Farewells

Tomorrow Laila goes back to Venezuela to begin her new life there. I was coming from Coral Square mall when she called me and told me that she was at Sawgrass Mall. Found out that she was staying in Miami and it would have been too far to travel if she had to come see me so Ami and I went over to the Sawgrass Mall and we met there outside the Cheesecake Factory. We had already eaten so we opted out of it although Laila's husband did ask us to come in for a drink. I guess we were really not hungry at all...neither one of us. We said our goodbyes there and it must have caused a few heads to turn because we stood there hugging each other for a while.
After, Laila visited me at my home and we exchanged presents. It was the first time she came to my home. I had described it to her and when she came in, she said that she felt that she had been here already. I had to show her what my room looked like too. Yeah, she said it was clean but we needed to get things organized. Really, my stuff is fine...it's nan's stuff that is everywhere...she has all her books, papers and bags on the floor! And her clothes can never go in the drawers or the closet. They are always outside in a clothes basket.
Ami met her husband and her baby. The baby is so cute! I told her now I will have to visit Venezuela. I suppose I became really attached to Laila. We had many conversations and we had many laughs. I guess that is why i will miss her so much. She became a confidant and I liked knowing that she was here where I worked at or even in S. FL so we could talk to each other. She acted as a psychologist many times when i had a problem. her advice always worked for me. I have other friends and I love them also. they are very very close to me as my family is but today, i realized that laila had become just as close to me. I will miss her but i know, like my other friends, we will always stay friends. See, in the US, one makes acquaintances but no has the time for friendship. Friendship rarely develops and even when it does, it does not last far into life. Friends are God's way of showing us that we are not alone here. We come into the world alone and we will go alone but for the walk, we walk with friends and with family and they entertain us along the way. Laila was the first friend i made outside of the school environment. i guess she is my first real-world friend and that is why this friendship is so important to me. I told her I will call her in Venezuela so that she can practice her English and she told me that she will email me in spanish so that I can practice my Spanish. It works for me. i know Laila will remain my friend just like my other friends nevertheless, the tears still fell....even when i knew better......i guess the lonliness is what we fear most.