Rich People Problems-Kwan 2017 (WWT)

CHAPTER THREE
RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, NEW YORK
Patti Smith was in the middle of belting out “Because the Night” when Nicholas Young’s
cell phone began lighting up like a firecracker in his jeans pocket. Nick ignored the call,
but when the lights came up after the concert’s final encore, he glanced at the screen and
was surprised to find one voice mail from his cousin Astrid, another from his best friend
Colin Khoo, and five text messages from his mother. His mother never texted. He didn’t
think she even knew how to text. The messages read:
ELEANOR YOUNG: 4?Z Nicky#
ELEANOR YOUNG: p lease cakk me at once! Where are y
ELEANOR YOUNG: oy? Why don’t you answered any of your phines?
ELEANOR YOUNG: Ah Ma had a massive heat attack!
ELEANOR YOUNG: C allhome now!
Nick handed the phone to his wife, Rachel, and sank into his seat. After the euphoric
high of the concert, he felt like someone had suddenly knocked all the wind out of him.
Rachel read the text messages quickly and looked up at Nick in alarm. “Don’t you think
you’d better call?”
“Yeah, I guess I should,” Nick replied. “Let’s get out of here first, though. I need some
air.”
—
As the two of them exited Radio City Music Hall, they hurried across Sixth Avenue to
avoid the crowds still milling under the famous marquee. Nick paced around the plaza
outside the Time & Life Building to make his call. There was that familiar dead pause for
a few seconds, usually followed by the distinctive Singapore ringtone, but today, his
mother’s voice abruptly came onto the line before he was ready for it.
“NICKY? Nicky, ah? Is that you?”
“Yes, Mum, it’s me. Can you hear me?”
“Aiyah, why did you take so long to call back? Where are you?”