Verbalism Personified

The Hour of the Wolf, Part 4

Last night, an ex-neighbor of mine lay slumped on the floor in a corner of a packed disco. Through the dim lights and smoke, I saw that he was drooling and quite unconscious. His doped-up companions revealed that he was quite high on drugs too.

It is no surprise that he would end up in such a bad way. In fact, I had made that prediction many years ago. After playing countless matches of football on the field beside our appartment block, it was the general consensus that he had the best chance of making a career in football. But that was on the premise that he had the will and determination to go through with it. None of which were flowing in abundence in his veins.

Ironically, it was him and another neighbor who were my closest companions. Our families were among the first to move in to our new estate and we would organize block parties to welcome the new arrivals.

When it came to group sport and outings, we took the cake by organzing events that kids from neighboring blocks would race to participate in. Come rain or shine, exam period or holiday season, what started out as a neighbourly gathering quickly became the group to be seen with.

Since we were buddies, there wasn't little that we kept from each other, However quite unexpectedly, I was informed of a remark he made about the death of my girlfriend. An investigation revealed that he had been running a rumor campaign behind my back. Thus adding to my grief, was the shock that one of my trusted associates had been out to hurt me. For what point of jealousy or envy, I do not know. A judgement was subsequently handed down and his deeds were filed away for a future follow-up.

Fast forward a decade and that night, seeing him slumped down on the floor, I was in two minds on abandoning him to his fate. Or reporting him to the police officers prowling outside.

After a quick review of his guilt, I received the only deserving thing a former friend could hear - his companions assuring me indirectly that they would keep him that way for a long time to come.

As I rejoined my friends, I thought of another wrong in need of justice. And as chance would have it, a reckoning will come soon.

If you wait by the river long enough, the body of your enemy will come floating by.

posted by Teutoburg @ 3:27 PM