There was a horrendous bottleneck where Orchard Road swung left into Selegie Road, so the taxi driver chose to execute a flanking via Jalan Besar to drop Jessica off along Desker Road. As she approached Serangoon Road on foot, she could tell something was terribly wrong. The noise coming from afar was not those of merrymaking. It was peppered with fearful shrieks and barbarous hollers. Jessica found herself jostling against the flow of pedestrians who were desperate to get away from the main road. When she reached the junction, she could hardly believe her eyes. There was an upturned vehicle in the middle of the road and rioters were dancing around it emitting hoots and catcalls. Someone lit a bottle of spirits and threw it in through the open window. Very quickly, the interior caught fire, which sent the rioters into a wild frenzy.

Jessica had seen similar scenes of anarchy on international news footage but never did she imagine she would witness it live in her own country. She stood rooted to the ground and watched stunned as the bedlam unfolded all around her. At one point, the ringing and vibration of her mobile phone broke the spell. It was a text message from Chong Jin.

Where are you?

Jessica looked around to check her bearings.

Nayagam Ranjan’s provision shop at the junction of Serangoon and Desker.

All of a sudden, the upturned vehicle emitted a loud explosion, creating a huge ball of fire and sending everyone running for cover. Caught off-guard, Jessica jumped and dropped her mobile phone. She instinctively bent down to retrieve it. Almost immediately, someone collided with her and sent her sprawling. Before she could pick herself up, the horde of terrified pedestrians scrambling away from the explosion trampled over her. Jessica panicked as she felt herself being kicked at and stepped upon repeatedly. She curled up into a ball and prayed that she would survive the ordeal.

The crowd quickly calmed down once they realised it was but a singular explosion. Jessica felt a pair of strong arms pick her up. “Are you alright?” It was English spoken with a heavy Indian accent. Jessica wanted to reply, but a searing pain at her left ear rendered her speechless and whimpering. She feared to think the ear might have been torn off.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you to an ambulance.”

Jessica had to shut her eyes because the scene on the road was reduced to a jerky visual as her saviour pounded the pavement while carrying her in his arms. At one point, she felt him coming to a halt. “Open the door! We need help!” Opening her eyes, she was relieved to see that he had managed to locate an ambulance. Strangely enough, the ambulance door remained shut. Eventually, another pedestrian stepped forward to unlatch the door handle. There was no one in the ambulance.