Redemption

Carrying his case, he enters the casino resort through the front door. Along the carpet he strolls in between the slot machines and makes his way through the crowd. Surrounded by people losing all their money to the casino while hanging onto their hopes, he shakes his head and smirks. He sees a family with 2 little girls laughingly enjoying their holiday. They remind him immediately of his own family. Or rather, what was his, but is now lost.

All was fine before the casino came to Sentosa. He had a good job, manning the bridge, and collecting toll for its short 1km stretch. It paid him enough for his frugal living habits and to support his loving family, even enough for his 2 young girls to see them through to whatever tertiary institution that might gain their fancy. He had his whole life planned out beautifully. His wife was gorgeous, and supportive. There was nothing more that he could have asked for. He was truly in bliss.

All was fine in the world, until the Government accepted a proposal for the Casino to be built on the island. The management immediately decided that the immense traffic that would use the bridge would be jammed up if the toll booth were to continue its lucrative, but ultimately unnecessary existence, and he was fired.

It really went downhill from there. He never got another job. His wife left him, along with the 2 girls whom he never saw again. He took to drinking, and blaming the world for all the ills he had to suffer. In the months that came, he had to sell his apartment just to make ends meet. After the mortgage and monthly payments to his re-married ex-wife, he was quickly siphoning off whatever sum was left.

He couldn't find the light at the end of the tunnel, and decided to go out with a bang, literally. He plotted his revenge.

As he carries the case filled with a timer and explosives, his mind fixes upon delivering it to its target. He nonchalantly puts the other hand into his pocket, and fiddles with the few coins that are in there. They are all that's left that he can rightly call his.

He fishes them out. A dollar and twenty five cents. As he passes the 5 cent machines, he pops a coin in, and continues walking. The machine rings and pops but simply swallows the gold-tinged coin. Small loss.

He turns left into the alley with the twenty cent machines, heading towards the lobby. He inserts the twenty cent coin in his hand, simultaneously getting a static shock from walking on the carpet. This time he stops. Cherry. Banana. Orange. Just as he expected. Again.

"Almost time," he thinks to himself. He imagines the collateral damage that would occur when the timer reaches its hour mark. It would be amazing. He had spent his last eight thousand dollars building this bomb over the last six months. He still remembers how to build one. National Service may have been years ago, but his time in the Engineer Corp was well spent on training.

He took another left and reaches the lobby. As he covers the expanse towards the reception counter, he passes the largest slot machine in the Casino. He pops the last one dollar coin. A million to one were the odds, largely branded above the machine in bright neon lights.

He hits the jackpot.

Immediately, bright spotlights shine on his person. The hotel manager, dressed in a suit, offers his hand and grabs the man's from his side, shaking it fiercely. The man goes into shock. Music starts blasting from all directions and a person announces over the intercom that the ten million dollar jackpot has finally been won. Confetti starts falling from the ceiling.

As he regains his senses, his left arm suddenly feels infinitely heavier. As he grasps the concept that his life has undoubtedly taken another turn, he starts to sweat profusely. It can all be salvaged now. He can even have his family back, and not worry about a thing again. With this jackpot, he can live like a king. Now he just has to excuse himself from such overwhelming attention, and quickly turn off the timer away from prying eyes. There is still a chance. Adrenaline courses through his veins at light-speed. His other hand shakes. He wet forehead glistens in the glare of publicity. The man in the suit grabs the case from him, and gestures him to follow as he leads the way towards a stage.

"NO!" He screams, and lunges towards the case. The hotel manager struggles with him, and tries to persuade the man to let go, and assures that the case would not be lost, that the concierge would take care of it. The man jerks it free violently. He hugs it and turns to run.

BOOM.