Mi Enamigo

Last week was the first week of classes. I was bright eyed, excited and optimistic. I looked at all the other students around me, and through my rosed color glasses, I saw an army of my peers, engaged in a righteous battle against ignorance. I elevated them, along with myself, to defenders of truth, seekers of knowledge, pure and altruistic beings.

Then, on thursday my idealistic view of them was shattered into a million tiny, sharp little pieces that have since struck my heart and left it aching, filled with rancor.

In my Spanish class there is one particular student. On the aforementioned day the sun went down on my hopes and dreams (Thursday) I noticed that he wasn't taking any notes. About 20 minutes into the lecture, he reluctantly opened up his slim looking backpack and pulled out a yellow legal pad with the intention of taking notes. For a minute he looked around in the small pouch on the front of his bag, but finding no writing utensil he slumped back in his chair. About 5 minutes later he leaned over to me and asked to borrow a pen.

As the gracious fellow student that I am, and with my newfound hope in humanity I reached down, withdrew a brand new pen from my bag and handed it over.

I sat there for the next 10 minutes smiliing internally at my little act of service.

Then, I glanced back over at the recipient of my good will, and what do I see, but his gnarly little incisors gnawing on the end of my pen.

Immediatley I was totally repulsed, and enthralled. For the last 10 minutes of class I spent my time wondering what this kid would do.

Would he suddenly realize that he was chewing on my pen and look embarrased? Would he offer it back to me after he'd demolished it with his sharp, and poorly brushed canines?

As the clock ticked on I became engrossed by the situation.

Finally, the lecture ended. He tossed his offensively yellow pad of paper into his backpack and stormed out of class.

For a second I sat dumbfounded in my chair.

I honestly couldn't believe that anyone would do that. He didn't even make a comment about the pen. I guess he thought that "borrow" meant the same thing as "keep and desicrate."

So now he has been dubbed my "enamigo" and will remain thus appelled until such time that the pen incident has been resolved.