In a hurry to get back home, I shrugged and continued on my way. As I walked, I saw a gang of kids running towards Enzo. They caught up with him, knocked all his books over and made him lose his balance. Enzo fell into the mud, losing his glasses. They had fallen a good 3 meters from him. Enzo got up without really reacting, and I could see the terrible sadness in his eyes.
I felt my heart clench and I had a knot in my throat. So I ran to him. He was looking for his glasses and I saw a tear running down his cheek. I picked up his glasses and said to him: “These guys really suck. They should be punished for what they did.
He looked at me and said: Ah, thank you!
He had a broad smile on his lips.
It was one of those smiles that express deep gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books and asked him where he lived. In fact, he lived on the same street. So I asked him why I’d never seen him before? It’s because I used to go to a private school. Private school… It was a world I didn’t know.
We chatted all the way home and I carried some of his books. I realized that he was really nice. So I invited him to come and play soccer with my friends the next day, and he accepted. We spent the weekend together.
On Monday morning, on my way to school, I spotted Enzo, once again lugging all his books around. I went up to him and said: “You’re going to build some serious muscles carrying around so many books every day! He smiled and gave me half his books.
The more I got to know him, the more I liked him, and my friends grew to love him too. Within a year, Enzo and I had become the best of friends.
At the end of high school, it was time to choose our university studies. Enzo was going to study medicine and I was going to study soccer. Enzo was the class brain and I, the jock, liked to tease him.
He had prepared a speech for the graduation ceremony. He was one of those who had asserted himself through his studies. He’d found his place and was a hit with the girls. I was a little jealous!
That day, he seemed very nervous before speaking. I gave him an encouraging pat and said: You’ll see, you’re going to be perfect!
He looked at me and gave me one of those incredibly sincere looks and said: Thank you!
He began his speech, paused to clear his throat, then launched into:
Graduation is a time to thank those who have helped you through the tough times – your parents, teachers, maybe your coach, but especially your friends. I’m here to tell you that being someone’s friend is giving them the greatest gift of all. This is my story.
It was with amazement that I heard him recount the first day we met: he had planned to commit suicide that weekend. He said he’d emptied his locker so his mother wouldn’t have to. He looked me straight in the eye and smiled.
Thank you for saving me! My friend protected me from making a huge mistake!
We were all breathless. The most gifted and popular guy in school had just recounted his most painful memories. I saw his parents looking at me with the same smile of gratitude that Enzo had. It was then that I realized how sad he had felt the day we met. It wasn’t just because of the gang.
I understood then that with a small gesture that seemed insignificant, I had changed his existence, I could have changed the existence of a young person like me.