Charlie Undone

Charlie Undone

Preface

This story was inspired by the need to raise awareness of marijuana use in high school. The narration centers on Charlie, a bright student, whose academic life was destroyed by his addiction to marijuana. Charlie’s story reflects the dangers a student is exposed to for smoking marijuana. Again, the story details the difficulty of identifying addiction, fostering continual substance abuse. I hope that the story cautions learners, parents, and teachers on the existing use of marijuana, and foster discussions on how to end substance abuse in school.

Charlie Undone

By now, everyone in school had heard of the fiasco that took place yesterday. Some people said the scene came straight out of the action film Fast and Furious. Charlie, my classmate, was being chased by his mother, brother, cousin, and uncle. From their sweaty foreheads and heavy breathing, it was clearly a long and rough chase. In contrast, Charlie, also tired, stood at a distance and seemed ready to run. After panting and catching their breaths, the chase resumed. Only this time, it was inside the school halls. All Charlie kept shouting was, “You can’t make me come back to school!”

The next day, the Principle briefed and apologized to us. He mentioned that the issue was being handled, and he would give us the response as soon as possible. My classmates were baffled. Rightfully so because Charlie was the brightest student in our class. So smart was he that he earned some money by tutoring my peers after school. Suffice to state, he was every teacher’s dream student and the envy of those who wanted to get half the accolades he had accumulated.

Then Charlie started changing. The first obvious sign was a B he got on a History test. Charlie never got a B in anything, much less on a subject he loved. Even the teacher, perplexed by his results, made an inquiry. Charlie’s response almost made her cry. He simply told her that he was not into History anymore. His eyes, red as cherries, seemed to defy her. She just walked away, astounded, and insulted. Again, there was that laughing incident. The Math teacher made a joke to liven up the lesson. But Charlie laughed so much and uncontrollably, we all feared the building would collapse. His laughter echoed through the hallway, scaring other students out of their classes. It was traumatizing.

Charlie’s character seemed to worsen. He left a note on his locker, saying he was watching his close enemies. He also complained to the Deputy Principal that he was not happy in school because everyone hated him. Charlie had already failed all his tests, and his mother came for a meeting with the teacher. Rumor has it that the mother held her hands in shame and could not explain Charlie’s behavior. She made endless reassurances that Charlie would change and improve. Charlie sat there like a statue and would not explain himself. When he eventually spoke, he muttered that school was not the place for him.

It had been two weeks since Charlie came to school. He sent no apologies, and our teacher was becoming concerned. The mid-term exams were due in two days. Finally, the Principal called his home, and the mother, it was said, was numb. And the manhunt for Charlie began. He was spotted in a shack, with three other teenagers. Apparently, he was paranoid and shouted war slogans. In his mind, he was a great World War General. When he saw his parents, he started running, prompting the scene that took place yesterday.

Charlie was shouting in the Principal’s office that he loathed school. He had better plans. That learning was a waste of time. We also heard weeping in the office, presumably from the mother. Amongst ourselves, we thought of Charlie. He was so thin that I could floss my teeth using him. He could not keep his hands to himself and appeared tired. His laces were untied, his shirt was untucked, and his trousers almost came undone. This was not the Charlie we knew. We all wondered why he changed so much. My friend Oliver finally Said, “Do you think maybe Charlie is taking drugs? Like weed? He is definitely on drugs.” Charlie, smoking marijuana? That shocked us. Deep down, however, we all knew it was true. Charlie was a marijuana addict.