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I finished my secondary school in a relatively unpopular all girls high school.
When I started 8th grade, I befriended Suzy, (not her real name), a girl with dusky complexion who was a bright student and also my school mate who lived in my neighborhood. She was also my school bus mate and sure enough, in due time, we became close friends.
I was a public bus virgin before high school. There were co-curricular activities in school on Saturdays and since school buses do not operate on weekends, public transportation became a means to an end for me.
Suzy was my constant company during such trips to and fro school on Saturdays as well as the town’s public library where we went to study initially.
Henceforth, I witnessed Suzy's steady decline in studies which took place in a span of two years of schooling and my mingling with her to places we traveled and went to together.
Suzy somehow befriended unsavory characters in school in the form of unruly and domineering seniors who were literally outcasts. They were always accosted by the discipline teacher for breaching school rules.
Next to our all girls high school, there was an all boys high school.
Before the school bell rings, some boys and girls from both schools can be seen loitering in the platforms of shop lots situated in front of both high schools. The same is true after school, while waiting for transportation to travel back home or who knows where.
Suzy was a compulsive flirt. I was her unwilling companion on those endeavors at the city bus central. Whenever she embarks on such quests, I will be standing by her, numbed and dumbed.
Suzy hooked up with our school bus driver's son who became his Dad's apprentice after dropping out from school and the duo have been exchanging amorous eye contact with each other for some time, aboard the school bus. In fact, it was Suzy who boldly told her feelings for him via the public phone and I was there.. for moral support of some sort although I was totally against her idea.
I was too altruistic and friends are not supposed to oppose whatever foolishness his or her friend is getting into. If your friend is doing something stupid, you join in. That is the whole idea of friendship in teen years. Peer pressure is crazy when you are a teen.
It was like an obligation for each girl and boy in high schools to couple up and start dating as young as 13. Those who don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend were scorned and laughed at. I belonged to the former group and I faced the repercussions.
I have been to Suzy's house and she introduced me to her parents and younger brother.
Suzy too, invited herself to my place and insisted on borrowing my garb. Even though I knew that I will be in hot soup if my Mom learns that I've lent my garb to a friend, I willed the gut wrenching feeling away and gave Suzy one my clothes which she liked. It was a black and white Alien Workshop ladies tee sporting a plunging V neck and little did I know that Suzy planned to don it on a date with her boyfriend.
It was only the day she returned my tee that she said she wore it on an outing with the now, 'the love of her life'. Then, she showed me the hickeys he gave her on her neck and chest and told me that it led them to sex.
I just froze. She was wearing my clothes while she was at it. The very thought was revolting but I didn't say anything to her. Once home, I washed and scrubbed my tee with Dynamo to my heart's content.
Suzy, wearing my garb to make out with her boyfriend put the final nail in the coffin. I decided not to borrow her my clothes anymore.
The next time Suzy asked for my clothes again, I told her that my Mom found out that I had lent her my tee and that she forbade me to do such thing again. It was a white lie but it worked.
Soon after my refusal to lend Suzy clothes, she went on shopping sprees at a boutique situated at the shop in front of our school. I was her constant companion during such shopping splurges.
Suzy also began gorging on expensive snacks like Snickers bars, Peel Fresh, Kit Kat, etc that she bought from a mini market while waiting for the school bus after school.
I continued visiting Suzy's place and I observed her family’s prudent lifestyle. It was just a couple of notches down from lower middle class.
At that time, Suzy had already begun to neglect her studies and was going on an orgy of illicit sexual adventures with her boyfriend who is much older than her. Her parents knew nothing of this.
I begun to wonder from where she gets all the money from. Her parents were not well heeled, so it was a paradox. I thought that perhaps they were giving it to her so that she would not feel deprived. Little did I know I would be embroiled in Suzy's ploy in this money matters.
During sports practice, my classmate, Angie (not her real name) gave me her billfold for safekeeping when her turn to do the long jump in the sand pit came. I wanted to go to the loo and I gave Angie's wallet to Suzy. I trusted Suzy. It was a major mistake.
I returned from the loo and got Angie's purse back from Suzy and returned it to my class mate when she asked for it.
Later, on the way home on public bus, Suzy gave me two $10 notes, and told me to keep them until she asks them back. I innocently complied.
The next morning in school, there was a commotion outside my classroom and I came to know that the fuss was about Angie's money being stolen. Angie was stating that she lost two separate $10 notes and it hit me instantly that Suzy was the culprit and that the money she gave me belonged to Angie.
I produced the money forth in a heartbeat and convicted that Suzy was the one who gave me the money to keep and Angie, together with some of our other classmates and me marched to find and question Suzy.
Suzy vehemently denied taking the money and nefariously framed me. A contention of accusation ensued and finally, Angie settled the dust. She gave both Suzy and me the benefit of doubt. I was not gratified by Angie's amiable gesture and I made it as evident as possible. I wanted to go to the discipline teacher to report this incident and clear my name but Angie pulled me aside and said she trusts me, not Suzy.
The case officially closed and my idea to get the school authority arbitrary intervention was put paid to.
After that bitter apple of discord, I stopped talking to Suzy and witnessed her deterioration from a distance; we took the same school bus and were schoolmates for five years after all.
I got the hang of taking the town bus through the years and no longer needed Suzy's companionship
Days went to years and we became high school seniors.
Suzy didn't do well in the competency tests. The news came by words of mouth from mutual friends and I didn't bother about it.
Suzy and I continued to drift apart until we were in our final year in school. I was travelling on my own track and Suzy, on her own track and it was bifurcated, going opposing directions.
I last saw Suzy on the last day of final exam and bumped into her about 2 year later.
What I saw literally made my jaw drop. Suzy was heavily carrying and she had one kid on tow. I just stood rooted to the spot. I just couldn't believe my eyes.
Suzy caught a glimpse of me. I mustered a smile as she made eye contact and she approached me.
"Hi, how are you?” she asked. Jolted out from the spell I was under, I stammered," Yeah, I’m fine.” I go nuts when I am nervous and I pointed to her bulging tummy and asked her,“When did this happen?”
Suzy replied in a small voice,”It’s nearing 7 months.
Suzy disclosed that she got pregnant with the school bus driver's son she was dating and when her parents came to know of her pregnancy, they disowned her and kicked her out of the house.
Having no other option, she married her boyfriend before she turned 18.
And, there was Suzy's toddler kid, holding onto his Mom's dress. I pinched his chubby cheeks and he gave me a smile that would warm the coldest of hearts.
It seems Suzy flunked her final exam. Wiping a tear off, she said in a thick voice that she regrets that she didn't get her priorities right. When she is supposed to be continuing her academic excellence, she had been gallivanting with boys.
At hindsight, I am feeling guilty. I had abandoned my friend whom I knew was travelling on the wrong track. I folded my arms and watched my friend get screwed.
Maybe some of you may think Suzy dug her own grave but if only I had thwarted her moves, she would be a somebody now. The point is, I did nothing to steer Suzy from the path of dereliction and I am filled with scruple.
Perhaps I didn't have the maturity and critical thinking like I have now.
This is a story that needs to be told. School goers should set their priorities right. No use crying over spilt milk.
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