Mary

MARY

Mary was a genius! I had never met anyone like her before. How we became friends in the first place, is a mystery to me.
It was the first day of shcool, we had both started year one. Everything was new to us...a new adventure...a new beginning.
We just gravitated to each other. And that was that...the brainiac and the dancer. Even back then she was different. I loved different!

Now we were in our mid twenties. Our lives so polarised, it was like the north and south pole had worked out how to meet in the middle.
Mary's life was equations,science,formula's and labs. Mine was dance,ballet, performances and the stage. No two people could be so different, and no two friends loved each other more.

We would meet in the park to have a picnic lunch, Mary could go on for hours about the patterns she could see in the nature that surounded us. It facinated me. I loved how patterns and numbers danced through her mind so gracefully,yet precise. I barley understood a word she was saying but I found myself hanging onto every one of them.

Today was differnt though! Mary was waffling in a chaotic manner, it scares me when she is like this. When I questioned her behaviour, she just fobbed me off and told me not to worry so much. But I did worry. I worried a lot.
I was fully aware of the signs, after 15 years of friendship. the disjointed rapid speech. Jumping from one subject to another quicker than I could keep up.

Mary could never see the signs herself, Until she was way on the path of recovery of her current bout of chaos that was whirling in her mind. Retrospect! If only we had that insight at the start. I did what I always did. I rang her Mum! I followed procedure, something Mary, her Mum and I,had worked out many years ago. Driven by Mary herself, hence it being a procedure.

I knew my role, luckily roles were something I did day in,day out. I arrived at her lab...my intention was to get her home safely, then using every excuse, from 'Ive been missing you so much latley, I just want to stay with you' to, 'I am just not leaving Mary!'..
The whole time waiting and praying for the phonecall that the clinic had organised a bed for her. I got to her lab and was casually informed that Mary had left half an hour ago. Adrenalin burst through my body, my legs started running before my head even realised I was on the move. I never had to think about where I was running to...I had run to the bridge many times before, it was automatic pilot of which I was gratful for. Procedure!I pull my phone out and call the police, then call Mary's Mum as I keep running.

Time had ceased to exist...I was confused why my legs were slowing down, till they came to stop. Puffing and panting in the middle of the pathway that was covered in fallen autumn leaves. I had never heard silence so deafening...in the distance I could see the flashing, of more than one set of blue and red lights...I heard nothing...there are not meant to be lights...nor an ambulance.
My eye's were drawn to the fallen leaves...I was seeing the imperfect patterns of nature around me. I was'nt aware of the tears, streaming down my face as I spoke the silent words..."I will never forget you Mary!'