Well, first of all, I'm sorry if I omitted last week's post. The truth is that I kinda lost track of time while studying for exams. But that's not the point, anyway. This week I have actually something interesting to write about. So, yay! My brain is not as baffled as I thought.
I've actually mentioned two of my best friends in this blog; so, if you readers are fast thinkers, you've already figured out this week's theme. If not, then, I'll give you a hint. Which words begins with "F" and ends with
"-riends"? Yeah, you guessed it. Today's post will be about friends. Well, actually, it will be about MY friends. I'm not sure how, but I feel I owe them something more than just a hug. They deserve some kind of recognition from my part. So, here it is. Hope they read it someday.
To begin with, I want to start with whom has been my best friend since the beginning. I met Ana Marcela when I was just four months old. Our mothers had been friends for a long time, and casually their daughters were born really close to each other. So, it is fair to say that we have been diaper friends. Mom says that the reason why we became so close was because we were disturbingly too much alike. We are both insane-that explains something. I remember how during my uncle's weeding we got so bored that we actually joined a group of Protestants that were having their reunion in the same hotel the weeding took place. We found them by mistake. We were just goofing around and being silly, until we crashed their singing by accident. So, to avoid the reproachful looks, we stayed enough to appear interested in what the priest was saying. I'm really ashamed of that experience; Yet, it was one of the best moments I had. Ana Marcela and I laughed so hard that after the priest's speech we had to run to the bathroom before an accident happened. Ana Marcela, more than a friend, she is my sister. She knows my secrets and my fears; just the way I know hers. I even changed religion for her! Well, at least for an instant. Time may break us apart, however, the years we shared will never been taken away.
Another close friend of mine was Pedro. He was my best guy friend. We met at kindergarden, so we were not older than five. During that time Pedro's father died in an accident. I don't remember exactly how we first talked to each other, but since that conversation we became inseparable. During breaks we would always play the same game: Justice League. He was Superman and I was Hawk Girl. Together we would save the world from evilness. On fridays he would either be at my house or I would be at his. We would spend long afternoons fighting against aliens and mutant frogs. When I started my business career, he was my assistant. I would sell lollipops and he would help me counting the money. When he became sad, I would be his shoulder. I've never been good at consoling people, but he never complained when my mouth wouldn't mutter a word while he cried. I guess that drove us closer. When we changed schools, we lost contact for a time. However after a long search on Facebook we have already reconnected our friendship. Pedro taught me to believe. He taught me that by using imagination we can solve anything that crosses our path.
Passely, also became one of the most important people in my life. She was the first friend I made at El Salvador. I met her on my first day in that foreign country. She was quirky and talkative-way too different of how I was at the time. We both share the same religion, so seeing each other every sunday sure helped our friendship. I guess, she is the responsible for corrupting my shy personality. While we were together, she wouldn't hold her tongue. I'm not sure how on earth she managed to have a long conversations with me, but with time both of us became human parrots. Passely and I share a kind of sadistic sense of humor. People found it kind of creepy, but we just laughed along. Sarcasm was obligatory at our conversations. There was no single day we wouldn't laugh at some cruel comment we made. Yet, Passely could be sweet. We both struggled expressing our feelings, but with each other's help we became more open to people around us. Passely opened my mind to different worlds. She helped me realize that in order to have friends, I don't have to be formal and overly educated. Honesty is what helps a friendship to flourish in the heart.
So, finally, Angel and Andrea also deserve to know how important they are for me. I don't know why, but I can't divide this two into single groups. The are not just Angel and just Andrea. They are my Angel and my Andrea. Mom says that she is impressed of how I'm able to find people that act so much like me. Angel, Andrea, and I were the three musketeers. We could easily had been triplets. Sure we didn't look anything alike. Angel was insanely tall, Andrea was insanely short, and I was in the middle. However, if people were able to hear one of our conversations, they would believe that we were separated at birth. It was so funny how we would react so similarly at the same situations. People thought we were stark raving mad, but we would cry a river over a seven or eight. For exams we would be all paranoiac and would have our noses stuck to a bunch of notes and notebooks. Yet, we had our fun side. Weird? yeah. But we sure enjoyed it. One of the advantages of having really smart friends is that you are able to have smart conversations-or so we believed. During lunch we would hold long debates over useless things. Angel has a passion for biology and he would always come out with random comments of how bacteria is involved in our daily life. Andrea and I,as the amazing friends we are, would mock him to no end. I mean, sure knowing how to prevent getting sick for evil bacteria is important, but hearing that by eating ham we can get possessed by a brain eater worm while you are eating a sandwich is no fun.
I remember the time Angel and I fought over ice. I was utterly convinced that by the end of the world all the glaciers would had have disappeared by the art of some kind of ice eating bacteria. Angel, being the stubborn person he is, claimed that there was no such thing as an ice eating being. He gave me a lecture of how my theory had no future and I gave him a promise that once I found the bacteria I would name it in my honor so he would never forget how he didn't believe in me. Andrea laughed so hard after my inspirational speech that she choked on her beans. After her almost deadly accident, the whole bacteria issue was forgotten and replaced by a long speech by Andrea of how the Barcelona Soccer Team would win all the cups- or tournaments, or whatever they are called.
I also remember how we got lost in the movies. Just to change our habitual routine, we decided to change of movie theater that day. It was a chaos. There was a misunderstanding with the schedule, so we had to choose the last movie we wanted to watch. Being an unpopular movie, we were sent to the last room at the end of the hall, where everything was dark and solitary. When we got to the room, it was as dark as my sister's closet. It looked like one of those creepy movies where the lights go out and people is killed one by one by some unnatural force. I started hyperventilating thinking of all the ways Freddie Kruegger could cut my little body into pieces. The only thing that kept my sane was Andrea's laughter after I tripped thrice in a row. Thank goodness I gave her the popcorn before entering the room. Angel being the only boy, used his "I'm a karate warrior, I'll kick everyone's butt" personality and guided us to our seats using his phone. I was so embarrassed when I found out that at least fifteen people had watched my nervous breakdown. Of course, Angel and Andrea will never let me forge it. Honestly, there is no need that every time we Skype they have to mention the incident.
Angel and Andrea became my older siblings. They would take care of me in every aspect. Andrea was my inner voice. She would help me calm me down every time I lost my mind over some mindless problem. She would always remind me of my value and how she loved me for who I was. In the moments when I would feel down, her wise words would always cheer me up. Angel, on the other hand, was my protective, annoying older brother. If people brought me down, he would help me up. With his lame jokes, he would make my day. I never told them, but in my mind Angel and Andrea were superheroes. Together we were unbreakable. Together we could take over the world.
Now, with me moving back to my home country, I had to start over again. People change. I changed. For instance, many of my friends have also changed. Mom says that I tend to be aprehenssive towards new people, but I'm making some advancement. At school, I've met amazing people. Candy, Sara, Marielos, Majo, Inma, and Gaby have made my Senior year memorable.
I know that as I advance on age, I will meet new people. But all the relationships I might develop are thanks to those that offered me their friendship and helped me shape my personality. Every single person that has come to my life has left valuable experience in it.
Would I change something ? No. If what I've lived has driven me here, then, I''d have a hell of a good life.
So, well, don't loose faith when it comes to people. Yeah, sometimes it might feel that no one cares, but in the end someone will always be there. Just open your eyes and don't miss the details. A real friend will always be by your side. Don't let him down, if you don't want to be let down.
Take care,
Leslie.
