Born to Harm: La Vie De Camille Isa

By Darko Pozder

PSYCHOPATHS ARE SPECIAL PEOPLE THEY ARE TALL, CHARMING AND HANDSOME JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING OTHERS SHORT, BORING AND WORTHLESS.

THE BEST WAY TO BECAME A PSYCHOPATH IS TO BE RAISED BY ONE.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jan 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669885917

Darko Pozder

Darko Pozder is an Australian mental heath professional who has had medical and psychological education. Darko has completed extensive research and working experience at the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW. Darko's main professional and research interest include psychopathology and neuropsychology of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. His book: Without Stigma: About the Stigma of the Mental Illness was published in 2018 and its second edition Without Stigma, About the Stigma and the Identity of the Mental Illness appeared in early 2019 and has received nomination for 2020 NSW / ACT Regional Achievement and Community Awards from Local health districts of NSW.

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 by Darko Pozder.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and

such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 01/07/2022

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

This book is

dedicated to individuals and communities impacted by suicide across Australia and across the globe.

Climbing a mountain is a challenge, but being born to carry a mountain is much more than a challenge.

Psychopaths are special people. They are tall, charming, and handsome just because they are making others short, boring, and worthless.

The best way to become a psychopath is to be raised by one. (Darko Pozder)

CHAPTER 1

Martha, oh, Martha, your eyes, your smile, your energy makes me feel special. I love you, Martha. I just cannot wait to see you again. If I could kiss you, Martha, if I could touch you just for a moment. I am so happy when I think of you, Martha. OMG, I am in fact obsessed with Martha, Jo realises for a second.

Jo sits dreamily outside their home watching the sun setting down. Besides him sits his younger sister, who for the umpteenth time is begging Jo to play with her. Of course, Jo is not interested in playing with his younger sister Louise; he has other things on his mind, like convincing Martha to become his girlfriend. Martha, oh, so beautiful! Jo cannot get his mind away from her. Jo believes that the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Martha is the image of a perfect goddess. At times, he wonders if there is a chance on the world that the beautiful goddess can notice him. Martha comes from the middle class as her dad owns several stores in Paris.

From chatting with most of his high school friends, Jo knows that Martha is the most-chased-after girl in their school. Jo wonders if Martha can even take notice of him. Trying won’t hurt, Jo thinks to himself.

‘Jo, come and take out the trash can.’ Suddenly his mother’s voice calling him startles Jo from his thoughts.

‘Yes, Mom, I am coming,’ Jo replies as he lazily walks back into the house. Jo and his younger sister stay with both their parents.

Alexandro, Jo’s dad, is always busy at work; and when at home, he always complains of being tired. Rarely does he have time to play with his children. Jo cannot remember a time when his dad played or sat down to talk with him or his sister; the man is always busy. Jo feels a disconnection with his father; he envies his friend Paul, who speaks fondly of his dad. Jo secretly wishes to have such kind of relationship with his dad. Marie, Jo’s mom, often stays at home to take care of her family and explain that their dad loves them, but he is not typically emotionally expressive. His mind is still in Malò, a little town in Sicily, near Capo d’Orlando where he was born and raised. Alexandro promised to his family to take them all one day to Sicily ‘to try real food and wine’. He often says, ‘You must try an ice cream and a lemon granita at Don Peppino before you die. I cannot wait to see my best friend Calogero. No one can cut hair like him.’

Although Jo does not believe, his mother smiles back and nods in agreement. After taking out the trash can, Jo comes and sits down and continues to dream about Martha. He swears to himself that he will gather enough courage the next day after school and ask her to become his girlfriend. After dinner, which consists of soup, pasta, and later cheese, the family retires to bed. The alarm rings so loudly, startling Jo from sleep; he tries to cover his head with a pillow, but the sound does not stop. He decides to wake up and switch off the damn clock, only for his eyes to be met by the dazzling morning sun.

Jo suddenly realises it is already morning, and he needs to go to school. He jumps out of bed, rushes to the bathroom, takes breakfast hurriedly, and quickly dashes out to catch the school bus. After settling on the bus, he hears a familiar voice behind him. ‘Morning, Jo, how are you?’ It is Martha’s voice, and momentarily Jo is tongue-tied. Slowly he turns behind only to be met with the sweetest smile Jo has ever seen; he stares at Martha, and for a few seconds, no words come out of his mouth.

A few seconds later, Jo finds his voice and replies, ‘Morning, beautiful.’ Martha smiles back at Jo; the smile for the second time takes Jo’s breath away, and all that he had prepared to tell her suddenly vanish; he can only stare at her. Martha shyly looks away, and Paul, who is seated next to Jo, shakes him, and it is only then that he realises he was staring at Martha unashamedly. He quickly recollects himself and tries to put on a serious face; Paul looks at his friend and gives him a knowing look.

Jo does not utter another word, wondering if he has already made himself look like a fool before Martha. He remains quiet for the remaining part of the journey to school. Jo is lost in thought, wondering what kind of impression he has made before Martha, and does not realise that they have arrived at school until Paul prods him to wake up. In class, Jo’s mind seems to be far away. He is only thinking of Martha, and it does not help that Paul is making fun of him due to his obvious crush on the girl.

‘Jo, what is the answer?’ The booming voice of Monsieur Raphael, the mathematics teacher, wakes Jo from his reverie.

Jo looks up and is met with the teacher’s angry stare and utters the first words that come out of his mouth, ‘Two hundred and thirty.’

The other students burst out laughing, and Monsieur Raphael gives Jo an almost-murderous look. ‘Young man, you need to concentrate, or else…’ The remaining part of the lesson passes in a blur; Jo wonders what Martha, who sits a few seats beside him, is thinking about him.

Jo is so angry with himself that he decides to forget Martha since he feels he has only succeeded in making a fool of himself that day. The rest of the day seems to drag, and when it is time to go back home, Jo is relieved since he considers this to be one of the worst days of his life. When the school bus arrives, Jo sits down and closes his eyes; he does not want to talk with anyone.

‘I am sorry for what happened in class. I do not like Monsieur Raphael.’

Jo quickly opens his eyes and is met with the most beautiful and concerned look of the girl he has been trying so hard to forget.

The same feeling he had in the morning when Martha greeted him returns; and Jo again, for the second time in the day, stares at her, no words coming out of his mouth.

‘It is all right if you do not want to talk about it. I know what it feels to be publicly embarrassed.’

‘No, Martha, I forgot all about it. I was just a bit tired,’ Jo lies since he wants to prove he is a macho man and impress the girl. Martha, who is quite chatty, something Jo did not know, starts talking about evil and good teachers in the school, her home, and her friends.

The rest of the journey home passes away quickly; and it is time for Martha, who lives with her parents a few streets away from Jo’s house, to alight. Jo waves goodbye excitedly at Martha. At home, Jo is whistling to popular love songs; he asks Louise if she would like him to play with her. Louise, who is only ten years old, looks at her brother oddly, wondering what has come over him. She has never seen her brother so excited to the point he wants to play with her without being coerced. ‘Okay, then let’s play Jeu de la barbichette [Game of the Goatee],’ Louise said excitedly.

She expected her brother to say no, but to her excitement, he agrees, and so begins the game of grabbing an opponent’s chin. Louise starts by singing a short song, which makes Jo laugh; and this leads to a slap by her younger sister, which is all part of the game. Time passes away quickly, and it is dinner time again. Jo gobbles his food hungrily to his mother’s astonishment since it was just yesterday when he did not want to eat or talk to anyone.

‘Are you okay?’ Marie asks Jo.

‘Of course I am, Mom, just hungry and happy.’

Jo’s mom looks at his son and secretly wonders what had come over her son. ‘Whatever it is, my son looks happy,’ she mutters to herself.

‘What are you saying, Mom?’ Jo asks his mother.

‘Nothing, son, let us go to bed, as I do not want both of you to be late for school tomorrow,’ Marie replies. Jo’s dad had retired to bed earlier than the rest of the family, citing the usual tiredness. The next morning, Jo woke up feeling unusually happy. At first he wonders why he is happy, and then he remembers the events of the previous day.

Jo hurriedly prepares to go to school; unlike previous days, he does not need his mom’s prodding. Jo is so excited; he will see Martha again. He couldn’t care less about the school. He kisses his mother for goodbye and rushes out to avoid missing the school bus. For the second time, Jo’s mom, Marie, wonders who has caused a drastic change in his son’s attitude. However, the change as far as Marie is concerned is good, since she no longer has to drag Jo from bed to go to school.

On the bus, Jo scans the faces, hoping to see Martha; he silently prays that there is a space left so that he can sit beside her. He cannot believe his eyes when Celeste, one of Martha’s friends who has always had a crush on Paul, moves to sit near her crush. This leaves an empty seat, and Jo hurriedly occupies it and sits beside the gorgeous Martha. Jo extends his hand to Martha. ‘Morning, mon ange.’ Martha shyly smiles, nods her head affirmatively, and quickly looks away. ‘How was your night?’ Jo asks, to which Martha replies, ‘Fine.’ Jo nervously wonders how to continue with the conversation.

A thought suddenly pops into Jo’s mind; he remembers that Martha had mentioned her dog, Aimee, the previous evening on the bus ride back home. ‘How is Aimee?’ Jo asks. Martha’s face lights up as she begins to talk about her dog animatedly. Jo is so happy to see Martha so excited. Although he does not care much about the dog, Jo is excited to hear Martha’s voice, as he later told Paul, ‘It was like music to my ears.’

‘Do you have a dog?’ Martha asks him.

‘I don’t have one, but I really love dogs,’ Jo answers Martha as he stares for the umpteenth time at her beautiful face.

In the school that day, Jo decides to ask Martha to become his girlfriend that evening officially. The entire day, his mind is full of contradicting thoughts. One part of him wants to believe Martha likes him. Otherwise, she should not be smiling at me, Jo thinks to himself. The other part feels that I am way beneath in her social class. Martha also is always at the top in class. She is so intelligent. Do I stand a chance with her? Jo wonders. These thoughts continue until it is time to go back home; Jo finally decides that he is too way below Martha, so he will not ask her to become his girlfriend.

That evening on the bus, Jo is seated wearing a defeated look and does not notice when Martha comes and sits next to him. He is jolted back to reality when a soft hand touches him, and an angelic voice asks, ‘Jo, are you okay? Your mind seems to be far away.’

‘Sorry, I did not notice you. I am okay.’ Martha looks at him and continues prodding further; Jo eventually blurts out, ‘Will you be my girlfriend’ Martha stares at Jo, shocked; she never thought for a minute that the handsome Jo would ever notice her.

‘I am not sure. Can we talk after alighting from the bus?’ Martha stammers. Jo replies with a mumbled okay, wondering what came over him since he thought Martha was too good for him. The rest of the journey, both Jo and Martha are quiet; the tension between them can be cut with a knife. Martha is the first to alight; she looks at Jo helplessly, and without thinking, he follows her. Outside the bus, the two for a moment are just staring at each other. After a few seconds, Jo gathers some courage and asks the angel standing before him, ‘What is your response to my earlier question?’

Martha looks up, and Jo can see the tears welling in her eyes. ‘I would want to be your girlfriend, but I am afraid of what my parents will say if they learn of our relationship. I love you too.’

Jo cannot believe the words are coming out of Martha’s mouth. ‘Did you say you love me?’ Without thinking, Jo holds Martha’s hands and blurts out, ‘I love you more than I can say. I cannot believe I am standing here besides the girl I have always loved.’ Suddenly Martha bursts into tears; and Jo finds himself, without thinking, holding her in his arms, murmuring, ‘Darling, do not worry. We will conquer whatever is ahead. I love you. I love you so much.’

Jo continues holding Martha in his arms and feeling like his heart would burst with love. Eventually, she calms down and realises she is being held by a man a few meters from her home. She quickly steps back and runs to her house without another word. Jo is left there standing, not knowing what to make of what has just happened. Jo starts walking to his home, whistling excitedly; he overlooks Paul, who lives near Martha’s house, waving at him. Paul runs and finally catches up with Jo. ‘You look so happy. What is it?’ Paul asks.

‘You cannot believe it. Martha loves me.’

‘What?’ Paul asks. Jo goes on to narrate what had happened a few minutes earlier to his friend. Paul listens attentively and tells Jo, ‘That girl loves you. You are so lucky, man.’

‘Yeah, I know, but there is a small problem. I am not in her social class,’ Jo tells Paul.

‘Love is not founded on social class. Fight for the girl,’ Paul replies.

‘All right, I will do my best.’

‘That is the Jo I know, one who is not afraid of challenges. See you tomorrow at school.’ With that, Paul leaves.

The moment Jo enters their front door, Marie senses her son has something weighing heavily on his mind. ‘Are you okay? How was your day at school? Is there a problem?’ Marie asks her son.

‘Mom, which question do I answer first? Of course I am all right, just tired from school activities,’ Jo asks his mother.

‘All right, my son, you know I am always available for you. You can talk to me on anything.’ Jo nods his head and goes to his room. Inside the room, Jo cannot stop but replay the scene that had just occurred between him and Martha. He experiences both fear and intense excitement, which are very conflicting feelings.

He loves the girl and is excited that she loves him back, but he is afraid that Martha’s parents would never accept him because of social class. A knock startles him from his deep thoughts. ‘Come on in,’ Jo responds.

Jo’s mom enters and looks at her son with concern in her eyes. ‘Are you okay, son? Since you came from school one hour ago, you have been locked inside this room.’

‘Mom, I am fine,’ Jo replies.

‘I am not getting out of this room until I know what is going on,’ his mother says as she sits beside her son.

‘Mom, why don’t we have a big house like most of our neighbours? Why are we poor?’

Jo’s mother is surprised by her son’s sudden question. ‘Why do you ask that, my son? Your dad and I are doing our best to raise our family,’ his mom replies. ‘Your father is coming from a small Sicilian village. Everything he has got, all his inheritance, family and friends, everything, is still in Sicily. Your father left everything he had and came here in Paris to make your life easier. He is working hard to give you and your sister a better future. You are always asking why your father is so quiet. Well, his life has stopped since he left Malò. He didn’t hear from his best friend Calogero since January this year, and that makes him very sad. Calogero is a barber from Malò, and they have been friends since primary school. Calogero’s daughter Tatiana was born last year, and your dad promised Calogero to go see him and his family.’

Jo realises that the question has hurt his mother. ‘Mom, do not mind me. I was just thinking there is something I could do to make our family better.’

‘That is the least of your responsibility, son. Just study. Your dad and I only want the best for you and your sister.’

‘I love you, Mom, let’s go for dinner.’ Jo kisses his mother as the two leave the room.

At dinner, Jo tries hard to keep his emotions in check to avoid hurting or worrying about his mother, whom he loves deeply. Louise tries to chat with her brother playfully, but all she gets is a bored smile. After dinner, Jo excuses himself and retires to bed early. That night, Jo cannot sleep due to the excitement of Martha’s declaration of love and fear that her parents might be opposed to their relationship. He tosses in bed until the wee morning hours when he manages to catch some sleep for a few hours. The alarm rudely awakens Jo; he opens his eyes only to realise it is another day to go to school.

Jo wakes up and prepares, and despite his mother’s insistence, he skips breakfast. On the bus, he anxiously looks around to see if he can spot Martha, and when he does, his excitement is unmistakable. ‘Hi, love.’ He stretches his hand to Martha as he gazes lovingly at her. ‘How was your night?’

‘I am fine, Jo,’ Martha replies, smiling shyly.

‘I missed you so much after we parted ways. Did you miss me?’ Jo asks Martha, who responds with another breathtaking smile. The two lovebirds stare at each other, lost for words, but their feelings for each other are unmistakable.

Jo suddenly realises the two are standing in the middle of the bus and attracting unwanted attention from the other students. Jo gently takes hold of Martha’s hand. ‘Come, love, let us sit down.’ Jo leads Martha to two empty seats, where they sit holding hands and occasionally stealing glances at each other. At school, Jo can barely concentrate in class, thinking how lucky he is to have finally won the heart of the girl he has always loved and admired.

‘Jo, will you stop looking back and concentrate.’ The voice of Monsieur Raphael startles Jo.

‘I am sorry, sir,’ Jo responds, suddenly realising that all he has done that morning in class was look back after every few minutes and stare lovingly at Martha. Jo does not know how he will concentrate in class while the girl he adores is sitting so close to him. The day passes quickly, and it is time to go home; for Jo, this is the best time of the day since he will have the opportunity to sit next to Martha and hold her hand. The two lovebirds get into the school bus holding hands; it is evident to everyone that the two are in love.

As Martha and Jo get into the bus, Bruce gives Jo a nasty look. Unknown to Jo, Bruce, one of the most famous rugby players in the school, has been pursuing Martha relentlessly to make her one of his many conquests. Jo ignores Bruce’s looks and gently leads Martha to a vacant seat. Bruce swears to himself that by hook or by crook, he has to make Martha his girlfriend. Bruce comes from a well-to-do family; hence, he can afford to spoil Martha with goodies, something he is sure Jo cannot afford. Bruce remembers he had once overheard Martha telling Celeste how much she wanted the new straight jeans, but her parents had insisted she had enough to wear in her wardrobe.

Bruce gets an idea. I can buy Martha the jeans, but how will I know her size? he wonders. A thought comes to him. The next day, Bruce approaches Celeste and lies to her that he has a girlfriend whose body structure and size are the same as Martha’s. Bruce wants to buy his ‘girlfriend’ a pair of jeans but does not know her size and wants it to be a surprise. Bruce requests Celeste to tell her Martha’s dress size so that he can use it to surprise his ‘girlfriend’. Celeste sees no harm in Bruce’s suggestion and gives in to his request. Bruce goes away smiling.

Martha and Jo have now become inseparable; they are always together. At times, Jo pinches himself to see if this is reality or a dream; he cannot believe how lucky he is. It is evident that he loves her. Martha is surprised when she opens her locker and finds something beautifully wrapped with her name on top. She quickly looks around, and there is no one in the room; she is all alone since it is recess time. Martha had forgotten her pen; that is why she has come back. Slowly she unwraps the contents only to find a note saying, ‘For the most beautiful girl in the world.’

She is startled on hearing a voice behind her, asking, ‘Do you like it?’ She turns around to be met by Bruce’s smiling face.

‘Bruce, what is this all about? I don’t want your gift. I didn’t ask for it,’ Martha angrily answers.

‘Darling, you do not have to ask for anything. It is my pleasure to shower you with gifts,’ Bruce answers. Before Martha can say nothing, Bruce takes her into his arms and kisses her so passionately. Martha tries to fight the feeling slowly rising from the pit of her stomach, but she cannot; she finds herself kissing Bruce back with so much passion.

Finally, she manages to disengage herself from Bruce. ‘Go away please.’ Bruce walks away, smiling, and gives Martha a knowing look. Martha is confused; she sits down as she feels too weak to stand and does not know what to make of what had just happened.

‘My love, why are you taking so long?’ Jo’s voice startles Martha from her confused thoughts and emotions. She looks at Jo and tries to smile, but all she can say is ‘I have taken the pen. Let us go out.’

‘Are you all right? You do not look fine,’ Jo asks.

‘I am all right. Let us join the others outside,’ she tells Jo.

Jo feels something Martha is hiding, but he brushes off the thought, deciding to believe all is well. Outside, Martha is unusually quiet; Jo’s constant questions only get him a stern look. Jo is sure something is wrong, but he does not know how to convince Martha to open up. Jo decides to talk to his friend Paul regarding the issue on their way home from school. On the bus, although Martha is sitting beside Jo, she is talking very little. Martha alights near her home with a simple ‘Have a good evening, Jo.’

For the last few months, Martha has never called Jo by his name; she always referred to him as ‘my sweet pie.’ Jo realises something has to be done urgently. He gives Paul a look that says, ‘I need your help.’ Paul understands the look. He, therefore, alights together with his friend. Jo shares his fears regarding Martha with Paul, who upon listening tells Jo, ‘At times, girls can be temperamental. Give her a few days, and she will revert to her old self.’ Jo disagrees with his friend but hides that he feels something is wrong in his relationship with Martha.

Martha cannot help replaying in her mind the kiss from Bruce. She has never felt anything like that before; in fact, she cannot get Bruce out of her mind. Martha, what is wrong with you? You have a man that loves you. Bruce is a playboy. Forget him, she tells her mind. Despite her efforts, Martha longs for another kiss from Bruce. Martha sleeps early and dreams of Bruce kissing her repeatedly; in another scene, she sees Jo chasing her to strangle her. She wakes up sweating and realises it is morning.

Today is a Saturday, and she has no plans; she decides to sleep some more. However, sleep escapes her; the only thing on her mind is Bruce. She wakes up, takes breakfast, and asks permission from her mom to go and visit Celeste. Martha is planning to go to the school’s rugby pitch; she is sure she will bump into Bruce. Martha is near the rugby pitch when a familiar hand touches her. ‘Look who is here looking so gorgeous.’ Martha looks back slowly, trying so hard to hide what she is feeling. Standing next to Bruce evokes in her emotions she had never experienced before.

Nonetheless, she somehow manages to say a weak hello to Bruce.

‘Where are you heading looking so beautiful?’ Bruce asks.

‘I am running an errand for my mom,’ Martha lies.

‘I will help you do that later. Please honour me with your presence and watch me practice,’ Bruce says with a pleading voice.

‘Just for a few minutes only,’ Martha says.

‘Okay, baby,’ Bruce replies with a killer smile. Martha fears that Bruce can hear her heart pumping; standing next to this hunk makes her light-headed. Bruce takes hold of Martha’s hand and leads her to the pitch; he finds her a seat two rows to the front and seats her gently.

Bruce and the team begin the practice; Martha realises that he deserves the accolades heaped upon him. The guy is so agile; his talent in the pitch is matchless. Although she knows she is one of the most-sought-after girls in the school, Martha cannot comprehend how such a good-looking guy could ever notice her, but she is thanking her lucky stars that he did. It is late afternoon when the practice comes to an end. Martha is anxious to get home since she had requested to be away for a few hours only.

Bruce comes after changing and notices Martha is anxious. ‘What is it, darl?’ he asks.

‘I need to go home now.’

‘All right, a few minutes only and I will be done,’ Bruce answers. He talks for a few minutes with the coach and comes back. ‘I cannot believe I am standing next to the most beautiful girl in the school. What did I do to deserve this honour?’

‘Oh, Bruce, why are you saying this?’ Martha asks.

‘Because it is true. I have wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend, but you are always with that good-for-nothing Jo,’ he replies.

‘Darling, what are you doing with such a low life?’ Bruce asks.

‘Stop referring to Jo in that manner. He is a good guy,’ Martha says as she tries to defend Jo weakly.

‘All right, but look at the pair of jeans I brought you yesterday. Can he afford that? Anyway, forget Jo. I am here now ready to spoil you,’ Bruce responds. Martha keeps quiet, feeling guilty since she is betraying the man who truly loves her, but she cannot ignore her feelings for Bruce. On their way home, Bruce suggests if he can get a sandwich for her, which she replies affirmatively.

After taking the sandwich, the two strolled as Bruce escorts Martha home. There is a vast tree standing a few meters from Martha’s house; this is where Bruce intends to bid Martha goodbye. Since it is already dusk, Bruce takes Martha into his arms and kisses her. Martha responds with so much passion that it surprises both of them. Bruce gently raises Martha’s face to face his. ‘Oh, cute pie, what will I do with you? I need so you so much. Will you be my girlfriend?’

‘Yes, yes, I will,’ Martha replies without thinking. All she wants is to remain in Bruce’s arms.

Bruce kisses her, this time with abandonment. ‘Ooh, darling, I am so happy.’ The two kiss some more; and finally, Martha, realising it is getting dark, pushes Bruce away.

‘I have to go home now,’ she tells Bruce.

‘Kiss me one more time before you go,’ Bruce pleads with Martha, who kisses him hurriedly and runs off home. It is dark at her home. She wonders why but realises that her mom and dad were going out to visit her grandma. Martha thanks her lucky stars that nobody is home since it is already dark, and her dad would have been so mad at her for coming home late.

Since she is hungry, Martha quickly prepares grilled chicken and pasta for dinner. She takes a piece of chocolate after the meal, and as she is biting it slowly, she starts thinking of what had just transpired. Her feelings are torn between Bruce and Jo; on the one hand, she loves Jo, but on the other hand, Bruce evokes emotions that she did not know existed. The weekend passes away quickly, and it is time to go back to school. Martha does not know how to face Jo or Bruce. The first person she notices when she gets into the bus is Jo; the guilt of her betrayal causes Martha to avoid looking at him.

She looks for a sit far away from Jo, who quickly rises from where he is seated and comes near. ‘Good morning, love,’ Jo greets Martha.

‘Good morning,’ Martha replies curtly.

‘What is it, my love? Is there something wrong?’ Jo asks.

‘No,’ Martha replies curtly and looks away.

‘Please talk to me. What is it, my love?’ Jo prods further.

‘Nothing! Stop pestering me!’ Martha shouts back and moves to an empty seat in front. Jo is dumbfounded; he does not know what to do or say. He tries to touch Martha, who is not seated very far from him, but she pushes him away.

‘Leave me alone!’ Martha shouts at Jo to everyone’s surprise. Jo looks at Martha, shocked; a sharp pain pierces his heart. The embarrassment is also too much. He moves back to his seat and looks ahead, seeing nothing.

Paul, who saw everything that has just happened, quickly comes to his friend’s rescue. ‘I am sorry, man,’ Paul tells his friend; the look he gets is almost murderous. Paul quickly shuts up. Jo’s thoughts are racing; he is both angry and confused, wondering what he has done to deserve such treatment from Martha. He believes that there is a reason behind Martha’s behaviour. Or did something bad happen at her home? Jo thinks.

When the bus comes to a halt at the school gate, Jo tries to glance at Martha, but she conveniently looks away. In class, Jo can hardly concentrate; he wonders what has come over Martha. He loves that girl and does not want to lose her. He decides to talk to her after school. After the day’s lessons are over, Martha dashes out quickly from the class. She does not even wait for Celeste. Jo hurriedly follows her. ‘Darling, please wait. We need to talk.’

Martha turns back and angrily glares at Jo. ‘Stop following me. I am no longer interested in you. Whatever we had is over,’ and with that, she walks away.

Jo is left standing; he cannot believe his ears or eyes. His heart’s pain is intense; he feels like he cannot breathe properly. He continues to stand in the same spot; time seems to have stood still. Jo suddenly realises the school bus is leaving, and he drags his shaken body to avoid missing the ride home. On the bus, Martha is sitting cosily beside Bruce; Jo cannot believe what he sees. This is too much for him. Before he thinks what he is doing, Jo grabs Bruce by the collar; and when he is about to punch his face, Paul jumps from behind and quickly drags Jo away.

‘What do you think you are doing?’ Paul asks Jo as he drags him to a nearby seat.

‘Look, Paul, this brute has taken my girl away from me,’ Jo retorts.

‘No one took me away from you. I love Bruce and not you, Jo,’ Martha responds.

‘Stop fighting over her. She is not worth your time,’ Paul tells Jo.

Every student on the bus is astonished at the turn of events. ‘We thought Martha and Jo were a couple,’ they whisper to one another. In class and during recess, Jo does not talk to anyone, including Paul, his friend; he keeps to himself.

Jo wonders what made Martha choose Bruce over him. What did she see in that guy? Did she even love me, or was just playing with my feelings? These thoughts keep swirling in his mind; the more he thinks about what has happened, the angrier he becomes. In the coming days, Jo talks very little both in school and at home. He is always on edge, and people around him have to walk on eggshells. Nowadays, Jo prefers to be alone. Paul has tried to get Jo to come out of his cocoon, but his efforts have borne no fruit. This is a different Jo; the old one seems to have vanished.

His mother is worried, and despite her prodding, Jo’s attitude remains the same. She has even implored Alexandro to talk to his son. However, Jo’s dad sees nothing wrong with his son. ‘Let that boy be a real Siciliano. This is just one of those teenager’s phases,’ Alexandro tells his wife. Marie knows something is bothering her son, but she only prays and wishes he will soon have her old Jo back. Jo has lost interest in his studies, and the only reason compelling him to go to school every day is not to hurt or disappoint his mom. He knows his mom wants him to go to college and pursue a ‘respectable’ career, unlike his dad, who struggles to feed the family.

He stares at the teachers like a zombie at school, not listening or caring to understand what they say. Jo has finally concluded that Martha chose Bruce over him due to their differences in social status. Jo decides that the key to a good life and girls liking him is money. He wonders how he can make money quickly; he has no idea yet how to achieve this dream. Jo avoids Martha and vows that he will never date a girl again until he has made enough money.

Unknown to Martha, she is just one of the many girls Bruce is dating and one of his many conquests. Bruce keeps showering Martha with gifts, but after a few weeks, she notices he is always busy with rugby training; the two rarely meet. Like a good girl, Martha accepts that rugby is important for Bruce. Thus, when rumours start going around in school that Bruce is seeing another girl, Martha does not pay any attention to them; she knows Bruce is only occupied with the training. However, the rumours continue, and one evening Celeste decides to ask her friend Martha why she is hiding her head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich.

‘Bruce loves me. I am sure he is not cheating on me. He is just busy with his rugby training,’ Martha answers Celeste.

‘All right, if believing that makes you happy; but as a friend, I will tell you that you are one of the many girls the guy is dating,’ Celeste tells her friend. Martha looks at her friend menacingly and walks away, leaving her standing. Celeste is shocked at her friend’s new attitude; she wonders what has come over her. Anyway, she will come back to her senses when she realises she left a good man for a playboy, Celeste says to herself.

Martha walks away thinking, Celeste is only jealous since I am dating the most-sought-after guy in the school. I do not need her. She decides to look for Bruce in the evening to tell him that other students are jealous of their love. Luckily there is rugby training in the rugby pitch that evening. Martha decides to wait until Bruce is through with the training to surprise him. After the lessons, Martha does not go home but hangs around in the school, waiting for Bruce. When Martha is sure that the training is over, she walks into the pitch excitedly.

Martha looks around, but she cannot spot Bruce; she decides to look for him in the changing room. There is a familiar voice coming from the room. ‘I love you so much, honey.’

That is Bruce’s voice. Who is he referring to as honey? Has he seen me? Martha wonders. She decides to peep, only to be met by the unmistakable tall figure holding a girl so closely. What? Martha clears her eyes; her mind seems to be playing tricks on her. She looks again, only to be met by the same scene.

Martha suddenly feels weak; her legs seem to be giving way. This is too much for her. For a few seconds, she leans against the wall to avoid falling. Finally, when she regains some strength, she walks into the dressing room; but they collide with Bruce and Chloe holding hands as they are stepping out.

‘Bruce, who is this girl? What are you doing with her?’ Martha blurts out.

From the look Bruce gives Martha, it is evident he was not expecting to see her. ‘It is not what you are thinking,’ Bruce answers.

‘Do you know this girl?’ Chloe asks Bruce, who, for a moment, seems unsure of what to say.

‘She is one of my ex-girlfriends who keeps pestering me,’ he answers.

Martha cannot believe what she is hearing, and the only words that come out are ‘Bruce, what are you saying?’

‘Leave Chloe and I alone, Martha. I have told you numerous times, it is over between us,’ Bruce answers, and the two walk away, holding each other’s hand. Martha has no more strength to continue standing, and she falls into a heap on