Old Friends...

Photosource: Unknown

Friends are the people that can sing back the song in your heart when you´ve forgotten the words...

I miss my school friends... they knew a “me” that recent friends didn´t get to know... they know who I was before who I am... and sometimes, you need to be reminded...

1995

On a cloudy morning, I arrived at school with baggy eyes. There had been another argument at home and I hadn´t gotten much sleep. In those days I dealt with drama the only way a thirteen year old knew how – I wrote a letter to my best friend and gave it to her while we waited for the school bell to announce the beginning of classes.

As my best friend read my letter, “She” came around... teased me about something and then grabbed the letter from my best friend. At that point, I was annoyed and dealt with it in my usual way – I pleaded that she´d give it back. My best friend however was more feisty that I was and after trying to grab it back, “She” pushed her.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep... I definitely didn´t take on too well on someone pushing my friend... most probably i´d just had enough...

So I grabbed her by the collar and threw her threw the open door.

Clearly taken by surprise, it took her a few seconds to recompose and then try and push me.

Again, I grabbed her by the collar and threw her against the nearest tables.

I hadn´t realised I pushed her so hard until I saw the chairs fall over...

And then there was the cheering... I don´t think I ever heard my classmates ever cheer me on for anything and it felt good... too good...

So I picked her up and threw her again... and again... and again...

Funny thing is, all through the fight, I was worried that i´d hurt her, so I kept throwing her towards the blunt tables, where I knew she wouldn’t get too hurt.

At one point, she got up... and ran out the class faster than a jumbo jet takes off...

Since I was the one that “threw” the first punch, I got detention and my dad was called to the school. Great! More drama!

I got out of the principal’s office, went to fetch my bag and made my way downstairs to my next class... as I went down the stairs, I saw her..

“She” was waiting for me... and I readied myself for Round 2...

But instead, she grabbed my hand and told me that she was sorry and asked me if we could forget about the incident.

Phew! – Here I was worried that I might not be so lucky in round 2 – “She” was butch and not afraid of me... and clearly the more mature of the two... or so I thought...

2011

I don´t know how “She” found me on facebook... but I was happy to see her name. “She” was the first black student to ever set foot in our school and I´d always admired her courage and self-confidence...

On one particular night, we recalled that cloudy morning...

As it so happens, she no longer remembers the reason why the fight started, she distinctly remembers running out of the classroom and the reason she apologised is because she was afraid that my dad would be called in – because according to her, back then everybody´s dad is big and scary!

Isn´t it funny how two people can have distinct perspectives on the same memory?... just goes to show that you don´t really know what´s going on in someone else´s head.

According to her, the little girl that seemed self-confident to me was really close to peeing in her pants the day she got introduced to her new class.

Knowing this hasn´t changed my perspective of her – she´s still one of those women that I will always reference to – one of the most courageous women I know.

Sometimes, we´re so busy amplifying our own fears and insecurities that we don´t realise that the people around us are too busy looking at theirs to even notice ours.

Keep your old friends – they remind you of who you were and how far you´ve come.

Thanks guys =)