Friendship

Annemarie stares grimly through a window glass, marred by stains of dust and droplets, from the unabating Manchester downpour. She raises her right index finger, and draws a line across one of the rectangular partitions; by her eyeline. She opens her hand and uses her palm to wipe off the muck from a little part, just about enough to let her have a peek. She looks out again, and her gaze falls upon a bustling street, hackney carriages, brooding men walking briskly; draped in black from head to toe. She murmurs to herself, and just as she is about to draw the curtain, she sees that there is a residence in the first floor of Riverside House. The lights aren't switched on. She ponders in travail; no breakthrough. She turns around, picks up her walking stick and, takes a couple of steps. It dawns on her, that the lights are never going to come back on.

Lilibet, a girl she's known for most of her ninety-two years had passed on. No one had told her about the demise, for fear that the heartbreak might jeopardize her wellbeing, and throw her parameters out of whack. She takes a seat, and strolls down memory lane. Lilibet was conscientious, diligent, tenacious, and had a knack of getting the job done, by hook or crook. Her only downside was that she was naive, and could be conned; the gullible kind. Throughout their formative years, Lilibet and Annemarie were akin to peas in a pod. The irony of it all, however, was that Annemarie always performed better, not only at academics, but also at co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. This statistic led people to believe that she was the smarter and the more talented one, between the two.

Annemarie's modus operandi was thus: Everyday, after school ended, she would put on a garb of bewilderment and hypervigilance. Lilibet would take her into the library, and revise all the portions that were covered during that day's classes. Annemarie would pretend as though she could only understand the subject matter, when Lilibet broke it down for her. Despite being taught in unequivocal terms, she wouldn't even apply those concepts and do her homework. Annemarie's devious ways were so polished, that Lilibet would unknowingly handhold her, and finish her assignments. Soon after, they would attend ballet and lawn tennis practice, on alternate days. Lilibet's mind would always be preoccupied and fatigued, from tutoring Annemarie. The void of energy wouldn't allow her to express herself to the fullest extent, through dance and sport. Be that as it may, she never fussed or moaned about it, and retained a gentle smile of contentment and poise through it all.

Years passed, institutions changed, so did their surroundings and paraphernalia; but the two of them remained tight-knit. To the onlooker, it manifested as a bond that was forged by fire. The truth was far from it, and only one of them was privy to it. They rode out class ten and twelve. It was then a fork in the road. Lilibet, the angelic and kind-hearted soul that she was, always dreamt of being someone who cared for the sick and provided reassurance; either a doctor or a nurse. Her family belonged to the lower-middle class segment, and would have to scrounge to have the wherewithal if she were to do a Bachelor's in Medicine. She settled for a B. Sc. Needless to say, Annemarie followed suit. The course was smooth-sailing and the day the final year results were out, both of them applied for registration at The Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Dr. Stiles conducted the interview. Annemarie got accepted into the Manchester Royal Infirmary on one condition: she had to mandatorily be on probation in Mali for at least half a year. In the heat of the moment, she agreed and signed the offer letter. As soon as she was out of the interview room, reality sunk in. She cut a sorry figure, and was crestfallen. She always had the desire to travel and see what the world had to offer. But when the moment came, the proposition seemed too daunting to come to terms with. For a girl who hadn't even been to the countryside on her own, to live and work in an alien continent, thrown into a comparatively primitive culture, amidst people that looked different, and spoke in a tongue unbeknownst to her; it was all just too much to absorb.

Lilibet, on the other hand, got a regular posting, and could start working at the same infirmary, from day one. Lilibet was prepared to travel with her and serve probation in Mali, if that was an option. To her consternation, that didn't seem to bring about any marked improvement in Annemarie's emotional state. It only exacerbated it, if anything. Deep down inside, it wasn't the fear of going to Africa, or the anxiety of becoming homesick after a while, nor was it the idea of being away from her closest aide. Heart of hearts, they were crocodile tears of envy, jealousy, anger and greed; of Lilibet staying in the UK, and of her being shipped off to remote Africa.

Without saying a word, Lilibet barged into Dr. Stiles' chamber and said she would like to swap places with Annemarie. He was a wee startled, but Lilibet made a strong case, to corroborate her oral petition. After brief deliberation, he budged, and both of them were made to sign revised offer letters. The moment they stepped out of the room, both the girls were on cloud nine. They jumped with glee, danced around, and embraced, like there was no tomorrow. Lilibet had once again compromised, and suo moto burdened herself with a hard path for the sake of her beloved friend's happiness. Annemarie, on the other hand, succeeded in having her way as always.

The following Monday, Annemarie reported for duty a little late, after seeing off Lilibet at the airport in Ringway. About a year later, Dr. Banks from the paediatrics ward, who was eyeing Annemarie, proposed to her, and she accepted without second thought. Lilibet continued to work in Mali, for three full years. She was sensitized to the dearth of medical facilities, and played a key role in setting up a few clinics, couple of hospitals, and training their nursing staff. The whole community was despondent at the news of Lilibet's departure, although she made a false promise to the people that she would return soon.

Upon her return, there were no vacancies, in and around the city of Manchester. Lilibet needed a break from the relentless toil that she subjected herself to. It never occurred to her when she was in Mali, as that's how life was in third world countries. But, the jet lag was paltry vis-à-vis the night and day transition in lifestyle, once she was back home. The last resort was for her to look for openings in other cities. On the contrary, she was longing to stay at home after being away for multiple years at a stretch. A sabbatical seemed the best option. She stayed at home, cared for her parents, performed household chores, and life went on. She'd always been a happy-go-lucky girl, and there wasn't the slightest inkling that any event could waver her optimism.

That was until she reunited with her long-lost buddy. Dr. Banks, Annemarie and young Phil were heading out for a family dinner, when the pram's wheel on the front, right hand side slipped off the sidewalk. Everyone panicked and little Phil, who was traumatized, began to bawl inconsolably. Annemarie was still trying to find her bearings, and in the meanwhile, as impromptu as a reflex motion, Lilibet picked the baby up and placed him on her shoulder. She patted his back a few times, and Phil quieted down. In a few minutes of pacification, he was asleep. Dr. Banks, who had never met Lilibet before was effusive in thanking her, to the point that her cheeks turned red. Annemarie however, was so flustered by the whole incident, that she just waved; goodbye.

Lilibet couldn't dwell in peace in the aftermath, and dark human emotions overpowered her mind. She came to terms with the fact that Annemarie had gone far ahead in life. She was desperate to find a man to settle down with. But she didn't have a job, and her sedentary ways, ever since she'd returned from Africa affected her physical appearance and self-confidence. In one night, her whole outlook towards life changed. It took a turn for the worse, and the glass was half empty. She didn't leave the house and began to accept her fate. She did a bit of crochet, played the piano, and spent time indoors. Inevitably, at the ripe old age of fifty-five, she married a widower, but she was too far gone by then, and had crossed a point of no return.

While all of this went on, just across the street, Annemarie had developed a routine. Every evening before dinner time she would look out through the window pane, and see if the lights were on in Lilibet's apartment. She derived schadenfreude from doing this, and it helped her sleep better at night.

So, Lilibet is no more. She was a gem of a person, did all she could for her friend at every occasion, worked hard, was the epitome of altruism, but the circumstances were such that her progress was stunted. It was only at the lowest moment in her life that she needed someone. And all she got from Annemarie was a meaningless wave. In the end, she lived and died with a clean conscience. Annemarie will meet her Maker, too. The conversation between the three of them, would be one worth witnessing. When this time comes, the tables would have turned, and only one of them will have the irrefutable upper hand.