Amongst Friends

AMONGST FRIENDS

"Why... I HATE YOU!"

The words hit me like she had plunged a knife deep into my chest... I
hadn't counted on that. Friends forever? Where did that ideal go? Is it
just me or has friendship suddenly become cosmetic?

It started whenb I met Cherry... she was a young girl, quite scared,
and oblivious to the world around her. I first met her when I started
jetskiing, I enjoyed it so much the first time that I had to go back
for second helpings. She was sitting on the sidelines... watching...
lonely, so moody and depressed... I knew how she was feeling...

Most of my childhood had been wasted with constant pressure from my
parents and adults who knew me well. "Oh he's really brainy! He's very
clever!" "Oh yes, he's also a member of MENSA!" "He will make us all
very proud!". Why did they do that? It basically outcast me... I was
the only person in my school who knew what he wanted to do since eight
years of age... is that a crime? Fortunately, leaving that dreaded
place and leaving home freed me from constraints... I was finally able
to be me...

I pulled up near the bank where she sat. "Hi there! Wanna ride?" I
called.

Is that the lamest first line or what?

She looked up at me. She was so pretty...she wore a long skirt over
amazing legs... a small vest and a denim jacket... her face was sweet,
childlike. Her eyes were large... I almost could have sworn she was a
character from some MANGA animation... and the hair, it was a golden
river.

I knew I was seventeen and I should not be thinking about that with
someone like her, so I just smiled. I clenched my teeth... so no snappy
chat up lines would spew forth.

She smiled - and it was like the sun had appeared through the clouds on
a rainy day. Truly breathtaking! "Sure... know how to drive these
things?" came the reply- her voice was like a harmony of angels singing
in tune...

After a quick spin and a lot of falling off (On both parts!) we drew up
onto the deck... I laughed heartilly. "I don't think I got your name
sir... you are..?"

SIR? Whoa! "I'm David. My friends call me Kammy. And please, enough
with the sir. I'm only seventeen."

"I'm Cherry. And I'm sixteen."

Much older than I thought... with her small frame and almost childlike
innocence, I could have sworn she was only eleven or twelve!

I saw Cherry regularly. She wasabused at home so she had left and was
living on the streets... I tried to help her out. I took her to
shelters. I bought her food... all the time I was amazed at her.
Sixteen, so innocent... so naieve... and so alone... how could her
parents have abused her.

I did a little digging into this matter myself. Cherry was actually a
fostered child, and had been most of her life. I tried talking to some
officials but they were less than helpful... I did not want Cherry to
be alone on those streets. It was hard for me to walk around without
getting into a fight with someone... so what about a small, young woman
who can't defend herself?

All the time I told Cherry I was trying to help her off the streets...
she knew I meant well. She discussed her life on the streets vividly...
but always avoided something... she loved to hear about gokarts,
waveracing and my passion for motorbikes. I loved listening to her talk
about the incredible friends that she had made on the streets, and how
much everyone tried to stick together...

She was from a different world. Where I had been well educated, she
hadn't even taken her final exams... I must have been so upper-class to
her! But somehow we managed to communicate on a similar level... she
was not stupid or dumb, in fact I swear, and still do to this very day,
she could sit her exams and pass with flying colours.

But one evening everything changed!

I had been in a band when I left school, and one bar in particular
needed a security guard- a bouncer. I had hit eighteen at that time.
Well, one night a week, cash in hand... you really don't say no, do
you? You just keep trouble makers away from the door and throw silly
people out!

I had heard about streetwalkers, but seeing them was something else. I
couldn't begin to fathom how desperate they were. Selling their bodies
to men for money... the risks, the danger, the threat of violence, of
being kidnapped... I had been told a lot by Karl, the other bouncer. We
immediately hit it off... he also loved motorbikes and we could
communicate instantly! Which is very rare...

My first night. "Nervous?" Karl asked. He was very well built- shorter
than me, about 5' 9. He was well built though... his arms were huge!
37, brown hair... he carried himself off as a perfect gentleman. He was
white, but had a distinct Jamaican accent.

"Look, Kam. We keep streetwalkers away from our door here... bad for
business, if you know what I mean!" I nodded. "I know. Don't ever call
them prostitutes. It's not nice and usually gets you punched or
slapped. But keep them at bay because it's bad for reputation."
"Hell man, now your learnin'!" Karl cheered.

We stood there, doing our job. We talked about bikes, racing, girls...
mainly girls though. Hey, we were both red blooded men. Why not discuss
whether or not you'd take Britney Spears on?

About midnight, Karl disappeared for a few minutes and came back with
coffees. "Black, no sugar. Keep ya awake!" Karl said.

As I drank my coffee... I could hear a girl say, "Lookin' for a good
time love?"
No. I drank my coffee... I glanced to my right and spat my coffee
everywhere.
"HEY man!" Karl called out. "Whats the deal?"
"I know that girl over there!" I told him.
Standing there in a tight short skirt and a boob tube was Cherry... I
was flabbergasted! She wandered into our territory. Karl made a move
but I stopped him. "No pal, this is a problem I need to deal
with."

I walked up to her... "CHERRY!"
I didn't mean it to come out the way it did. My voice was agressive.
Cherry spun round. "David?"
"What the fuck are you doing?" I shouted out. "Have you gone out of you
bloody mind?"
Cherry squared up to me the best she could. "As if you're so
perfect!"
"I don't sell my body for money!" I called back. It took her off guard.
"You are nothing but a cheap slut!"

Oops. Rule number 23. Don't call streetwalkers 'sluts'.

"Why... I HATE YOU!" She screamed angrily. She slapped me - I must say
I deserved that one! She stormed off... Karl put his hand on my
shoulder.
"Friend of yours?"
"Yes..." I replied. "One I thought I knew..."

I left the job a few weeks later. I couldn't shake Cherry out of my
mind... this was a serious situation, and I had known her for months so
I couldn't turn my back on her.

Karl came round to my place, and saw me in my street outfit. "You goin'
after that chick huh?" He asked. He knew the answer. Before I could
reply, he whipped of his designer jacket to reveal a torn t-shirt. "I
knew ya would. I'm comin' along too!"

I wandered the streets looking for a clue... looking for Cherry. In
this town I knew finding one homeless person is like finding a needle
in a haystack, but it was a search I wasn't going to call off.

Then a woman approached me.
"Well well." Karl quipped sarcastically. "If it isn't Daisy
Duke."
On closer inspection I knew that Daisy was really a man. I don't know
how I knew... maybe it was the build... other than that, I really
couldn't have told she was anything other than a woman!

"Suck my ass!" She replied. "I didn't come over for you. I came over
for this young man." She looked at me.

"You are Kammy, right?" she asked. "Yes." I responded, uneasy where
this was heading. Did she hear from me from the bar?
"Kammy, I need to discuss Cherry with you." Daisy glanced at Karl. "In
private, please..." I nodded, and looked at Karl, noding as if to say,
"Everythings under control here!"

She drew me into a small pub, and led me out back into a small
room.

I was astounded to see Cherry... she was shaking uncontrollably...
scared... frightened...
"Kammy," Daisy said. "She told me everything about you... you're a
decent guy. I don't believe in them really, but I know you're not like
that hypocrite Karl."
"Hypo...crite?" I said.
She sat down next to Cherry. "He and his buddy attacked Cherry on
Saturday... now I know you are not like them."
I was amazed. Karl? Surely not.

"She won't go into detail but I ain't takin' this lightly friend."
Daisy carried on. "Give me Karls address please and I'll call the
enforcers out."

It was a serious accustaion... I did as she asked. I did not want to be
assissting Karl in a cover up...

Daisy drew out her mobile. She explained to the cops what had
happened... gave them Karls address... and an assortment of answers to
qwuestions I couldn't make out.

I sat next to Cherry... I put my arms around her. "I'm sorry..." I
whispered. There was no response from her. I knew what was happening,
she was having a nervous breakdown. I cuddled her...

I found myself later giving police information about Karl, and Cherry.
They noted everything down. I was free to go... but I couldn't leave
the interview room without asking a burning question.
"Where's Cherry?" I asked.
"Why do you want to see her?" An officer asked quizzically.
"Shes my friend..." I responded solemnly. "A good friend... I haven't
seen her since I found out... I want to see her..."

The female officer behind the desk knew. "Cherry is fine. She's in
hospital at the moment, give me an hour and I'll arrange a visit... of
course, I'll have to accompany you."

Two hours later I walked into the ward... they took me to a cubicle.
Cherry was heavily sedated and asleep. The female officer whispered
into my ear, "You've got ten minutes... I am told she can still hear us
so say whats in your heart now."

The smell of antiseptic made me almost forget what I wanted to
say.

"Cherry." I said. "It's me... I wish... you could have told me. Didn't
you trust me? You are right... I am not perfect... I should have
protected you. I should have taken you away from the streets when I saw
you outside the bar... but I didn't. Please forgive me..."

I sat there, pleading for forgiveness. The officer said softly, "Times
up."

My last words to Cherry were, "Please... if you ever get well... and if
you ever find it in your heart to forgive me... please get a message to
me..."

I never saw Cherry again. Nor Karl, who was sentenced to rape and
jailed. His partner was never found.Cherry was moved to a psychiatric
unit... then to a rehab clinic... after that I lost track.

I still want Cherry to call me. But I doubt she'll ever forgive me... I
should have gone after her that night... I should have seen it
coming...

All I do now is sit back with a single photo of her on the Jetski we
rode together. I was so wrong... she had lost her innocence but was
trying to retain it at the same time...

It just proves even amongst friends, you can never predict who a person
really is until it's too late.