Good evening, Bethesda. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of the classmate, the familiarity of the friend, the association of acquaintance. I enjoy them as much as any Singaporean. But in the spirit of commemoration - whereby those important events of the past, usually associated with a school holiday or the end of some awful bloody examination, are celebrated with a nice outing - I thought we could mark this July the thirteenth, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat.
There are, of course, those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now friendships are being shattered, and enmities of hatred being formed. Why? Because while lies may be used in lieu of social interaction, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this class, isn't there?
Selfishness and neglect... intolerance and discrimination. And where once you had cohesiveness and solidarity of a second family, you now have cliques and detaching debutantes, rending the relationships and and shattering the class spirit. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those who are more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable. But again, truth be told... if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.
I know why you did it. I know you were apathetic. Who wouldn't be? Revision. Prejudice. Laziness. There were a myriad of reasons which conspired to occupy your time and prevent your participation. Self-interest got the best of you and in your shallowness, you turned to your cooler acquaintances. They promised you acceptance. They promised you fun. And all they demanded in return was your silent, subliminal disregard.
This afternoon, I sought to end that disdain. This afternoon, I organized a movie outing to remind this class of what it has forgotten. More than six months ago, a certain person wished to embed the class spirit forever in our hearts. His hope was to remind the world that friends, classmates and compatriots are more than acquaintances - they are family. So if you've seen nothing, if the crimes of this study group remain unknown to you, then I would suggest that you allow this thirteenth of July to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek... then I ask you to stand beside me, one day from today, outside that movie theatre. And together, we shall give them an end-of-exams celebration that shall never, ever, be forgot!
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A humble vaudevillian veteran,
The Edna Man
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