The Silverbloggers Chronicles - Prompt #11 : The forms of friendship

[nancybriti1]

_{Image from my personal gallery}

The forms of friendship

When I think back on my childhood and teenage years, there is a part of those years that I don't remember. Many of the things I have forgotten are faces, names, and surnames of my classmates or trivial and insignificant events. But there is one name and one face that jumps out of the trunk of memories every time I talk about the friends who shared those years of school and play. The name: Ana Karina. Surname: Muñoz.

Ana Karina was the tallest girl in the classroom, and although she was the same age as the other children, she stood out because of her height and development. Because of her height, she was the target of teasing and always had to sit at the back of the classroom. She wasn't the smartest or the prettiest, nor did she have the most friends. But of her few friends, I was the closest to her and the one who was always by her side.

At home, they knew Ana Karina and her family. At my request, my parents helped Ana Karina with her studies because they knew how much her family needed it. So sometimes they bought her notebooks, school supplies, and even her uniform. Whenever the school asked for something extra that wasn't too expensive, my parents would buy two: one for me and one for her.

I remember that Ana Karina wasn't very talkative, unlike me, who was like a locomotive or a priest at mass. Not her, she was quiet, calm, and always followed me like a shadow. She kept an eye on anyone who approached me and always accompanied me home. I can say with absolute certainty that Ana Karina looked out for me. She didn't let anyone mess with me. She was like my bodyguard. She was always behind me, like a brave giant ready to defend me.

I had other friends, but none as loyal as Ana. I remember once a group of us kids wanted to climb a tree outside the school, but since I was very small and clumsy, I found it difficult to climb up. While all my classmates laughed at my lack of skill, Ana Karina climbed down from the tree and, without me asking, helped me climb up. Like that, Ana Karina showed me a thousand acts of solidarity, friendship, and loyalty.

The only way I could repay her unconditional friendship was not only by having my parents buy Ana some school supplies, but also by helping her with her homework or exams and sharing my food with her at every recess, as if she were my sister. Ana Karina would sit next to me in silence, and I would divide my bread or arepa, juice, and fruit into two equal parts. After eating, we would both go play with the others and enjoy recess.

Ana and I studied for six years at school, and when it was time to start high school, she told me she couldn't continue studying: there were other needs at home and she had to start working. I promised her I would talk to my parents and convince them to see the importance of her education. At that time, I was an 11-year-old girl who didn't know the enormous sacrifice my mom and dad were making to educate us, so it seemed easy to promise something that was not in my hands. But my parents said no, and I never heard from Ana Karina again.

Once, when I was already studying at university, I saw someone carrying a bag from the market onto the bus. At first I thought it was a man, but when I looked closely, I realized it was a woman, and that it was Ana Karina. She was still huge, but now she was fat and had short hair. I was so excited that I shouted her name from my seat:

“Ana Karina,” I said, and she turned to look at me, her eyes shining.

She sat down next to me and we started talking. She had a stall at the market and her parents had died. Her life had been very difficult and she swore to me that she had never been as happy as she had been at school.

“I was in love with you, Nancy,” she confessed, and I remained silent, because deep down, I always knew.

That day she got off the bus and paid for my fare, then grabbed her market bag and saluted me like the military do, as if I were her boss.

Whenever I go to the market, I stop by her stall and say hello. We're not friends like we used to be, but still, when I talk about my childhood friends, I talk about Ana Karina, the tallest girl in the classroom who looked after me.

The images are from my personal gallery and the text was translated with Deepl

Thank you for reading and commenting. Until a future reading, friends

Comments

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[nancybriti1]

Thank you for the information.

[hivebuzz]

Stay focused @nancybriti1! You're making great progress towards your Hive goals.

[janaveda]

Hello, @nancybriti1

Friend and bodyguard! Who would bully you? No one. Ha ha ha.

Yes, interests change over time, and few friends can withstand the ravages of days, weeks, and years.

I'm glad you reconnected with Ana Karina, even if the magic faded, and that you two can talk from time to time.

Greetings.

[nancybriti1]

For many years, I felt guilty for promising her that I would continue studying and not keeping my promise, but the times I have seen her at the market, surrounded by people who love and respect her, I feel that she has found a family and perhaps they have never criticized her for her appearance. Best regards.

[amjadsharif]

Sending you an Ecency vote! 👍😊✨

[nancybriti1]

Thank you very much for your support, my friend @amjadsharif, and to the entire team at @ecency.

[hive-106316]

[nancybriti1]

Many thanks to the entire @silverbloggers team for their support. Blessings!

[thepatriotblog]

This reminds me that time flies! Thanks for sharing your memories!

[nancybriti1]

Time never stops, and there are moments when it seems to run faster. Best regards.

[asiaymalay]

It's a kind of friendship that's hard to find nowadays. Friend and bodyguard all in one😬🥰.

[nancybriti1]

I have always believed that one way to show affection for another person is through care and protection. She and I protected each other from the other children. Best regards.

[amiegeoffrey]

Every memory is worth it because it's funny how time flies. You're lucky to a rare gen in your corner