Prompt #11

I had many acquaintances. They would post "love you" and "xo's" on my posts and they would hug me when they see me and I knew H was getting mad at all of that, but she went on being rigid and I went on being "distracted and involved" with my current company. You see, H and I had a fight and we were busy showing each other that we are better off without each other.

Semester passed quickly. I interacted with my "new friends" on phone, got close with one of them (P)  telling her everything about my life and so she knew about my prolonged illness. No one really cared if I was present or not, no one really asked why I always left early, no one noticed my pale face.

I met a surgery soon after exams. P knew about my serious condition but to my surprise she was too busy in her cousin's wedding and keeping her long ego to once ask if I survived through the operation or not. Having a habit of leaking every news, P however didn't tell others about my disease and my serious condition, out of selfishness or what I never understood. Lack of humanity perhaps? Or sense or care?

New semester started. I was absent. I was in pain, I was hospitalized, waiting to receive the date of my next surgery. P knew this too, but didn't tell anyone! Didn't tell that I needed prayers. I was suffering a lot for my age. My teachers were worried for my prolonged absence since I was a regular student, until one day my mother went to University to submit some documents and told my advisor that I'd be having another surgery in two days and that I was serious and that I was hospitalized, that is how he got to know. The next day he must have announced in the class that all students should pray for me to get health and successful surgery, because I got a message from H asking me to stay strong!

Me and H had a serious fight you see, but at that critical moment when I was serious she forgot about our issues and got back to me, contacted me, gave me hope and forgot about the fight. She showed I was important and that I mattered to her more than our fight while the rest never really contacted me even after my teacher announced that I was hospitalized and serious. P never really told anyone and even after teacher's announcement did not ask if the surgery went well or how I was doing. H on the other hand messaged me regularly. I remember sitting on wheel chair reading her message before being taken to the Operation Theatre. She said I will be fine and that my pain will end.

When I joined University a month later, the rest of my "friends" met me saying how worried they were for me and I only felt glad inside to know their real "concern" for me .
I met H and I hugged her and that is all I could do to show her I was sorry and I truly respected her. I was spell bound and all I could do was just hug her. She understood. Like she always did. So she invited me to sit next to her for the lecture. This was amazing. It felt like home. Back to the normal life. With my one true friend!

You see the matter is not about contacting me. It is about "being there" when I needed them the most. I was relieved to know that in life I made one good friend who got worried when I suffered, who did not want me to suffer, who knew what I was going through and though she couldn't help in relieving my pain she was around to assure me I wasn't in this alone. Like I was never alone in my happiness, she stood with me in my suffering. That matters. It matters to me!

P apologized and gave a several reasons but no matter how much I say I have forgiven her I never really will. From heart, I know I won't because my life and me were least significant to her back then. For her selfish reasons, which I never understood and do not want to know now too. She showed least concern whether I lived or could have died. I was disappointed because I really thought I made a new good friend but turned out I was for her a second option when her original squad was absent or had issues.

I feel accomplished in a way that I have someone I can count on in this materialistic and selfish world where people are less humane and more fake I can say I won't ever have to deal with life alone and I wish to be the same for H too. Our friendship is a life long commitment of understanding each other and being there in the times of need.

For this and only this, I ignore every other thing. Past. Our fight that ended the moment she texted saying I should stay strong. I personally have experienced this: A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED.
I can never thank her enough. She is truly:  “A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.” — Leo Buscaglia

I am blessed to have her!

P.S Based on real experience.