In life you learn so many lessons at so many ages. My lifes lesson was and still is friendship

Navia and I and I had been best friends since before I can remember. She lived next door to me and our mothers were really good friends. We would say that we were bestfriends for infinity.
We were inseperable . Our parents would call us Thelma & Louise because were so bad. Once we came up with this bright idea to steal all of our nightlights in both of our houses to make a home for lightning bugs.
It was 1993 on a beautiful summer Sunday. I had just left church and arrived back at home. When we pulled up I saw the movers taking everything out of Navia’s house. I was devastated. I felt as if I would never see my friend again. We hugged and cried until it was time for her to get in the car and leave. For awhile, we talk on the phone everyday. I would tell her all the latest gossip of the neighborhood kids. Yet, after awhile the conversations became shorter and the calls became less frequent.

Here it is 1999 , I had a new life and new friends. I was captain of the cheerleading team and president of Fashion DESIGN TEAM. I was in seventh grade and now and I thought I had so many friends I couldn’t keep up. Well, at least in my head I thought I did. You couldn’t tell me I wasn’t a cool kid. Just when I thought life couldn’t get any better, my mom dropped a bomb on me. She said, “Nikki your bestfriend is very sick” I responded, “Who? Shanea? Or is it Melissa. Oh no! I know who… it is Brittany! She’s fine mom. She just got her tonsils out, that’s why she couldn’t cheer today. She abruptly stopped me as I tried to continue with my explanation about about my newfound friend.
“Its Navia, Nikki” she yelled. I sat quietly wondering why she was so upset. She continued by explaining she had a disease. What disease? I thought to myself but to afraid to ask.

Shortly after that we went to visit Navia. I wasn’t fazed at all by this so called disease she had. I thought my was exergerating as always. We finally arrived and I thought to myself , wow I haven’t been to this house in over 5 years . We walked into the house and she sat on the couch with a blanket which was identical to the one my mommy bought me for 4 christmass ago. I awkwardly stood by the door.
A girl sat on a couch wrapped in a blanket identical to the one I received 4 years ago with a bandana covering her baldhead. Her shirt was loose fitting as if she was playing dress up in a big and tall man’s closet. It was Navia. I could not recognize her frail body. I thought to myself “ She must be hungry,looks like she hadn’t eaten in days. She patted the couch and beckon for me to come closer. I tried my hardest to hide the look of fear from my face as I sat next to her. She smiled and said, Don’t be scared nikki I might look different but its still me. I grinned at her and started making jokes of how our moms were burning the cookies in the kitchen. We laughed and act silly as always did. My mom took me to visit her quite often until the hospital became her new home. By this time she was so tiny I couldn’t help but stare. She looked weaked and scared. It was so hard watching change so drastically before my eyes.

May 16, 2000 Navia passed away. I never showed much feeling for along time and I think its because I didn’t understand the “sickness”. I guess my mom was to afraid to tell me the truth. I just knew my friend was sick and she wouldn’t be coming back.

It was my first day of high school. I was in 3rd period, Mr. Spencers theater arts class. He decided to make us impov doing whatever we want on the first day.to describe ourselves. I really wanted to impress him because he was well known for his annual visual performing arts play. I decided to show my moves in dancing. I was always known for being a good dancer. After I finished all my friends that I knew from middle school praised me as I walked down from stage. Next, went this girl ironically she decided to dance as well. As she flowed gracefully across the stage I remember thinking “this bitch is good, damn good”. After class I asked her name again which I remembered from class but I needed a reason to make conversation. Courtney and I Instantly bonded I became really close. She was my new found “bestie” We did every thing together. We definitely were some sneaky kids.

After high school, Courtney decided to go to Florida A&M. This school was thousands miles away. She visit less, The calls were not as frequent, It was almost dejavu again. I thought here is another bestfriend who has moved away from me. This time was different. Courtney came home for holidays and breaks and we partied our lives away each time.

It was a summer I will never forget in 2007. I was working as a Hooters girl in Downtown Chicago and Courtney came to visit the big city with her boyfriend. I was pretty bummed because I had to work until 1:00 am that night so I didn’t think I would get to see her. Well, later I got sent home for calling a girl a “disgusting slut”. Her name was Lauren . Oh, how I despise that girl. She came to work wearing my sunglasses that I had been missing for weeks. So for retilation I decided to call her every name in the book. Well, my temper got me sent home for the day. Boy, was I excited. It was my chance to see my bestfriend. As always we all partied all night til morning. For some reasons that was one of the best nights of my life. Her plane left the following morning back to Florida. We grabbed breakfast and she went on her way. Boy, you don’t know how bad I didn’t want her to leave. I decided to go to the airport with them to make sure she had the proper sendoff. We hugged ever so tightly, did our silly handshake with a hair flip. It made us giggle every time we did that. I gazed out the window till she boarded and flew in the sky.

Two days later, I got a phone call from of our former friend of ours …Kenyah. She becamed banned from our circle when she decided to date Courtneys ex-boyfriend behind her back but that’s another story. She asked “Hey, have you talked to Courtney today?
I snarled backed “No, Whats it to you? She doesn’t like you. “
“Well I heard she is really sick maybe you should call her”
I snickered to myself wondering how could she know anything.
Kenyah moved to Atlanta right after high school and none of us talk to her. I responded sarcastically, “Sure, I’m pretty she is horribly sick”. I knew for a fact nothing was wrong with Courtney I just seen her 2 days ago.

I hung up the phone with Kenyah and called Courtney’s phone.
A deep voice man answered “Hello?” I sat unresponsive until the second hello. It was her boyfriend Brett. Hey, Lame where’s Court?
Now he was the muted one. “Ummmmm. Yo, put Court on the phone” I said. He cleared his throat and said. “She died Nikki”, She got really “sick”. There was that stupid word again. This stupid sickness has took another one of my friends again and this time he did almost over night.

When he uttered those words I couldn’t stop screaming. My body felt limb and it became hard to breathe. Finally, my mother came in the room and prayed over me as she did with Navia. I eventually calmed down and stared into space until I fell asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I immediately booked a ticket to fort Laurdale, Florida. I didn’t confirm transportation or where I was staying I just knew I needed to be there for my friend.
My ticket was 1000 dollars but nothing matter at that time but her.
Brett picked me up from the airport and took me to Courtney’s apartment. We cleaned her home packed up all her belongings to take back to her family members. Everything I touch brought tears to my eyes. Definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done.

It was time to fly back to reality. The funeral was back at home at her grandmother’s church. She was cream made because her family couldn’t afford to get her body shipped.
Her funeral was scheduled on my birthday. So now I cant help but feel cursed on a day that should be a celebration. I cry every year till this day.

Overall, I have lost to very important people in my life. It has definitely made me more distant to people that I meet. These were two different girls that I met at two different times in my life.