World Anti-DrugTransnational Internet contest - "Maya"

Before the fourth year of my study I accidentally met a girl Natasha, with whom we studied till the eight’s grade in a high school. She was so nice, kind and helpful. I knew that she was married to a disabled person and even brought up his nine year-old child. That time, I thought it really showed her kind nature. They had car and apartment. They visited me more often and took me out of town couple of times. First, I used to refuse, but then became their frequent guest. That time I thought it really showed her kind nature. They had car and apartment. They visited me more often and took me to the countryside  couple of times. First, I refused, but then became their frequent guest.

In three or four months, for the first time I saw the syringe in the hands of Natasha. She told me about her criminal drug past and that she really wanted to quit... I felt so sorry for her and for her ruined fate. I really wanted to help her, talked to her, and tried to hide any opportunity for her to inject, but all the time she kept justifying herself, saying that she was unable to quit.  She said : “Try it yourself, then you’ll understand me”. I never heard about the euphoria to be so pleasant and about the physical pain during the absistance to be so strong. I had an impression that the only thing that was needed to quit is the willpower.

Guys, usually accompanied by their girlfriends, often visited Natasha’s place. When I was there, they never said anything bad, never drank alcohol and moreover they never even cursed. These intelligent and accurate guests talked on different topics, all of them had white handkerchiefs and polished shoes.

Knowing the today’s drug addicts, I suppose you barely believe this and call them dirty morons. However, it was absolutely different that time. In 80s people injected with a clean opium. Of course, someone smoked weed, but it was another contingent. The clean opium gives the feeling of a noble euphoria, when your brain works clearly at a rapid speed. These people always read literature on different topics, had a perfect memory and retold everything in a very interesting way. It was really nice to be a part of their company. They were people with money, who had their own business. Sure, not everyone was like that. Those who came to drugs with cocaine- the slovenly lout -  were out of the company. With no money in the pocket, they added vodka, beer, pills and etc. tp the opium to get high. 

Thus, drop by drop I came to the conclusion that I can refuse from everything. God, forgive me for my pride that I was punished for.

The husband of Natasha didn’t allow her to inject me, even though both of us asked him about this.

Finally, she put a condition that if he didn't inject me, she would have left him and obviously he couldn’t live without her. This is how I was injected. I didn’t understand this, but it was a pleasant feeling and state. I was sober, I wanted to communicate, I was in a perfect mood. In a week I really wanted to try over again. I tried to justify myself that I didn’t understand the feeling. After that I repeated it couple of times in 2 and 3 days and soon started to inject every day. I didn’t understand, why I needed to refuse from something that I really liked. I continued studying in the university and successfully passed all the exams. My brain remained sober and no one could actually notice that something was wrong with me.

It lasted for 7-8 months, before I got the infectious hepatitis and got into the hospital. No one could bring me the drug on my first day of illness, and this how I experienced withdrawal for the first time. I didn’t even understand what hurt me most and I begged doctors to help me, however they didn’t even guess that I suffered so much because of  opium injection. Only during the night time, I was brought the solution of opium. Only when I recognized the place, I understood what this opium had brought me to and that I was hooked on it. 

The physical pain is not the most scaring thing. One doze wasn’t already enough for me. I had a lack of energy with the previous doze and I didn’t see any progress in something that I was doing. The husband of Natasha injected me with small dozes already. He felt his guilt for having put me on syringe. When Natasha saw that I was hooked on it, she prohibited him to inject me. So, once I heard: “Enough, it’s really expensive.”

In seven years I met Natasha in a women’s colony, where I was brought with my first term and she was on the third term already. She said that she was really jealous when she saw me - a happy and prosperous young student. Like we had the same childhood, but lives turned out to be absolutely different. That day, she laid down a plan to put me down to her level…