The trunami hit the island state without warning. The people at the beach had their eyes to the sky, amazed at seeing the month old hazed lift in an instant; failing to notice the receding shoreline. Sunbathers took off their shades, children dropped their spades. They saw the sun as if all they'd known was that grey pall, that for weeks began to hang in their minds as well. Well served volleyballs fell to the sand un-received.

The wave swelled to a thousand meters, drew back and fell forward. It rushed inland at 500 kilometres and hour. In three minutes, it covered the island.

The first victims were the teenagers. Everyone between thirteen to nineteen immediately realized that their dreams were hopeless. Hopeless if that dream did not involve making lots of money, status symbols, and making lots of money. Aspiring artists, musicians, writers saw the futility of their endeavors, for it contradicted the means of survival. Aspiring soldiers, teachers, firemen and police, understood to become pawns of an irrepressible entity. Those with no aspirations gained one - they joined the ones already filled with the spirit of success. The ones who wanted to make it big, earn big bucks, and validate their existences with money and all it's manifestations.

Oh, and every single love affair based on love itself - ceased to continue. Self discovery was given up, they knew what they needed to anyway, no need to find out more.

Every child below thirteen studied harder than before. They knew the rest of their lives depended on how they scored in the system. That was all that mattered.

Married couples without children each took their own jobs if they didn't, and held off financially draining offspring plans. Those with children drew up spreadsheets of their investments in them so far, and the kids read them well enough to know how much to repay their parents, if they were inclined to do so.

Half the elderly committed suicide, saddened by the revelation they were neither loved nor valued. The other half hoarded their assets, and demonstrated their powers among their heirs. Many spent their life long earned savings on what they've dreamed to do, knowing it would not make them happy, but happy still knowing they did what they wanted to do when they were still idealistic, and did not leave anything behind for the ungrateful, unfilial and unforgiven.

Alas it's the people of the twenties and thirties that failed to be described so easily. A number of them took their own lives, amidst pursuits they thought validated their existence but turned out inconsequential to the world or anyone of importance.

A group of males realized pursuit for love was useless: success would bring love. They readjusted their efforts accordingly.

It dawned on a group of females that who they were with were not promises of a better, more comfortable and hence happy tomorrow. They made the necessary changes and set about seeking to build their own ladders or find new ways to step up.

The many injustices of their employment came to light, but they accepted it and stopped wondering why they had to endure such torture.

Many others in this life stage were so overwhelmed they left the country, committed suicide or simply disappeared. It has been said they joined the streams of souls drifting in the nether across the equator, searching for a place where they could dream once more. Thus the trunami left in it's wake destruction or lives innumerable.