Friend or Foe

Sunlight poured in the windows on that crisp autumn day in 1950, creating a glare that made the writing assignment on the chalkboard difficult to read. The door opened, and a short, dark-haired boy entered.

“Mrs. Lorenzo?” he asked.

Smiling, Mrs. Lorenzo announced his arrival. “Class, Raymond is joining us from Chicago.” She directed him to a desk across the aisle from Marlene.

Whispering spread throughout the room as students watched Raymond limp to his desk. His school uniform, consisting of a button-up, long-sleeve shirt and tan shorts, did nothing to conceal the metal braces strapped to his legs with strips of leather.

“Polio,” Patricia, Marlene’s best friend, whispered.

Marlene shivered. She was terrified of that disease. Every summer, newspapers reported the latest victims of the deadly virus. No one knew how it spread. Even if the virus didn’t kill you, it could still leave you paralyzed. Doctors and scientists struggled to find a cure or way to prevent polio but with no success.

Patricia went pale as if she had seen a ghost. Some students averted their gaze, while others pointed and whispered with neighbors. Raymond kept his head down as he made his way to his seat.

Sighs of relief sounded around the room when the lunch bell rang. Scanning the lunchroom, Patricia noticed Raymond, sitting by himself. “No one wants to be around him,” she observed as she stood. “Well, I’m going to invite him to eat with us.”

“No, Patricia, you can’t do that.”

Raymond didn’t notice her until she had reached his table and stood next to him. “What do you want? Another opportunity to tease?”

“No, just wondered if you wanted some friends.”

Patricia smiled.

“Why?” he challenged her.

Patricia lowered her head and whispered, “You look lonely . . . and, my brother died of polio two years ago, so I know what it’s like.”

“I guess that would be all right.” For the first time that day, Raymond smiled.