Highly Commended Story - True Friendship Never Dies

“True Friendship Never Dies” by Jasnie Sequeira, Rustomjee Cambridge International School, India, is the Highly Commended story in the senior category of the first biannual Short Story Contest 2020.

Jasnie Sequeira is a grade 8 student studying in Rustomjee Cambridge International School, Dahisar, Mumbai. Jasnie is an amiable and a pleasant girl who appreciates the art of writing and loves to read. She likes reading mystery and fantasy novels. Jasnie spends her free time drawing and playing with her sister. She loves playing football and her favourite footballer is Lionel Messi. Jasnie is also a maroon belt karate player. She likes writing about sensitive topics and always hopes that she improves the next time. Jasnie believes that you should enjoy every bit of your life.

True Friendship Never Dies

It was the same, just like every day. Everything was the same. Nothing had changed. I glanced around at my backyard as I passed through the door stepping on the soft, wet, dewy grass. The moon broke through my hair and lit my skin. It was cold. It was windy and as the wind blew my hair at my face, completely opposite as to how they show it in movies, I heard his footsteps behind. I listened to the creak of the door and the sound of his steps as he walked on the grass, right behind me. I could feel his breath at the back of my neck. “Hi, there” he whispered and I shivered, not because of the cold but the proximity. To be honest, I don’t know what he was doing to me. I felt like I was his puppet, without him moving the strings I just danced to his tunes.

We both lay down on the grass, staring at the sky and the jewel-like stars. The wind and leaves along with the flowers and trees welcomed us. I’ve always wondered what the wind felt like but today I realized they mean sighs of relief. I loved this weather. The wind dancing, cool air hitting my face, and my string-holder laying down beside me. What else did I need? Nothing. Nothing at all. The moon wasn’t complete, but it didn’t appear so. The atmosphere was so quiescent. I felt so rhapsodic but it was happiness. I turned to look at his face. His eyes were closed, he was breathing steadily. He looked serene. Divine. Yes, this was all I wanted.

The other day my phone had rung. You know the feeling of restlessness, when a close one calls at midnight. That’s what I felt. I picked up the call. I heard cries on the other end. It was from a friend. I didn’t utter a word. I couldn’t. I let Adrienne speak. The phrases that came from my friend’s mouth sent all the air out my body. She died. My childhood best friend died. I stood up but I don’t know how. I had no idea of what was happening around me. I felt a presence beside me. It was him. He stood up as well. A drop of water fell on me. It poured harder and harder. The sharp drops drenched me. They weren’t just mere water drops, they were Adrienne’s blood. All her memories gathered round me. I felt numb. Nothing ever felt as lifeless as this. This was it. There were no sighs of relief around me. No dancing wind. For a while, my thought process stopped.

I fell on the soft grass which was now quite wet due to the rain. I was lost thinking about Adrienne. My eyes grew misty though I could see Adrienne standing there. I knew it was my illusion. Her blonde hair with highlights of black flickered in the luminescence. Her eyes were always conspicuous. They were pulling me towards themselves, like they always did, whenever I used to meet her. She was shimmering like an angel come down from heaven, but this angel was going back. Looking at her, a tear was shed from my eye. She was being lifted up, above the sky. A pure soul like her deserves more appreciation than anyone else.

I recalled all of my memories with her. The laughter, the sorrow, the happiness and the ultimate fun we used to have. All of it disappeared with a snap of a finger. I wished I could cry my heart out to somebody, but I simply couldn’t. Even if someone had stabbed me at this moment I wouldn’t have felt it at all.

Adrienne was my only friend and the only child to her parents. She was a pleasant girl who was the epitome of goodness. Never did she lie or say anything mean to anyone, but as they say that God wants all the kind people to come near him very early. My friend was one of them. She was someone who couldn’t be found in a million years. Her scintillating face and her personality didn’t differ at all. She always used to talk straight-forward, which many didn’t like, and she never betrayed anyone. I just wondered what would have happened for a pure soul to die. I was tensed about it and I didn’t realize the rain had stopped. He was there besides me but couldn’t understand what was going on. How could he, because I didn’t speak a word about Adrienne to him. He was just staring at me, wondering how a jolly, funny and talkative woman was so still and silent. I could make out drowsiness and haziness in his eyes but he was controlling it.

Seeping through the trees, the moonlight shone back. It enlightened my mind by telling me to go to the police station, but I didn’t listen to it, I wanted to spend more time with Adrienne. Her thoughts, her laughter and her dreams. Now I had to fulfil two dreams, mine and Adrienne’s. I wanted to be an IAS officer and Adrienne a doctor. But I didn’t care about that, Adrienne was more important. I hadn’t yet become an officer but I wish I was the one to solve this case. I decided to go to the police station tomorrow itself.

The next day, I went to the station and lodged a complaint and made sure the police stick to the case and find Adrienne’s assailant. Adrienne was gone but she left a very special gift with me. Him. Her only 7-year old child.

A best friend is that friend who can make you laugh even when you bet on never smiling again.