when I was eight.
I used to cry all night.
I was all alone.
Then I met her.
She was four.

A year passed.
we were still young and naive.
she was five, I was nine.
we're neighbors we're best friends.
Inseparable, beautiful and bright.

----

The Day I turned Ten.
she grabbed my hand and we ran.
To a beautiful garden.
Took our seats, facing each other.
I tried to lie. saying I was fine.
But blood kept flowing from my purple head.
Thanks to the bullies and to thier rock throwing skillset.

---

" you have beautiful green eyes "
said my childhood friend while tying the bandages around my head with heavy breathes.

" do you have any idea what green-eyed means "
I said to her while looking at her worried blue eyes. she ran back home to find these bandages just for me.

" your eyes ! are green ! " She says confidently. she is done with her treatment. the bleeding has stopped.

" It's an idiom. meaning jealous, envious, distrustful. like a poisonous snake. " I said while looking at her long silky hair. she still wears the silly hairclip I gave her.

" I- I don't understand.. " she says with confusion yet sad expressions
her eyes facing the tiny white wrapped box.
her hands figgeting on the 'hapy birt dya' wordings on it.

me and the bullies learnt the idiom just yesterday at extra classes.
how can a five-year-old will know them.

" and your hair is pretty too.. " she says with hesitation but genuine.

" I am sorry. I did not mean to be rude... " I utter awkwardly

" thank you so much. it's just that those bullies made fun of my eyes & hair so.. "
I trailed off. what I should I tell a child? that they make fun of me cuz thy are jealous that I beat them in quiz competition?

" HERE ! " She screams. she stuffed the present into my face. her way of telling me 'Don't mope around' I guess.

" Don't be sad ! they are ah.. bad kids! " She blushes. she does not know how to comfort a let down like me. how cute.

" you like my gift!? " She says with little nervousness.

" I will open this later. but I love it already. I know it will be amazing. Thank you again " I said with smile and patted her head.

" welcome ! " She said, while enjoying my patting on her soft tiny head.

That day I was grateful and happy.

---

Time flew by, Years came by at flash of a light.
I turned seventeen. I couldn't Believe.

I am running late again. I should not have stayed up late last night studying ahead of syllabus.

as I reach the door to leave.
she gave me box with two sandwiches in it.

" Here's your breakfast. eat it when you run. just make sure you don't choke. "
said my mom with a sigh.
at this point she got used to the fact I gonna run late daily.

" Thanks mom, I love it tho I did not taste them yet. because I know they will be amazing " I said with a smile. and waved her bye.

" You eat that everyday! " said my mom laughing. her laughter is sweet.

---

The school street is empty.
I am late again..
the gates are closed. now I have to beg to be allowed inside.

I hope they be lenient on me.
since new academic year is starting today.

---

I am lucky today. they let me in.

" wahy Rrr chu alvas Layte, yum yum "
says my friend. while eating my breakfast mouthful.

The morning assembly and classes are are done. we are on a recess. walking through the hallway aimlessly.

" that's my sandwich " I said, I never got to taste my mom's morning breakfast thanks to him.

he gives me another food container. I opened it and found pasta in it.
just yesterday I told him I was craving pasta over the phone. he remembered.

" exchange offer " he says. he did not wipe of the bread crumbs off his face. he looks funny I gonna let him stay that way.

I met him when I was thirteenth.
a bunch of kids were so mean.
to him, so I gathered my courage
and helped him out. and beat them up.
from that day on he never left my side.

he kept looking at me during the class time and even now
he is worried. yesterday I cried over the phone. talking about my childhood how I miss her.

he gets little jealous, But understands. he comforted me. his words are magic. and am happy and grateful.

" so you found the pendant? " He says.
he finished the food. the box is clean.

" yes, after our call ended. I found it under my bed " I said, embrassed. while holding tight to the pasta box. I gonna eat it at lunch.

" Thank goodness you found it " he sighs.
he is relieved. he knows how important it was to me.

It was the last gift my childhood friend gave me. when I turned Ten, she moved out of the town without a word.

----

am late again. this time I am out of luck.
thanks to the bullies on my way.
but this time I dodged thier rock shots and beat them up.
they tasted my fist.
some people never change.

it's raining now, the last bus is gone.
I am doomed. just yesterday the teacher warned me. not to be late this year.
on top of that my hand aches & bleeds.

I thought I was alone at the bus stop.
But there was girl sitting so quietly in the corner I also did not notice.

she had blue eyes and and short silky hair.
with a funny yet fimilar worn out hairclip in her head

our school unifroms match.
I am frozen in Time.

our eyes meet. and it widens.
we both recognized each other.
yet still hesitant. fear of mistaking.

her eyes shifted from my eyes to my hands
she immediately rushed towards me.
looked through her bag. and took put a white ribbon roll.

she started to tie my hand with a bandages.
her eyes moved to my neck. gazing at the pendant.
and slowly landed on my eyes.

" You have beautiful emerald eyes " she says, her voice is mature, gentle and sweet.
it made me startled.

" I- Thank-" before I could say anything. she continued.

" and you have a pretty purple hair. "
her voice is stable and poetic.

" Green symbolizes new Beginnings " she smiles when she utter those beautiful words.

She's done with her treatment
The bleeding has stopped.
The magic of her bandages.

I missed them all those years.

" will you able to bandage my heart for the damage you have caused when you keft " I said half jokingly.

don't blame her. she was a kid back then. she probably never understood about the moving.

I am really happy to see her again.
but I am lost for words.
I don't know what to say
or what to do.

The rain has stopped the sky cleared up.
her eyes and the sky matched. so eternally beautiful.

I got suprised when raindrops started to pour from her eyes.
I noticed fine lines on her left wrist.
she drew them, didn't she?
because I did it too. but I left it behind.

I looked through her bag and found the same magic white ribbon roll.
she was confused.
I tied her wrist with them.

Then I gently hugged her.
she's still so small to me.
and patted her head.

she's thirteenth
I wonder how she has been
all this time.
one thing is for sure.
her Innocence is lost.
replaced with scars.
wonder I can do a better job
to tie her a bandage this time.


© holy_stars