This Girl's life (part 5)

“Hello,” whispered Bai Yoon and sat on the chair across the table. Sofia was trying to finish her algebra homework before math class, which was the second period after the break. She didn’t have any appetite to eat especially with Ana not there. Sofia quietly went to the school library.

“Hi,” said Sofia glancing up at him and then focus back on her exercise book.
Bai Yoon leaned forward and rested his chin on a thick History book laid on the table.

“How are you?”

“Fine.”

“What are you doing?”

“Homework.” “ Oh.” She didn’t want to sound rude to Bai Yoon especially when he was so nice to her last Saturday at the hospital but she had to finish her homework. Twice called to the Headmaster’s office was more then enough for her. Besides that, she didn’t feel like talking to anyone. She had spent the whole of Sunday worrying about Ana. She had managed to get hold of the father in the afternoon when she called the house. He mentioned that it was best to let Ana rest and not to visit her that day.

Noticing that his attendance wasn’t wanted, Bai Yoon left the library without saying a word.

Sofia heard the bell rang signaling that break time was over. Sofia picked up her books and was about to leave the table when she saw a piece of paper on the table where Bai Yoon had sat.

MEET ME AT THE CAFETERIA AFTER SCHOOL.

Sofia grabbed the piece of paper and quickly headed out of the library….


“ Hi, “said a voice behind Sofia. Before she could turn a stack of papers was slid in front of her. It was after school and Sofia was waiting for Bai Yoon at the cafeteria.


Sofia looked at the first page facing her.

Eating Disorder : Signs and Symptom

Bai Yoon sat in front of her, waving at a friend passing by.

“What’s this?” asked Sofia flipping through the stack. Most of them were computer printouts from the internet, there were also photo copy of articles from magazines. The papers looked like it had been read so many times.

“What you want to know about ED, Eating Disorder. I thought you might be curious on what Ana is facing right now.”

“I’m more curious on why she did it then knowing about ED,” said Sofia looking up at Bai Yoon.

“You should read it. Probably you’ll understand her more.”

Sofia kept quiet. She was curious. She didn’t understand why Ana was torturing herself to the brink of ruining her health.

‘Her father messaged me this morning. He transferred Ana to Gleneagles, Kuala Lumpur.” That got Sofia’s attention. Why would he message Bai Yoon. Then she remembered that she had used his phone for calling the father.

“Will she be ok?”

“Yes, he said that there are more facilities there to help her.”

Sofia was beginning to worry. She wanted to see Ana so bad. Sofia got up and was about to walk away when Bai Yoon grabbed her hand and trust the stack of papers in her arms.

“Read them, please. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said and with that left to the opposite direction….


Sofia rubbed her eyes tiredly. She was sitting at her study table. She had finished reading her History book. She drew out a piece of paper and jot done some of the notes that she remembered from her reading. This year was an important year for her. Form 3 students would be facing the PMR examination at the end of the year. This examination would determine which stream she would be taking for next year.

Sofia leaned back on her chair. She looked out the window beside her table. The house behind her was dark. Her neighbors must have gone to sleep.Sofia put down the pepn and bookmarked the page she was reading with the notes she had wrote. She grabbed her bag and was about to put the text book into the bag when she saw the stack of papers Bai Yoon gave her that afternoon staring back at her. Sofia took out the papers. Each paper was stapled together base on their topic.

The word Anorexia was highlighted in yellow.

Anorexia Nervosa : *Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes an eating disorder characterized by low body weight and body image distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Individuals with anorexia often control body weight by voluntary starvation, purging, vomiting, excessive exercise, or other weight control measures, such as diet pills or diuretic drugs.

Sofia scheme through the page. Her eyes fell on the signs and symptoms of anorexic and bulimia.

-Dramatic weight loss
(Sofia didn’t notice any changes on Ana. She was already thinned when she first came to the school. Her face was sharp and pointy.)

-Wearing layers of clothes to hide body shape
(Ana was always….ALWAYS wearing double layered clothes. Was it the reason why she was wearing those big clothes? She was ashamed of her figure?)

-Food restriction and self- starvation.
(Ana hardly ate when she was with Sofia. It was Sofia who insisted that they would go to break together. That was the only time that they could meet. When Sofia remembered back Ana was reluctant to go to the cafeteria and she would buy the food in plastic such as cream bread and always gave an excuse that she would eat it later.)

One of the signs was tiredness but Ana was hardly tired. Then again she was also a caffeine addict and was always energetic and hyper at school. Sofia frowned as she read more of the articles that was given. Could caffeine also trigger her heart problem? Caffeine could cause irregular heart beat and it stated in one of the articles that an anorexic or bulimia was malnourished. Lack of electrolytes could cause heart failure or a heart attack. Could caffeine in a bulimic fasten the deterioration of the heart?

Sofia remembered what she heard in the school toilet before she ran out of it, pale like a ghost. Was it Ana? Sofia was having a headache.

There was a knock on the door. Her mother came into the room.

“You haven’t finished studying?” asked her mother approaching the table. She looked at the pile of paper on her table and picked one up.

“Why are you reading this?” asked her mother putting the paper slowly back onto the table.

“It’s for English research. Do you know anything about it?” asked Sofia hoping that her mother could shed some light in the topic.

“Only that it’s a serious illness for those people that doesn’t know what they want. I don’t want you to read about this anymore and change your research topic” said her mother looking at the papers in disgust.

“But I already started,” said Sofia.

“Change it,” ordered her mother and with a stern look she left her room. Sofia sighed and turned back to the table.

Well, that didn’t help.

She put back the papers in her bag and got ready for bed……