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Saturday, August 02, 2008

Illustrations for CNB (Central Narcotics Bureau, Singapore) - Essay 7

Naomi Chua
Concord Primary School

The Big Mistake

Judy came from a wealthy family and she had everything she wanted. People always called her “the princess”. Though her parents pampered her with a lot of money and games, Judy told me that she had never once felt truly loved by her parents. I had no idea what she was always doing at home. Even though she was my best friend, she did not spend much time with me.

On Sunday evening, while we were chatting on MSN, Judy told me that she chatted with a guy who promised her something wonderful.

Concord Primary School Naomi Chua - illustration 1 colour

I pestered her to tell me, but she just coldly turned me off by saying it was a big secret. I was shocked; all I could do was to advise her to be careful not to enter into uncharted territories. Without saying a word of thanks, she abruptly logged off, leaving me in daze.

On Monday, Judy did not turn up in school. Still offended by what happened the day before, I did not bother to call. One week came and went, and Judy still did not come to school. Finally, I decided to go to her house and visit her. “Ding dong! Ding dong!” No one came to the door to answer the incessant ringing of the bell. Dejected, I slowly walked away.

It was a typical school day, but I did not know that I was going to get the greatest shock of my life. Judy reached school late, and when she arrived her blouse and skirt were crumpled, her hair was unkempt and dark rings shone under her eyes. This was not the Judy I knew. Stupefied, I croaked, “Judy, what happened to you? How did you…” All of a sudden, she cut me off, “Look here miss goody two shoes, I have no time to talk and this is none of your business.” Stunned, I sat rooted to my chair. The day dragged on with me feeling more and more worried for Judy. I searched my head for an idea to get Judy to tell me what was happening. At the end of the day, I sank back onto my chair, feeling more exhausted than ever. At night, I had no appetite to eat the sumptuous dinner that my mum prepared. With a heavy heart and a throbbing headache, I hit the sack.

The next morning, I woke up feeling depressed. What was I supposed to do? Finally I decided to trail her home. I could not wait for school to finish. When the bell rang, I quickly stuffed my things into my bag. Like the police on a criminal’s trail, I followed Judy. Judy unexpectedly turned into a deserted alley. I quickly hid behind a large dustbin when she stopped. My heart jumped when I heard muffled footsteps approaching. To my horror, I saw Judy taking out some money to exchange for some colourful pills. Straightaway, I recognised it as ecstasy. After the drug dealer had left, I boldly stood up from my hiding place and confronted Judy. Judy was taken aback. Dumbfounded, she questioned, “What are you doing here?” Undaunted by her question, I replied, “Maybe you should be the one telling me why you are here.” I fired a number of questions at her about why she was abusing drugs and her withdrawal symptoms.

Judy was stubborn and she did not want to tell me anything, no matter how I coaxed and persuaded her. All of a sudden, Judy turned around and sped down to another smaller lane. I stood in the lonely alley alone. The sense of hopelessness and helplessness surfaced again. Faced with no other choice, I called the narcotics officers. The officers found Judy lying face-down on the floor in her room.

Concord Primary School Naomi Chua - illustration 2 colour

I could not believe my ears when I heard that Judy died from a drug overdose. I broke down and cried. Judy’s parents were shocked. I will never ever forget this incident. The price for taking drugs is too high to pay. Know their dangers and start spreading the message today.

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