in the scorching tropical heat, the man was yearning for a shower and a nap.
With that in mind, Yusuf returned to his hostel on Arab street, which hosts a variety of street food stalls where delicacies from all across the continent could be found at modest prices. As a foodie, the area suited Yusuf entirely.
However, for the time being, Yusuf was preoccupied with more basic needs. Once back inside the hostel, he went straight for the shower. It was his first contact with that building’s facility, as he had arrived quite late the previous night, completely shattered after a long flight from his home country, Oman.
He entered a dark, damp hallway that had three wooden doors, all serving the same purpose. Each door looked equally unkept and shabby, requiring at least a new paint job. But that was of little importance to the guest. What mattered was what awaited on the other side.
The door opened to a minuscule shower cabin where, everywhere one looked, there was a faulty detail. The floor was made of cracked tiles. A few of their corners were missing, exposing the cement underneath. The walls didn’t seem to have ever had a proper washing. Bits of mold could be seen in the corners. The exposed water pipes were rusty, and up above, a spider web was hanging. One might assume that the spider living there had been a permanent resident of that particular shower cabin ever since its inception.
Many say that a book shouldn’t be judged by its cover. But that shower cabin in particular proved that there comes a time when the cover completely matches its content.
“Surely this isn’t Singapore,” thought Yusuf. “I had way better conditions where I stayed in Mauritania. For a way better price too.”
But in fact, it was still Singapore, not too far from the famous Marina Bay. He didn’t quite expect to end up in a place like that, given the good reviews he saw on the internet.
“Well, as long as there’s water running through these pipes at a fair pressure, I can deal with it.” Yusuf went on as he put his hand on the faucet. But lo. There wasn’t hot or warm water at all. A cold shower came all over him. As shocking as it was, the heat inside made up for it. The water pressure could be better too, but it got Yusuf going.
Despite the sturdy web up above, no spider made its presence felt while the guest was covering every inch of his body in soap. However, a different visitor was about to check on him. In that tiny, damp space there was also a sink. Next to it, there was a crack, and through it a cockroach came through, casually walking on the wall, inspecting everything with its long antennas. The whole thing must’ve been around 3 inches long.
Yusuf took notice of the visitor. He winced and wanted to leave the cabin, but his situation wouldn’t allow him, as he was all covered in soap. So, he had to reconcile himself with the fact that, for the time being, there were two souls sharing that space.
“Serves me right for booking the cheapest hostel I could find on the internet.” Yusuf told himself, as he turned bitter. That dank little cabin sure was a piece of work.
The guest had to keep an eye on the cockroach while he finished cleaning up. He didn’t want the gnarly creature to do anything unexpected. That disgusting, horrific-looking foul animal had always frightened him, as far back as he could remember.
Nonetheless, Yusuf’s wary attitude turned out to be not that necessary after all. Many minutes passed, and the cockroach was simply wandering the wall in a slow, unhurried manner. The six-legged creature didn’t have any interest in coming even close to Yusuf. It had other things to worry about, and the human presence was just a matter of indifference to it.
Strangely enough, Yusuf began changing his attitude about his little shower cabin partner. They were both sharing a special, intimate moment, both wearing nothing but their skin. They were both being equally vulnerable, subject to life’s dangers that could strike unexpectedly at any second and without any warning.
Thus, Yusuf began coming closer to the little fella with long antennas. He started studying the details of that creature he’d once found so repulsive and unbearable to look at and felt a strange sense of connection.
Soon enough, he could distinguish the face of the Singapore cockroach as he looked into its eyes. And those eyes seemed to be looking right back at him while sort of waving the antennas. The more he looked, the more he projected human qualities on the creature.
Yusuf realized that even this bug could be a sentient creature, filled with reason and compassion, a benevolent spirit that, just like Yusuf, was simply doing its best to make things better for its own kind.
He kept pondering what the cockroach was up to. Maybe the bug was just wandering through that shabby hostel to find something for its little cockroach community living elsewhere, possibly in a hidden corner of that same building. What if the creature was looking for some resources to bring to its cockroach partner and its cockroach kids and enjoy a nice cockroach meal together, all in good old cockroach fashion?
Suddenly, a brutal knock came on the cabin’s door, taking both beings by surprise. Someone else was requesting the use of that service. In an instant, the cockroach swiftly ran up the wall until it was out of sight.
Back to reality, Yusuf put the towel around him and left the shower. The little cockroach interaction made him completely forget about the shabbiness of that wretched cabin. It appeared that a whole new perspective had just been revealed to him. He felt as if he was drunk on a thousand discoveries, finding himself in a world without any doubts. There wasn’t any more inquiry, such as “Why is it like this or like that?”. The answer had always been there, plain and simple. It was like this or that because it simply was. And all that was needed for this breakthrough was the simple presence of a cockroach.
With that realization, Yusuf spent the rest of his Singapore sojourn wandering aimlessly through the bustling city, observing and admiring all its aspects. Wherever he looked, there was something to be seen. And whenever he came back into that dump of a hostel, he was yearning to meet the cockroach again in that dilapidated shower cabin.
However, the cockroach was nowhere to be seen. Probably his errand had been completed. His sole mission might’ve been to meet Yusuf and trigger his little discovery. At least that’s what the man himself liked to believe.
Eventually, the young traveler bid farewell to Singapore. Days passed and the wandering man switched to a new destination and then to another, discovering new sights while bearing in mind the creature that had made such an impression on him. He even gave a name to that cockroach, Corry Roach. And the little encounter with Corry Roach would be told by the man wherever he may roam.
“I was born and raised in downtown Bucharest, Romania. Went to college in the Netherlands to study business, but at the end of it I realized I wasn’t really meant to be your typical business man. Still, I graduated and did various jobs, wandering through Europe in the meantime. Eventually, I got an English teaching certificate and applied for this job everywhere I could in South East Asia. That’s how I came to Hanoi more than 3 years ago. Meanwhile, I developed a passion for writing. So, here I am, walking the Earth and typing words.”
- Andrei Vaduva