That day, sitting alone in the classroom, I realized that Sheri was the only friend I ever really had. I took out my phone and began viewing all our photos. Each of them had something special about it. Sheri. Each of them made me remember the first day we met… kindergarten. She became friends with me because I had the bigger plastic crayons pack. The one with the sharpener in it. But time slipped and by we became inseparable.
My phone bill had doubled since I met her, and the sidewalk between our houses was worn down, and it’s still the same way. I never remembered which CD was hers and which was mine, and neither did she. She could make me laugh out loud, or LOL as she used to say it, by just looking at me. I never thought that a day would come when I will have to sit alone and miss her.
It was April, two years back. Sheri had got her hair cut real short. It was a pixie, I guess. Before that she had gorgeous, long, dark hair and there wasn’t a guy in school who didn’t have a crush on her. She was really very pretty. But that haircut made her look completely outlandish. And I, showing my perfectly fine attitude exactly where it was not needed, walked out on her. The reason? She looked ridiculous in that hairstyle and I could not let go of my popularity.
She came apologizing to me, even though she had no fault. She said that there was nothing she could do about it. And I said, “Sheri, we are very good friends. But apart from you, I have many other friends. They all make fun of you. I’m sorry, but I can’t let that happen to me too.”
It was the biggest mistake I made in my life.
Since that day, Sheri never came to school. I never paid attention to that, till the day Cole, a classmate told me that she was unwell. Like really, really sick. Then, finally, my rusted mind started thinking and I went to her home to see her.
She was not there. I called her, but she did not pick up. I called her again. Her mom picked up. She was in the hospital. Sheri had cancer.
I was shaken. This could never have happened. This should never have happened. I went straight to the hospital. What followed changed my life forever…
I asked the receptionist where Sheri was admitted.
“Room 29, second floor”, she said.
I did not have the courage to face her. After everything I had done, I did not deserve her friendship. But I wanted to apologize. To say sorry. To tell her that I was crazy and losing her was the last thing I wanted in life.
I went inside the room. My lips shivered as I spoke.
‘Hey’ was all I could say.
She just smiled, looking at me.
She still looked pretty. Even with the pixie haircut for which I everyone including me, scoffed at her. I could not face her. I closed my eyes and prepared to myself for confession. Then, all of a sudden, I heard a beep. A long one. It was the machine, the one with green colored lines, which shows heartbeat rate or something, I don’t know what it is called. Sheri was gone. Forever.
A month after that, my parents and I moved to Kansas. I’m kind of popular here, but I don’t have any real friends. Wow. You reap what you sow, that is for real.
Hey, Sheri!
Wherever you are right now, I just wish you are happy, and you have found friends. Friends better than me. I try to get over what happened two years back, as you always said ‘Live for what tomorrow has to bring, not what yesterday has taken away.’ But you know, I can never ever ever let go of you. Not in this life at least.
Wishing to meet you at least once, and to apologize.
Your friend,
Jamie