Fiction: Group 4
The crew had orders to attack the main district of Hong Kong Harold was happy as he could embrace the
sight that he saw many years ago which he had mourned to see since this war started. So they marched
through the beautiful view of the harbour, simple and elegant view with the sunrise falling down. They
pitched camp and chatted with his mates and comrades till midnight.
The Next day they carried on to the main district now known as Central. They saw an old administrative
building and local guards ran away just from the sight of the Union Jack flag. They saw the treasures that
the Chinese crafted. One of his commanders said “These would fetch a fortune!”
Harold decided to grab a few valuables to help his family to have an easier life. Our commander soon struck
a peace agreement with the Chinese Government. The war was over; Harold thought it was a dawn of a
new era for Hong Kong. He saw the old people playing the card game years ago and he was invited to sit
down and play with them. Harold soon got to know one of them known a Song Lai. Song Lai said that
“The British brought prosperity to Hong Kong, I salute you sir.”
It made Harold proud and those statements made him stay in military service for a longer time than he had
expected.
Soon after a few years guarding Hong Kong, he finally retired and had several decorations during his short
military career. He was going to return to India and would see his family after several years of absence. He
took a ship and thought about how this journey benefitted him, he thought that he removed the influence
of the city’s zeal; he saw how lucky he was seeing several people on the street homeless and starving. This
journey was a lesson to him, being optimistic can bring lessons but it can also bring many fears and dangers.
He was lucky to have a safe journey. He was not caught for doing those crimes but he began to feel guilty.
After several years, he felt that he had to turn himself in. He went to a local court and was to be shot.
During his last days, he wrote a letter to his parents, it wrote,
“Dear Mother and Father
Hello, this will be my last words to you; you might not understand why I turned myself in but I’ll do my
best to explain what had happened during my service in my army. During my first days, I resented my
commanders; they were cruel, strict and arrogant men. I hated command, that’s why I denied every
promotion. I also denied any rewards from them, it was just my duty. I had a sudden lure to Hong Kong
itself that I couldn’t describe in words. This sudden lure made me do things which made me feel guilty, I
had poisoned a captain on the ship and I pointed fingers at innocent men and they got shot from my doing.
I regretted every moment of it and I wish I had resisted the city’s lure. Otherwise I wouldn’t have written
this dire letter.
Your Dear Son,
Harold”
On the day of being shot, he had prepared his mind for death, waiting for the afterlife. He never believed in
God but he felt it was time for redemption. He prayed all night and hoped for forgiveness. He thought it
was the only thing left to do. He had seen the sun, several soldiers saluting him and was lead to a wooden
pole. He was blindfolded and tied on the pole and then Harold, soldier of the 12
th
East India Battalion was
shot for treason against the British Army.
