It was a big decision, but I finally took the plunge. I went out and looked into buying an apartment for myself. Something new, fresh and inviting, where I could show off my accolades and have friends come in to see all my possessions. I never had a place to meet up with friends, and it would nice to be close to somewhere where I could interact with the community and meet new people. Somewhere close to shops to see the latest accessories, somewhere where I could go play games or invite people to play games with me, and even watch movies if I wanted. I found the place I wanted and simply waited for the space to become available.

And waited. And waited. And waited. Every few months I would get an announcement from the builders talking about how great my Home would be and how it would change the way I interacted with the world around me. I was still excited from the prospects, the teases and the promises that it would be just around the corner. Gradually, though, it seemed to wear off. It wasn’t all that bad where I was and I had grown comfortable with what I had, as the situation seemed to get better all the time. Communication with my friends improved and when I finally got a decent phone service I was chatting away the days. Inviting friends to play, sending messages and just talking. A lot of what I was looking for in my new Home, minus the nicer locations and the communal spaces. I started to wonder if it was something I really needed.

Months went by without a word, and when more updates and exciting news came through the pipes I became more apathetic. All of my friends who were interested in their own acquisitions seemed to share the same sentiment. Things were pretty good already. Still, a bit of change couldn’t hurt, and when the builders finally announced that my Home would be ready by the end of the year, I was skeptical but still fairly interested in a new life and the potential it had to change things for me. When the first block of apartments were being tested, they kept the muzzle on everyone there. None of my friends got their apartments, so I didn’t know anything. With no word trickling out, no excitement or life-altering stories, I didn’t know what to expect and finally just let it fall to the back of my mind.

Then it happened. The doors opened, my keys arrived and it was time to experience my new Home. I arrived to a full lounge, people lining up to access their newly minted places of residence, most not even able to sneak in on the first night. Crowds gathered, but I managed to grab an elevator. After a few stutters, power went out on the way up, I opened up the door to a sterile, cream-coloured corner apartment. Little more than a balcony and a living room, the thing that stood out the most was the view. Sea-side, a dock and boats littering the beautiful waters below. The apartment itself was barren, and even I felt lifeless with such a limited wardrobe. Eyes glazed over, I explored, danced a bit to get comfortable in my new surroundings, and ventured outside for a glimpse of the world that was promised to me.

The main drag outside the complex was startling at first. I thought I saw the shapes of people glistening in the sunlight. My eyes were playing tricks on me as phantoms floated throughout the bright, clean plaza. I sat down to collect my thoughts, and when I looked up the bustling city was alive with people. Connected, talking, dancing and exploring a new world. It was exciting, it was new, and…wait, is that my shirt? Clothing seems a bit drab around town, like the local shops only had five or six outfits and everyone went for the t-shirt. It’s an odd reflection of a dystopian world, a darker Stepford Wives and it’s certainly not as inviting as I had hoped. Still, it’s new, clearly everyone around is still getting used to the surroundings, so I still needed to give it a shot. What else was there to do?

I looked at the map that was given to me by the complex company and saw that there was a movie theatre. I looked over and noticed it was right in front of me, and the only door that was opened among a beautiful glass exterior was jammed full of people. I managed to squeeze my way past, only to be told to wait. And wait. And wait. No movie was worth this. What’s next on the list? Bowling…okay, sure. I can do bowling. I’ve been known to “bowl”. Line-up over there, too. Looks like I’m waiting for the movies.

And waiting. Seems to be a trend. When the announcement finally comes around that the theatre is ready, I’ve already forgotten why I was going. Walk in to a crowded room with a blank screen. No one is sitting, there’s a sense of disarray. Someone is shouting.

“Where the movie at?”

Silence.

“Yo, where the movie at?”

“It’s in front of your face on the big **** screen, you ****.”

Silence. Classy. Movie starts, it’s a trailer. Not interested, so I’m off to go bowling. And waiting. Line-up is done so I’m off. I’m tired, underwhelmed, a bit disappointed in the wait at this point, so I’m looking forward to unwinding at the alleys. I walk in and there’s a crowd formed in just about every corner. I saunter over to the first alley and join a team. Controls were easy to get a handle on, and once I got comfortable I was king of the lanes. Strike, strike, spare, split. It didn’t matter, I was actually kind of having fun. Five frames in, my team seemed bored, listless. They left and I finished off the set. People were stood in wait, a group of four, and I was confused. How many lanes were there? Did everyone have to wait to get here? I stood aside as a group of friends lined up to start a game. There was an arcade in the corner, I wasn’t interested. Where to next?

So there’s a mall, something else I barely noticed in the unlabeled plaza and waited, waited, etc. again for the line to cease. Walked around to get a sense of my surroundings more as the few women that scattered the landscape were chatted up and surrounded at all sides. Random conversations blew through the air about disappointment, waiting and dancing. As drab as things seemed, there was certainly a lot of dancing. I sat on the steps of the theatre, leering perhaps a bit too hard at crowds gathered around a pond with a flashy light show that barely made an impact in the sun-drenched streets. Mall was finally open, and I made my way in.

Two floors, cramped feeling like the outside was bigger than the interior. Unmarked shops with semi-implied entrances were scattered on the bottom floor along with dozens of residents. I went left to begin my journey and wound up at a clothing shop. Excellent, my first shot an individualism in this urban pastel portrait. And waited. Sick of that, so I moved onto the next shop, where furniture seemed to be the theme. A few chairs, a dollar, a few tables, a dollar and some one-offs that barely seemed worth it. It’s cheap, but with the economy the way it is in this location, a dollar is a lot of money. Back to the clothing shop, where the waiting was over and the selection finally came to light. Fifty cents here, there, for a limited selection and I was off to the next shop.

Actually, no, I wasn’t. Upstairs was a lot of the same, I’d had enough. Time to go back Home. I sat out on the balcony, gazing over the shimmering and calm waters, wondering what I had come for. Had my wait really been for this? Was I really that interested in talking to random people in such an odd space, inundated with waiting and advertising while throwing cash at such minimal return. Buyers remorse certainly had risen up in me and I’d had enough for the night.

My Home was not what I had initially hoped. Those hopes and dreams of a new and invigorating experience seemed to be dashed. I had trouble getting in and out of locations as time went on. The plaza grew more crowded, the language more vulgar, until the simply issued a curfew. Policed the crowds for crowing, and then lifted after a clamour for more freedom. The open world we were promised felt small, soulless and sad. Still, the open spaces and fact that a community was forming was something that still keeps me coming back, keeps me thinking of what to add to my Home. What I hope for, what I’d pay for, and perhaps what this new life and new location may bring. Still, it’s a lonely life and I still find myself in familiar spaces, away from my Home and simply using the phone and text messages to communication. No meetings, no clubs, just games and it seems to work for now. And so my apartment sits. Sad, cream-coloured walls and wooden floors. It waits.