LOST: Becoming an Addict!

I recently wrote an article for a local magazine and I thought I'd share it here. It's about addiction, the start of addiction, any kind of addiction, not just the one represented. We find that we always have a choice. 

Take a look: 

LOST

How I became an addict: A fictional tale.

The place was dark; the light was very dim, the music was loud, very loud, too loud. I thought I would go deaf. Julius and Andrew and everybody else there, did not seem to mind, they were comfortable with it. When I entered with Julius the first time, I had to run back out. But Julius laughed at me, and called me a Jew and then forced me back in.

When I entered again, the people that were not on the dance floor, dancing to the loud music that made no sense, were laughing at me. They had glassy stares, like zombies. Andrew was shaking his head in disgust at me, the chest pocket of his grey long sleeved shirt bulged out.

‘What did I do?’ I wanted to ask, but I thought even if I did, there was no way he would here me.

Julius then went to a corner and sat on one of the raffia woven chairs, there were 6 chairs there, surrounding a short table, I walked sheepishly to join him, as if, if walked purposefully the ground would open up and swallow me. I sat next to him, quietly, staring at the chair opposite me, wondering what genius designed it. Andrew joined us. He sat opposite me and laughed hysterically, I wondered if there was something wrong with my face, I wanted a mirror, to look at myself with, and then he shook his head and mumbled a few words. I did not hear him, the music was too loud.

Julius brought out two bottles of cough syrup from his blue jean trouser pocket; I thought it was strange; he had not coughed even once since that day began. I wanted to ask him if he was sick, but I did not.

Andrew gave him a thumb up, and then brought out two of his own, from his shirt pocket, Oh, that is why the pocket bulged out, I thought. But what were they doing with cough syrups, what was going on? I wondered. Then the music stopped.

Before long, the three unoccupied chairs became occupied; one other boy and two girls joined us, sweating profusely, as if they had been running under the sun, but no, they had only been dancing.

Julius handed me one of the bottles, I cringed, what was I supposed to do with it? I did not have cough. I looked at him, and he looked right back at me, ‘Take it,’ he said.

‘But, I am not coughing.’ I said. 

They all laughed, all five of them, including the girls, I felt embarrassed.

One of the girls collected the bottle from Julius, opened it and gulped. Half of the purple liquid was gone. Andrew nodded in pride, and then said to me: ‘Jew, look at a girl doing it. Prove that you are a man and not a child.’

Julius dropped an empty bottle of the syrup on the table, he had poured the content into a cup that contained sprite, and then he drank it. I watched his eyes slowly enter into its socket. Andrew had challenged me, and I had to act or lose my reputation, as if I had any. I collected the bottle from the girl and slowly started drinking, it tasted like honey, I finished the remaining. Suddenly, I had become a man, in their eyes. They cheered!

Andrew gave me another and I finished it. I felt everywhere become hazy, people became shadows. That was when I slipped away. Now, I no longer have control over it. I am addicted.

But every time I think back to that day, I realize that I had a choice. I am lost now, today, because of something I could have avoided. I can easily blame Julius and Andrew, for introducing me into this life which I now find mellifluous but really is the opposite, into this gaol of drug addiction, but that would be cowardice. It is my fault; I wanted to be a man, I wanted to be cool, I wanted to fit in.

 That boy had a choice, you see. You always have a choice, no matter what.
 Till next time,, Keep dreaming!!