My first year at ECWA Secondary School was the beginning of many discoveries.
Some good.
Some painful.
And one unforgettable mistake.
Her name was Nancy.
She was my seatmate.
Nancy was not just beautiful, she had a calm and gentle presence. The type of person who made everything around her feel organized and peaceful.
The first day we sat together, she smiled at me politely.
"Hi," she said.
I nodded shyly.
At that age, boys and girls didn't talk much unless it was necessary.
But Nancy was different.
Within weeks, she started doing little things that slowly changed my daily life in school.
She arranged my books neatly on the desk.
Sometimes when I rushed to class and threw my books carelessly, she would quietly organize them again.
"Light," she would say softly, "your books will scatter if you keep doing this."
She even shared her spoon and drinking cup with me during lunch.
And that was something she didn't do for anyone else.
Sometimes I misplaced her spoon.
But she never complained.
Looking back today, I realize something I didn't understand then.
Nancy cared about me.
A lot.
But children don't always understand their own feelings.
And sometimes. they ruin beautiful things without knowing it.
Soon, my classmates began to notice how Nancy treated me.
Then the teasing started.
"Light! Your sweetheart is here!"
"Hey! Don't take Nancy away from her boyfriend!"
At first, I ignored them.
But the jokes didn't stop.
Some of the seniors even joined the teasing.
And remember, I was only about ten years old.
The attention embarrassed me deeply.
Instead of being proud that someone cared about me.
I felt ashamed.
So one day, I made a stupid decision.
I packed my books.
I carried my bag.
And I moved to another seat in the classroom.
Just like that.
Without explanation.
When Nancy walked into class that morning, she immediately noticed.
She stood beside the desk, looking confused.
Then she walked over to me.
"Light…" she said quietly.
"Why did you move?"
I avoided her eyes.
"I just decided to," I replied.
She stood there for a few seconds.
Then she nodded slowly and walked back to her seat.
She didn't argue.
She didn't beg.
She just accepted it.
And in that moment… I had no idea I had just made one of the biggest mistakes of my young life.
Life after that became strange.
The desk where I now sat was always messy.
Nobody cared about my books.
Nobody reminded me about assignments.
Nobody helped me stay organized.
That was when I realized something important.
Nancy had been the order in my chaotic school life.
Without her, everything became disorganized.
It took me some weeks to understand that.
And when I finally did… I tried to fix my mistake.
One afternoon after school, I approached her.
"Nancy," I said nervously.
She looked at me but didn't smile.
"Can I come back to sit with you?"
She shook her head.
"No."
I tried again.
"I'm sorry."
Still no.
"I really want to sit with you again."
But Nancy refused.
No matter how much I begged, she didn't change her mind.
Looking back today, I sometimes think about that moment.
If I had continued begging…
If I had swallowed my pride completely…
Maybe she would have forgiven me.
Maybe things would have been different.
But life doesn't give us the chance to rewrite certain moments.
And that was the day I learned that some decisions follow you for years.
Little did I know…
Nancy would not be the last challenge I faced in that school.
Something far more difficult was about to enter my life.
Something that would push me out of that school entirely.
An illness.
One that would make many people avoid me.
And that illness had a name.
Psoriasis.