No explanation. No summary.
Just little moments that forms part of a bigger picture in time to come.
Please do not read this until you have completed the following free to read works ;
Welly Chin ( Prime Minister )
Prime Minister’s office
Sitting in my office, I wondered why my predecessor took up this position. It is a thankless job.
We have come to a stage in the country’s development that no matter what the government do, we are wrong. Any new policy, any new initiative, we are wrong.
New developments to rejuvenate old estate, we are wrong. The money can be better spent somewhere else.
New roads to boost connectivity, we are wrong. Going car lite means less roads.
New towns to house our citizens who have grown sick and weary of Punggol and Sengkang. We are still wrong.
Looking at the Meme of me on my computer screen which my staff has sent to me, I could not help but laugh. It was a doctored picture of me bending over with a giant dildo going up my ass.
The photoshop was pretty well done, it even took into the consideration of the shadows that were cast on my face. That picture was taking from a tree planting day I attended.
I took a sip of the black coffee that has been sitting on my desk for the past hour. It’s cold and bitter.
I washed it down with another sip of water from my mug, one that has been gifted to me by my kids. A white mug with scribbles of their drawings when they were younger.
There was a knock on the door before it opened. My Son Randy and my daughter Rachel entered the office. My wife was on the phone right behind them.
At 14, my son is a splitting image of me. He hated my job, he hated the attention he got in school. He hated the guard that never left his side. I don’t blame him. We are all 14 once.
Who the fuck wants someone looking over his shoulders all the time ?
Randy is matured for his age. He knows sometimes we cannot choose what cards we are dealt; he would just have to man up and play the hand he got.
Rachel is still young, she just entered Primary one. She looked confused and lost and she was still hugging her favourite rabbit soft toy. This was supposed to be her bedtime, yet she was roused out of bed and dragged to the Prime Minister’s office.
My wife Elaine pushed herself past the children and she started hitting me in frustration. The heavily armed guard by the door quickly shut it, knowing that his heavy weapons stood no chance against my wife.
Elaine : How could you Welly ! How could you !
She hit me several times and I tried to calm her down.
Elaine had every right to be angry with me.
I tricked her.
I told her I needed her to help front a trip to Taiwan.
It was a selfish act of mine, one unbecoming of a Prime minister but I’m human too.
I’m also a father, a husband, a son.
When it starts, I would have no time for my family. When it starts, every moment of my life would be given to the country.
Every waking moment till I draw my last breath.
I could not afford any distraction.
Not from my family.
Elaine : Welly !… how dare you trick me !!
Elaine hammered me a few more times before she hugged me, sobbing in my arms. My daughter started crying too and I have never felt more proud when I saw my son start to console her. Randy carried Rachel up like the big brother he is and tried to calm her down.
Elaine pulled herself back and looked at me with tears in her eyes.
Elaine : Welly Chin….Look at me in my eyes and let me remind you this….
She told me that the family stays together. No matter what happens.
The family stays together.
She reminded me of our wedding vows.
In sickness and in health, for better or worse.
She’s not getting on that plane to Taiwan. She’s not going to hide in some military base in another country when her very own is in danger.
Till death do us part.
Elaine : Kids….come here…
My children joined my wife and we shared a long embrace.
Elaine : No matter what Welly, no matter what decision you make… we’re always behind you…
I kissed my wife and children and I reassured my daughter everything will be fine.
Welly : Randy…… I need you to take care of your mum and sister…. Can you do that for me… ?
Randy nodded and I could see he was trying to hold back his tears.
There was an urgent knock on the door before it opened. My chief of defence force, also a dear friend of mine, Laisun walked in and stopped when he saw what was going on.
He was about to walk out when my wife grabbed the first folder of confidential documents she could grab hold of and threw it at Laisun.
Elaine : You ! You were in on this !.
Laisun ducked and shut the door. He played a major role in helping me trick Elaine to make that trip.
Laisun : Elaine…. Let me explain…
My wife was about to grab something else but I stopped her. Unable to control her emotions any longer, she washed her face with tears and hit me on my chest with her clenched fist.
Elaine : you don’t stop fighting Welly you hear me ? You don’t stop fighting !
Laisun looked away as I gave my family one last hug before my wife forced herself to tear her body away from mine.
Laisun gave me a look to let me know everyone is ready and waiting for me.
Elaine’s personal guards, Claris gave me a nod and I returned one as she led my family to a site in Bukit Timah. A site where I know they would be taken care of.
I can’t use the word safe.
Nowhere is safe when it begins.
Laisun : we’re ready… the press is here too, they’re setup in the conference room…. The team is waiting for you in the situation room.
Welly : how’s the deployment going ?
Laisun : It’s underway…. We’re on schedule…
Welly : Our neighbours… ?
Laisun : Losing ground….but they should be able to hold for a while longer…. Several Sultans are in the air right now….they should be landing in a couple of hours… A few stubborn ones are staying put…..to the very end…
I nodded as we turned around the corridor and picked up our pace.
Staff greeted me as we passed them.
A nod, a look, a simple acknowledgement.
“Evening sir.”
“Sir”
“Evening”
Short curt greetings which I replied with eye contact.
The eyes communicate more than we let on.
I could see the fear in their eyes.
An air of uncertainty hung above all of us and everyone was seeking a pillar of strength to anchor themselves firmly to the ground.
It didn’t matter how uncertain I was. Everyone was looking to me to be that pillar.
I entered that situation room and the rapid chatter reduced in volume until it became a deafening silence.
In front of my seat, my assistant Daryl had prepared my usual. A hot cup of black coffee and a glass of warm water.
In the room sat all my closest advisers and ministers. Men and women who have stood by me all these years.
Not all of them are fervent supporters of my party, many are not afraid to raise alternatives and debate against the policies my cabinet is pushing through.
We differ on many fronts but there is one that ultimately unites us all.
It’s love for the country we serve.
I looked at everyone present in the eye. The fatigue was written on everyone’s faces.
Some of them probably has not have a good rest in days.
Everyone is wound up tight like a spring ready to snap. The audience I have is not just the ones in the room. It included those not present because they were deployed.
Some of them are already out in the field.
They are listening in to every word. The only thing they could not see was my expression.
Everyone is waiting for me to speak, to give them instructions. To tell them what to do.
The weight on my shoulders is unbearable and I could feel this dull ache in my heart when it dawned on me that no matter what decision I make, people will die.
I ask not for the glory of victory in war. Right or wrong, history will be the ultimate judge. We don’t seek to conquer, we are just fighting for our way of life. For our right to survive.
I exhaled slowly as I started to tap my feet to a rhythm in my head.
Then I did something no one expected.
I gave a reassuring smile and I started to sing.
Welly : In the jungle … the mighty jungle…. The lion sleeps tonight….~~
The singing caught my colleagues by surprise and it took them 2 seconds before they reacted.
Many laughed and a few clapped and cheered.
I looked at Laisun and he caught the que immediately, taking over where I left and we sang together, repeating the verses from the 1st line.
Welly , Laisun : In the Jungle…. The mighty jungle…. The lion sleeps tonight….
More staff joined in the song.
Uyimbube… Uyimbube… Uyimbube… Uyimbube…
Uyimbube… Uyimbube… Uyimbube… Uyimbube…
Uyimbube… Uyimbube… Uyimbube… Uyimbube…
Uyimbube… Uyimbube… Uyimbube… Uyimbube…
This is a song we are all familiar with because of it’s jingle. Kids love it, it’s catchy and it was featured in the Lion King after all.
Uyimbube in Zulu, means’ You are a lion’
Something that my son told me when he went to goggle about the son after we watched the show together many years ago.
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the peaceful village,
The lion sleeps tonight.
Ee.e.e.oh.mum -a-weh ~~
Ee.e.e.oh.mum -a-weh ~~
The whole room smiled, laughed and hummed along and we allowed ourselves a moment of relief from the tremendous amount of stress we carried the past few months.
I stopped tapping my feet and I stopped singing.
The smile disappeared from my face as I placed 2 clenched fist on the table while looking at my colleagues in the room.
The singing stopped abruptly as if someone hit the mute button.
It was so quiet that if someone dropped a pin in that room, you could hear it.
I could feel the fire in my belly as I spoke with conviction to the men and women in front of me.
Welly : The Lion will not sleep tonight..
I spoke fast and I left no doubt in anyone that can hear me that I mean what I said.
That I believed in what I say. That I plan to deliver what I promised.
Welly : Tonight…
Welly : The world will hear the roar of a nation…….
Welly : Defiant…… to the very end….
Moments is a collection of scenes that I am building upon for a full length work due to be released sometime in the future.
The story will be told from different perspectives happening along the same timeline.
5800+ words
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