Q2: Write about a time when the behavior of someone you knew/know changed drastically and inexplicably.

It was exactly 10 years.

I was flipping through my old dairy a few days ago and chance upon a page, a page where it is full of questions about her that till today, I have yet to understand everything behind all this.

I was 5 years old at that time when I first knew her at my kinder garden. She was my first friend over there and most probably the only friend that have left deepest impression inside my heart.

It was my first day in school and I was crying like any other kid, thinking that my parents are going to abandon me and throw my in some school. But then, I noticed a girl at one corner alone looking in my direction. She came in my direction, closer and closer.

Her cheeks were rosy, she was considered rather white, her smile can melt your heart and her eyes are so attractive full of water element, the most amazing thing is her eyes can tell you everything.

She said, “Hello! I am Karielle. Don’t be afraid, it is my first day attending this school too. I think we should smile and welcome this brand new day and get something rewarding at the end of this day and not cry. Be brave and let us go in together to the classroom and see what is waiting for us in there!”

At that point of time, I felt she was so smart, so courageous. I stopped crying and went in. Later, she introduced herself to me and in a blink of an eye, the bell rang and the day was over. She made me feel that going to school is a WANT instead of a MUST.

We talked everything under the sun and being with her was so comfortable. However, good thing did not last forever. It was a few months later, everything changed.

She did not smile like she used to, she did not have a positive mindset like she used to have. She pushed all the blames to the whole world except herself. She threw tantrums around and no one dared to go near her. She started to scold vulgarities and bully those who are smaller in size than her.I knew something was wrong, I knew she needed someone to tell her that, I knew I was the one in school that she can rely on now. I was determined not to let her behave like this; I was determined to change her back like she used to be. But I could not; or rather I did not have a chance to do so.

Then later consecutive few days, she became rebellious and started tucking out shirt, started not doing homework and worst of all punched a teacher.

Few days later, she did not come to school. I went to ask my form teacher about her whereabouts. All she could tell me was her father was to be blamed for the entire trauma at home.

I did not understand.

I thought all this belonged to fictitious serials frequently broadcasted on television for sentimentalists to watch and cob over, not to the real world. I guess she never expect this to cross her path and bring about such an abrupt and permanent twist in her life from then onwards-a change almost too melodramatic for her to believe a reality.

10 years later, I met her on the road.

Her eyes can never escape mine. They are just so unique that once you see it, you will never forget. She was so skinny, so pale. Inside her eyes were full of sorrows. 10 years is such a long period and naturally she did not recognize me or maybe choose not to.

Till now, I did not know the exact truth that made her became like this. I regretted not finding out and support her when she was sinking.

The only thing I know now is her change was more than just her father’s fault.

-seemui(:
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