We always held our weekend picnics by the river. It was three quarters of a mile west of our apartment. As the three of us rode noisily past the houses, fireworks exploded loudly from the neighborhood. It was such a promising day. By the river, we played tennis, swam and caught fish – just a single, tiny and bony catfish. After having a late lunch, we sat down and talked and laughed loudly. Then out of the blue, Mursal held my hand tightly. “Promise we will always be best friends; that we will be exactly like our dads?” she earnestly pleaded with me. I cannot explain why, but a chill ran down my spine. I had never seen Mursal that serious before. “I promise,” I mumbled, barely audibly.
It was almost dark and we had to rush home or else our parents got worried. Lisa’s home was the nearest from the river. She shouted goodnight and rode into their compound. Next was Mursal’s. “Remember your promise!” she shouted as she turned to enter their compound. Those words haunt me to this day. Out of nowhere, a sports car swerved around the corner and headed straight at us. “Mursal!” I cried out as I swerved to avoid the oncoming car. The next things I heard were skidding tires and a loud bang.
I was in a daze. I saw people screaming and running towards where the car had stopped. I think I passed out. When I came to, I saw Mursal’s mother holding a bloody, lifeless body, weeping hysterically. The reality of the situation hit me like a thunderbolt. Inexplicably, my legs became weak. The earth started spinning wildly. I felt like a strong wind was lifting me up; I was swimming in the air. Then all of a sudden the wind stopped. I was unable to swim again and fell down with a thud. When I regained consciousness, I was in my bed. Mum was sitting beside me, and I could see she had been crying. “Why?” I asked her in frustration. She just cried, and I cried too. This feeling of emptiness and helplessness without the closest person never leaves you. Friend cannot be substituted by anyone, probably like deceased children cannot be substituted by anyone for their parents.
I regard myself a lucky person that I had a chance to tell my fiend everything that was on my heart, to tell her how much I loved her. I can only imagine the unbearable pain of people who lose someone dear to them all of a sudden and feel that there are so many things they never said to them…
The death of my best friend shook me to the core. I was angry, bitter and inconsolable. How could God take her away so soon? There were so many unscrupulous people around, but God chose to take Mursal. Life was never going to be the same again without Mursal. A million friends could never replace her or even one million angels, I thought. Then one evening, I was sitting with my mother after tea, and I asked her, “Mum, does God love us? If He does why does He hurt us so badly?” With loving, teary eyes she looked at me and said, “God loves us so much my child. He takes the righteous when they are still little, before the world can hurt them, and makes them angels.”
I feel Mursal next to me, following whichever path I choose, because she is the most faithful of friends. She is my angel now.