This afternoon my director and I walked into the Freemason Lodge at Coleman Street; I leading the way with big struts, not knowing how intrusive I might have been. But that boldness paid off.
We were treated to cups of coffee in an underground bar furbished with polished, leathered Chesterfields, rows of trophies glinting under spotlights in glass cabinets and stylish mirrored arcs as a serious but polite atmosphere filled the room. Lana Del Rey would have started playing at any point in time.
It was only after Brian began chuckling at a little joke I cracked to ease the tension that I finally felt at ease and unsuspected.
They are, after all, Freemasons. If they were to be given another name, it'd be under the label of Secret Society or as Zen put it, an angmoh Keng Teck Whay.
We started sharing about our documentary with them and they answered a few questions we had about Freemasonry.
To Zen, it was as if he had found his true religious calling - except Freemasonry isn't a religion to begin with. He transformed into the ultimate fanboy and began questioning how, as a Freemason, you have to be loyal to your country above all else. Later he told me that the Lees have dual citizenships, and that LKY is too, rumoured to be a Freemason.
I was equally intrigued as well, though I wondered about the loopholes in secret balloting, why the rooms for private meetings were called "Temples" and the cons of keeping too 'quiet' when it comes to heading charitable acts in society.
The General Manager had eyes that saw through my soul. I tried challenging him to a stare down. He obviously didn't play along.
He said, "we do things in quiet - that's different from being secretive." I nodded.
"We have a Book of Constitution. That proves that we have never practiced cultism, and will never be [a cult]."
Brian went, "Mm."

I'd like to film a scene at the Freemason Lodge or even write a play about fraternities.
"Fraternity" stars the Christian, the Muslim, the Buddhist, the University Graduate and the Politician. And Death, just like the lady in The Map Maker's Sorrow except she's less seductive. She's sexy, but she doesn't seduce.
What link does it have to Freemasonry, I don't know.
But what works is that we don't know about Freemasonry either. (c o n t r a d i c t o r y)
The male characters are upright but generally passive-aggressive men while Death is the emotional, acidic opposite.
I am first to find out what 'Hiram' means.
I have goosebumps. I am on a thinking roll!
*chews on bagels for thought*