The word experiment is something I can’t forget because I have a scar in my right wrist because of it. I didn’t like doing experiments in school. A few years ago, I would not have burned my skin if only my experiment partner reported for school and translated the Japanese text to me. Instead, he just decided one day he’d go back to his hometown and leave me hanging.

I was a foreign student and my Japanese language skills were inadequate. Mixed with my clumsiness, I was a disaster waiting to happen in the chem lab. Oh, memories I’d really love to forget!

The next school year, when we were done with acids and incomprehensible chemical symbols, it was announced that our next experiment would be computer hardware. My teacher formed groups of three or four of my Japanese classmates first then distributed the foreign student’s names randomly. He wrote my name below a random group. There were three of us who will be doing the experiment.

After two weeks, one of my group mates quit school (I don’t have anything to do with the reason, promise!). I was having a difficult time with the group work. I was battling depression over a wasted relationship that time and was in no shape to study. Most of the group work was done by my partner. I just kind of ‘floated’ in the background.

What if this last member disappears too?

How would I go on doing the experiment by myself, with all this bulky Japanese text books lying around? Contrary to my fear, my partner reported for school week after week, deligently did the exercises with me, even offered to tutor me so I can answer for the finals. I passed the syllabus without any hassles, thanks to my partner who helped me and promised to never leave.

True to his words, he never left. In fact, I see him when I wake up in the morning everyday! 

This writing exercise is fueled by the writing prompt “the experiment” at Sunday Scribblings.