A story from my childhood

Back in elementary school, I knew this guy - and we all knew someone like this - who was a total jerk to me. We didn’t get along, and to be honest, I didn’t try very hard. I don’t think he did either. It was really the first time that I realised that I had an actual enemy . I’d read about them in books and such, but I never actually had one before. So I kind of treasured him, in an odd way.

Anyway, one day, after a spring long weekend, there was a show-and-tell day. This guy went up in front of the class, and started talking about the camping trip his family took on the weekend, up the coast a little. I was a little jealous, I have to admit, because my family didn’t really do much.

So he takes out this big Tupperware container and removes the lid. We all kind of gather around and have a look inside. It’s full of water, and he’d taken a bunch of sea creatures from his trip and put them in there. There was a starfish, a few sea anemone, some coral I think - probably some other things too.

I was entranced. I mean, I’d seen these things in the aquarium of course, but I’d never made the connection that they live out there in the world and move around and such - and here they are in the classroom! And that anemone was just so beautiful. Entrancing. I remember staring at it for such a long time. But the guy who brought it in - that jerk - he was just being so smug and self-important about it. In retrospect, I’m sure he was just (quite reasonably) chuffed at all the attention and such, but I took it as a personal affront.

Soon, it was lunchtime and everyone was outside, enjoying a rare bit of sun and warmth. I hatched a plan: I would sabotage his show-and-tell. I knew where he kept it, and I’d just take it and throw it all down the storm drain, and, I don’t know, feel good or something.

So I went back into the classroom, found the container and opened it. I had another look inside - my fatal mistake. Again I was totally entranced by the sea creatures inside. Especially the anemone - the way their fronds (?) were moving slightly in the water after I opened the lid. I felt a kind of connection to them, and at that moment I knew I couldn’t go through with my plan.

Because the anemone of my enemy is my friend.