Lizard Living in a ‘Shangrila Suite’
[This is a fiｃtitious story told by a lizard from the book, BEYOND THE BLUE GATE,written by Teo Soh Lung.Any resemblance to a real life incident is merely a coincidence.]
I’m a lizard. Other lizards prefer to call me Richard. I’m living in a cell used to incarcerate a political prisoner. As the cell is much bigger in size and better equipped than the other cells, it is commonly known to the prisoners and warders as a ‘Shangrila Suite’.
As I am now getting older, it is rather hard for me to recall ‘how’ and ‘when’ I started to live in this suite. Anyway I like this place very much as I consider it to be my territory that no other lizards should trespass at. It has never occurred to me that I am staying in a jail as I am relatively free to leave the cell at any time I like without being bothered by the prison guards. On the other hand, I could see that every political prisoner staying here was always plagued with the same worrisome question of “How soon shall I leave this bloody place?”; a question which even the Almighty God might not be able to give a definite and satisfactory answer. The fear of indefinite detention leading to a lingering incarceration has always troubled the souls and mind of the political prisoners as they may be kept in prison for any length of time at the discretion of the Minister of Home Affairs, and detention under Internal Security Act［ISA] could not be challenged in an open court. In the case of Singapore, there were many professionals like Dr.Poh Soo Kai and Dr. Lim Hock Siew and journalist Said Zahari were detained for more than 16 years, with Chia Thye Poh holding the record of 32-years of imprisonment which was equivalent to more than two life sentences.
Moreover I feel it is safer to live in a cell as I am protected by the prison guards. Rarely do I have to confront a notorious human being, especially a naughty boy who would be out to kill me for fun with his catapult as I was told in my grandmother’s story.
In a way I was much fortunate than Terry. Whenever I wanted to sleep, I would hide in the darkness behind the florescent tube. 
Believe it or not; I thrived on Terry which she herself was not aware of. Before she joined me in the cell, I could only ate the ‘skinny’ mosquitoes as they could hardly find blood to suck at. After Terry came in, I could feed on the ‘fatty’ mosquitoes who had gotten their nutrient from her.
Among other skills of survival that Terry had to learn in the cell was the ‘art of mosquito killing’. The buzzing sound of mosquitoes and the itchiness of mosquito bites irritated Terry to make her restless and wide awake throughout the lonely nights. To combat the mosquitoes,Terry had to learn the ‘technical know-how’ to kill them. Many a times, the mosquitoes escaped through the gaps between her fingers. Later on, through repeated trials and errors, Terry was smart enough to place a tissue paper on her palm to net the escaping mosquitoes during her deadly strikes.
Time seemed to pass slowly in the cell like a crawling snail. For Terry to survive in prison without boredom, a routine was necessary. Mornings began with exercises in the yard followed by breakfast. After breakfast, she would read or listen to BBC news on her walkman and sleep or write letters occasionally.
[This is a fiｃtitious story told by a lizard from the book, BEYOND THE BLUE GATE,written by Teo Soh Lung.Any resemblance to a real life incident is merely a coincidence.]
I’m a lizard. Other lizards prefer to call me Richard. I’m living in a cell used to incarcerate a political prisoner. As the cell is much bigger in size and better equipped than the other cells, it is commonly known to the prisoners and warders as a ‘Shangrila Suite’.As I am now getting older, it is rather hard for me to recall ‘how’ and ‘when’ I started to live in this suite. Anyway I like this place very much as I consider it to be my territory that no other lizards should trespass at. It has never occurred to me that I am staying in a jail as I am relatively free to leave the cell at any time I like without being bothered by the prison guards. On the other hand, I could see that every political prisoner staying here was always plagued with the same worrisome question of “How soon shall I leave this bloody place?”; a question which even the Almighty God might not be able to give a definite and satisfactory answer. The fear of indefinite detention leading to a lingering incarceration has always troubled the souls and mind of the political prisoners as they may be kept in prison for any length of time at the discretion of the Minister of Home Affairs, and detention under Internal Security Act［ISA] could not be challenged in an open court. In the case of Singapore, there were many professionals like Dr.Poh Soo Kai and Dr. Lim Hock Siew and journalist Said Zahari were detained for more than 16 years, with Chia Thye Poh holding the record of 32-years of imprisonment which was equivalent to more than two life sentences.
Moreover I feel it is safer to live in a cell as I am protected by the prison guards. Rarely do I have to confront a notorious human being, especially a naughty boy who would be out to kill me for fun with his catapult as I was told in my grandmother’s story.
Once in every decade or so, the ruling government would launch an operation to “round up” her political foes in an effort “to nip in the bud” whereby promising individuals with the zeal to reform would be framed to be either communist sympathizers or Marxist conspirators. They are hauled up and thrown into jails ‘to be turned over’. Among the captures, one would be sent to my suite as my roommate.
This time around, my new roommate was Terry. She was a lawyer, detained, released and re-detained. The Internal Security Department [ISD] regarded her as a “terrible” woman, being defiant, truculent and combative as she always criticised the administration and made “unnecessary demands” that other prisoners dared not do. She was considered by the ISD as hard-cored, never wanted to repent for what she had done. But,to me, I found Terry to be a pleasant woman, easy to get along with. She would talk and joke with me for hours at times, telling me things that she would never revealed to her case officer in their weekly meetings.
As the cell was lighted ‘round the clock’ with florescent tube, it was difficult for any inmate of the cell to tell whether it was day or night. Initially,Terry had the difficulty sleeping under the broad ‘florescent light’. For days she could hardly sleep. As time went on, she adapted herself to a new way of life – She would sleep when her eyes were tired, whether it be day or night and she would not lie in bed if she could not sleep. Hence, when she was awake, she would indulge in non-stop reading of a censored copy of a three-day-old newspaper, The Straits Times, until she got so tired that she would doze off in her sleep for hours .
This time around, my new roommate was Terry. She was a lawyer, detained, released and re-detained. The Internal Security Department [ISD] regarded her as a “terrible” woman, being defiant, truculent and combative as she always criticised the administration and made “unnecessary demands” that other prisoners dared not do. She was considered by the ISD as hard-cored, never wanted to repent for what she had done. But,to me, I found Terry to be a pleasant woman, easy to get along with. She would talk and joke with me for hours at times, telling me things that she would never revealed to her case officer in their weekly meetings.
As the cell was lighted ‘round the clock’ with florescent tube, it was difficult for any inmate of the cell to tell whether it was day or night. Initially,Terry had the difficulty sleeping under the broad ‘florescent light’. For days she could hardly sleep. As time went on, she adapted herself to a new way of life – She would sleep when her eyes were tired, whether it be day or night and she would not lie in bed if she could not sleep. Hence, when she was awake, she would indulge in non-stop reading of a censored copy of a three-day-old newspaper, The Straits Times, until she got so tired that she would doze off in her sleep for hours .
In a way I was much fortunate than Terry. Whenever I wanted to sleep, I would hide in the darkness behind the florescent tube. 
Believe it or not; I thrived on Terry which she herself was not aware of. Before she joined me in the cell, I could only ate the ‘skinny’ mosquitoes as they could hardly find blood to suck at. After Terry came in, I could feed on the ‘fatty’ mosquitoes who had gotten their nutrient from her.
Among other skills of survival that Terry had to learn in the cell was the ‘art of mosquito killing’. The buzzing sound of mosquitoes and the itchiness of mosquito bites irritated Terry to make her restless and wide awake throughout the lonely nights. To combat the mosquitoes,Terry had to learn the ‘technical know-how’ to kill them. Many a times, the mosquitoes escaped through the gaps between her fingers. Later on, through repeated trials and errors, Terry was smart enough to place a tissue paper on her palm to net the escaping mosquitoes during her deadly strikes.
Time seemed to pass slowly in the cell like a crawling snail. For Terry to survive in prison without boredom, a routine was necessary. Mornings began with exercises in the yard followed by breakfast. After breakfast, she would read or listen to BBC news on her walkman and sleep or write letters occasionally.
To keep her occupied throughout the day, Terry took to drawing little insects and creatures found in the cell. She tried to draw ants in great details by placing them in a plastic box and looked at them from all angles and sides. She observed their habits at meal times and at leisure.
Meditation was another pastime which she had learnt from a book. As time went on,with her daily practice in meditation, she was able to ignore her cramped feet and enter into a dream-like state of mind.
Occasionally, she would vent her frustrations by singing at the top of her voice.
Looking at the prison life of Terry, I can’t help but to have a deep respect for her ability to endure the hardship in the solitary confinement .
Meditation was another pastime which she had learnt from a book. As time went on,with her daily practice in meditation, she was able to ignore her cramped feet and enter into a dream-like state of mind.
Occasionally, she would vent her frustrations by singing at the top of her voice.
Looking at the prison life of Terry, I can’t help but to have a deep respect for her ability to endure the hardship in the solitary confinement .
In retrospect, I consider myself to be lucky not to be born as a human being. Unlike the human beings who always pay a lip service to the 'human rights' issue, we, in the realm of lizards,never talk about lizard's rights; yet we don’t violate the rights of other lizard to live its own life freely and independently.
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