One Friday Morning . . .

I was walking through the annual fair with my nanny. It was a hot, sunny day, and I had a caterpillar soft toy which I had won at a hoopla stall at the fair. The toy was ugly, and a little frayed, but I adored it despite the fact that I was ten and presumably over such stuff. I had won it, after more than several tries at the hoopla stall, to the point that the teenaged girl standing behind me sniggered and even 'hmph'd' loudly when I asked for another try. 

Winning that toy made me happy, despite the fact that I was still sulking over my father's dismissal to accompany me, and my mother's slightly condescending voice saying "Do you really think I have time for such nonsense? Go with your nanny Brent."

It had hurt, but as a ten year old I was strangely accomadating to my parents not really caring for my activities. Not that they are bad parents. They just didn't care. Just like I don't care about them now.

As I meandered through the fair, my nanny hot on my heels, we reached the long line to the Ferris Wheel. Even today, the Ferris Wheel is something that always cheers me up. And at that moment it was the only thing I wanted to do.

"I wanna go there."  I said to my nanny, who sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Brent, we have already roamed around this place for more than three hours. I am tired honey. Let's go home. The fair isn't going anywhere."

"I want to go on the ride and I will." I almost stamped my foot. I was a boy who got most of the material stuff which I demanded. Lily, my then nanny was amongst the few who didn't yield to my tantrums and yet was one of the closest people I knew. 

"Oh Brent . . ." She sighed. "Okay fine. Since its just a small Ferris Wheel ride. But after that we are leaving okay?"

I nodded, too enthusiastic to actually take her instruction seriously. We made our way to the counter and brought two tickets, then went to the queue  waiting for their turn. I noticed a tall, presumably teenaged boy standing in front of me, chewing gum. Beside him, another boy, around ten or eleven, was standing beside him, carefully eatng cotton candy. He was restless, tapping his foot, and had a large frown on his face. I didn't understand why though. But maybe it was due to something that had happened earlier. Or maybe he just didn't like cotton candy. It wasn't any of my business.

The line kept moving forward until it was our turn. Lily and I were in the same cab as the tall teenage and his sulky companion. 

The ride started jerky, but smoothed out by the end. I was bouncing around, looking at the scenery from the glass window of the cab. Lily was smiling too, as was the tall boy, who himself was looking out. The sulky boy, though, was still frowning. He hadn't finished his cotton candy and I had a lolipop with me I thought, that maybe he seriously doesn't like the candy.

"Hey." I said to the boy, who I knew had heard me but pretended not to and didn't answer me.

"Hey, have this lollipop. It's my favorite flavor." I said, taking out the lollipop and holding it out on my palm.

"Shut up, snot face." He answered, sneering.

The tall teenaged boy, jerked his head at the sulky boy, and then looked apologetically at Lilly and me. 

"I'm so sorry. My brother is not the best mannered person." He said, smiling faintly and then whispering in the ear of his brother.

"Thank you, and sorry." the sulky boy said, after his brother was done talking to him, "Snotface." He added, sneering.

His brother sighed. 

I couldn't say anything, because usually people weren't that rude to me. After all, my father was a pretty important man. Usually I was the one doing the name calling.

"Take it back." I said, looking at the sulky boy.

"Or else?" He answered, throwing the lollipop on the cab floor and stamping his foot on it.

I got up, but by that time the ride had reached the bottom and it was almost time for us to get off.

"Let it be, Brent." Lilly said, looking disdainfully at the sulky boy. His brother looked at us apologetically, glared at his brother, and then the ride reached the bottom. Lily got off, helping me get off the ride safely. Then we made our way through the crowd. I had momentarily forgotten about sulky boy, before we heard someone shout 'Help!"

Lily turned and made her way through the crowd, when we noticed the teenaged boy hunched in his knees. Beside him, lay sulky boy.

"Oh my god." Lily said as she hurried to his side. I followed her a little stunned.

"I'm sorry, he has diabetes. I don't know what happened . . ." The teenager babbled, looking slightly panicked "I told mom I can take care of him but I need a place to give the injection. . "

"Come with me." Lily said, hoisting sulky boy up. His brother and I helped her carry him to Lily's car, where she lay him down and the teenaged boy took out an injection. I looked away, sitting in the front seat. Needles had always scared me.

"I am going to take him to the hospital, just in case." Lily said. The teenager tried to dissuade Lily from doing so, but she shushed him.

"Brent's father is a doctor, and he owns the hospital. We will make sure your brother is okay."

Half an hour later I was sitting in my father's office, twirling in my chair when Lily came inside.

"The boy is alright. Want to meet him?" She asked me, sounding a little relieved and amused.

I shrugged and followed her. I had decided he had paid a price for stomping on my lolliop like that.

I entered the room, and sulky boy lay there, blinking at the ceiling. When I entered, he saw me and a sheepish expression crossed his face.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to keep my face expressionless.

"Yes. I am sorry, really. I didn't mean to stomp on the lollipop. Here, I'll give you some candy in exchange." He said, taking a brown bag and giving me a few candes. 

He smiled at me. I smiled back. Then we exchanged addresses and I realized that we both would be going to the same school after the vacations. We were inseperable after this.

And that is how I met Marcus De Rege, best friend extraordinare and willing partner in crime.

....................................................................................................................................................................................

I have written this as a tribute to my best friend, Marcus De Rege, who passed away a few days ago. Too young to die, and it was sudden. In an attempt to make him immortal I guess, even though in the true sense he wasn't immortal.

Marcus, you will always be missed. 

R.I.P. 3.2.13