Can I Follow You Around?

I asked both Mandy and Samuel if I could shadow them for a few days, just to get a proper idea of what their day-to-day lives were like. They seemed pleased to have this attention, and they both consented. I took the liberty of snooping inside Samuel’s dresser drawers, secretly, of course. Samuel was at school and Mandy was at a hair appointment. What I found was rather disconcerting: a box of Just For Men black hair colour – this was odd because, surely, a 15-year-old boy would have no need to dye his hair black, his natural hair colour – and three packaged condoms. No, it’s not out of the question that a 15-year-old boy would have condoms amongst his possessions, but a little disconcerting nonetheless. I held off mentioning it to Mandy, preferring instead to ask Samuel just who he might be planning to use the prophylactics with, as well as questioning the wisdom of his plans at such a young age. And, of course, there was also the strong possibility that we weren’t dealing with a 15-year-old at all, but I figured this would all bear out in time. As I was taught at OSIJ, best to let the story tell itself. In the end, I was glad I did.