A friend that never was

A while ago in early 2006, a "distant" friend(although she's a nearby neighbour) sought my advice on my university details. It was a turning point as she was to end up being my uni-mate and close friend for a while.

For about 1 year plus of honest friendship, i was very kind to her-not to boast but i really was. During that period, I was like her elder bro although I don't look like one. As a senior, I helped her with preliminary registration, guided her in studies, lent her almost lots of my notes and test papers and advised her on many academic issues. As a friend, I helped her look for room, offered her weekly rides- to and fro, remembered her birthday and gave her gifts, and accompanied her walking to bus stops on numerous occasions.

For all that I've done for her, she was actually not responsive most of the time but still accepting. At first I really didn't mind doing it as a friend, more so when she grew thinner and prettier(blinded by looks?). But then as she got more and more attention for her looks, she became a very much changed, different person. She showed her tail and the picture become too obvious and stupid to be unaware of. She treated everyone around her as a tool from the start. And I was one of them all along. Everyone else around her is.

I started assessing our friendship more closely and I realized it has been nothing more than a parasitic relationship. Her definition of friends is their usefulness. My value to her is under the academic category, as I have always been her source of senior guidance, notes, test papers as her reference. Other than that, I am of no worth to her. Which means, when she comes to me-whether she's trying to start a casual conversation or straight to the point, she can only have one definite motive-getting something academic from me. Yes, she's sly. She only comes to me when she needs my help and she starts the task by having a casual dialogue and giving lotsa sweet talk and smiles. At the end of conversation, I always end up lending her something. That's the whole point of the dialogue. If there's nothing to borrow from me, then I'm invisible to her. I was never appreciated or treated like a friend. She treats her circle of friends pretty much the same way but i'm not gonna elaborate on her exploits.

I regretted for being a kind fool, for being a willing prey and I was utterly disappointed to have such a friend. Then i started ignoring her and tried to cut down my help supplies, and guess what it only helped to reveal more of her true colours. She must have become desperate as she got herself a genius boyfriend and poof, she doesn't need anyone anymore. She hit lotsa birds with one stone because this guy is her classmate, he's a 4-pointer and he has a car. She would never go out for dinner with us the usual gang anymore, she shot to the president's list, she became a rat- eating her mate's food without her permission, she brought her guy back almost everynight to the disgust of her mate and the landlady. And the best thing is, this disrespectful guy treats everyone else as invisible as well and he kept coming. In short, she became an eyesore and a pain in the ass.

The landlady's patience was severely tested as promises were broken and warnings were ignored. In the end, she was to end up being asked to leave the house and she duly did. It really was justice done. I couldn't feel happier to have her out of my sight for the rest of my stay in the rented house.

And oh, guess what, she just asked for my notes and test papers when we met in the block last week. I was laughing in heart.... I feel like telling her:

"You know what? Fuck off, you cowbrain.. Happy cow year to you"

And Happy Chinese New Year to everyone else!