ERP Assignment "The Hanging"

Question chosen: a) Recall a time you witnessed someone being punished and the circumstances of the offence. How did the incident affect you and your understanding of the purpose of punishment?

The school hall was lacking its normally hustle and bustle with students chatting actively and engaging in their own private discussion most probably about the topic or content of the assembly.To me it was rather unusual and rather unnatural that the whole school was drenched in such an suppressing atmosphere.
This morning during the flag-raising ceremony, our discipline master went onto the stage clouded in an air of solemnity and as he cleared his throat on the microphone with a clear "Hmph", it caught our attention and effectively silenced the whole school. "Today the assembly period will be held in the school hall so please proceed to the school hall immediately after the last period before assembly. However may I warn you guys that the presence of any electronic devices that is capable of recording videos and capturing photographs are strictly prohibited and will be confiscated by the prefects if you are spotted with one in your hands. I hope you will all understand. And thats all for morning announcements today, parade commander please proceed." Though it seems to be just like any normal announcement about the school assembly's program, however it was evident that the discipline master certainly had an unusually harsh and gruff tone when reading the announcement and there was something strange about the part about the restriction of electronic devices that can record video or take picture. To confirm my suspicion with the others, I elbowed my friend Albert and asked, "Hey Albert, don't you think that the assembly period today is something going to be something special?" However, I was pretty much bewildered by his reaction but more specifically the look on his face. He was pale-white with a look of absolute shock on his face and not to mention his hands trembling really badly. He was terrified. As I enquired about him, he abruptly jumped up and flashed a twitching smile proclaiming that he was alright. Yet I knew there was something amiss.
During recess it seemed to me that he was avoiding deliberately by not showing up at the usual bench we had our meals together. I was deeply puzzled and at the same time perturbed by his exceptional behaviour. What deepen my worries for him was when he was taken out the class personally by the discipline master just 20 minutes before the last period ended. Till then I have not even spotted a glimpse of his presence, anywhere in the hall.
The air of suspension hung over me in an attempt to suffocate me. The mystery of the assembly program, Albert's sudden disappearance and his eccentric behaviour today was too much for me to absorb all at once, it was really unbearable.
Finally the discipline master appeared on the stage. To my utmost shock and astonishment, the scene before my eye was transmitted as an image that appeared in my brain. Albert was standing right beside the discipline with his head hanging sheepishly, fixed at his position. From then every word that came from the discipline master's mouth shuddered me. "This boy from Class 3A was caught red-handed in the midst of committing an act of theft in another class. Not only that, he was also discovered to have played truancy on several other occasions. As you all know, stealing and truancy are both major offence and any student foolish enough to step in the boundaries of such serious offence would be dealt with harshly. Therefore he will be treated to 4 strokes of the cane. I hope all of you would learn from this incident and hope that there would not be a second offender, and at the same time, Albert I hope you understand the severity of your actions and hope that though this punishment you can stand up from where you fell and start over a new leaf." I could observe the remorse in his eyes as tears are rolling down the side of his cheeks.
The caning began. To me it seems that every stroke was more of a torture to me rather than to Albert. Every time the cane came into contact with Albert, the loud snap would bring shiver and a shudder ran through my spine. It was too much for me to see my best friend getting caned on stage and I could not do a thing to help him escape such a cruel punishment. I could feel his pain from his face twisting in agony as each strokes went down with a hard and crisp imapct on his flesh. It almost seem to be eternal as the caning was finally over. Alberts was panting hard, his face that of a deathly pale and sweat all over his face, dripping down from his chin.
Yes that was a scene of punishment that always remained in my memories even till now. Albert and I are still good friend and he has since chaned a lot, being much quiet and unspoken and most important complete adherence to laws and rules regardless of the where he is. I have always thought punishment is only something you suffer for temporarily for something bad you have done. But now I understand, punishment is not only for a short period of time. It can be very psychological and long-term indeed as it accompanies a person no matter where he is or how he have changed. Yet maybe, it is really the reason why people often change for the better. It is not the pain and suffering we get out of the punishment, but really, it is the valuable lessons that we can get to learn and reflect upon our mistakes and actions.