What a coincidence. This morning I had a dream. There were 11 prisoners to be hanged but the gallows can only hang six at one time. 0600 hrs is fast approaching and I need to select the first half to be hanged. No time to waste. I drew the first 5 and present their names to the warder. They are the easy ones, prisoners with no relations, no loved ones. The other six will have a few minutes more to live. I fled, trying to plug my ears of hearing their marching footsteps towards their doom. No matter how far I ran, the sounds of their footsteps followed me.
Their deaths will be fast at the hands of the experienced executioner. His eyes has a distant stare as he receives his prisoner, focusing entirely on his task. His assistant pinion the arms while he loop the noose which is specially imported from UK, threaded through a metal eye. Tug it tight, step back and pull the trap door lever. The sound of the neck bones snapping tells him the execution was perfectly executed. The head should not be decapitated by the body weight unlike the amateurish jobs of the Iraqis when Saddam henchmen were hanged.
But this is Asia and Chinese prisoners shits at the thought of horse and cow face guards escorting them to Hades. They wailed, kicking, shrieking and had to be dragged. Anthony Ler was one such case, same as Mimi Wong. They died fighting unlike Adrian Lim, or Pulau Senang's prisoners as they march and sang triad songs. Few warders are needed to prop the wretched man up so the noose can be slipped over. Safety belts are worn to avoid falling together and breaking their legs. How they wish these prisoners can be sedated full of drugs like those about to be beheaded in Saudi Arabia. Hota does not allow that in any case.
The team are given unrecorded leave. Best is to go swimming at the public pool, up and down its length to wash the subconscious guilt, dreading the wheel of karma. Will it be quick? An instant heart attack or pain and agony of cancer? The old man does not care anyway. His sins has already visited his children and grandchildren.