It is not an everyday thing to find out that your best friend's mom and your own mother were best friends in primary school. First thing you ask is: how did it happen? Coincidence or destiny? It is quiet a difficult question to answer. But what can I say about my best friend Emily Mmope? Except that she gave me the best years of my high school life (2007 - 2009).
From the moment I met her (though I cant recall how we met, she was just in my class) ,her quicky voice and continous enthusiastic laughter would always make me smile. She soon became the "love of my high school life", the one i'd have ikota (sphatlho) with. *smiles and laughs* I recall the queue during break time at Johnny's tuckshop, or when we had decided that we want to be "all" healthy and we would opt for "rude" Khura's fruits, or times when I was anxious about people staring and I would ask her to get me chips and Take 5 from MmaSolly. I bet you she didnt know why I preferred staying in doors during class. But my best friend would just save me without even knowing it.
I remember her school bag and how it looked everytime she would run for the bus, I'm surprised she never wanted to be an athlete. Emily could run! *LOL* She would catch the bus even when it had started on its way home.
Her humble background inspired me, I started saving money and using the bus along with her. But you can imagine how long that lasted. Not to say that I was from a better background but just that I had the privilege of using a taxi instead (though it strained my mother financially who at the time was unemployed and only received a food allowance of R300 per week from my step father and had to apportion it between food, my transport and school allowance. I dont know how momma did it, but she did it).
I rejoiced the day that we started grade 12 because it meant my best friend would stop using the bus to make provision for our early/late class revision sessions.
We grew up together, from grade 10 to grade 12. I remember we used to sit in groups in class and she was in my group. The rules soon became "speak English throughout the day unless you are having a Tswana class". It was easier to speak English during Tswana classes and Tswana during English medium classes. But we stuck it through and soon we began to reap and see the fruits of our labor.
I remember the first day she discovered Mxit *trying to keep a serious face* (mxit was still hot in 2008) and she started chating up a couple of contacts ( an understatement) I had given her (I had found them on my mom's friend's phone but she got the phone from her boyfriend whom I assume got it from his white boss or the boss' daugher, maybe stole it?) . Soon I was to find out that she had fallen in love with one Gerhard and I had to continuously help her take stunning pictures (with her yaki-weave) for his pleasure. Ineveitably Gerhard didnt stick around for long and I had to deal with all the drama. Oh and the drama I was subjected to in 2009 when she wanted to be a rap artist ( I blame Lil Wayne). Emily made the 15th of every month famous, she would not use the bus on that day but take a taxi instead and her lunch would be a few mouth-watering chicken licken items. I remember when she would loan money from people in our circle and would mention that payment is delayed until the 15th. A legend indeed!!!
You are probably wondering why I'm writing and recalling these events about one of my best friends.
Well in 2010 after we graduated from matric I spent a year studying at Tshwane University of Technology (in Pretoria) and Emily went to a college. We still kept in contact a bit. Then in 2011 I moved to Cape Town to study at UCT whilst Emily decided to start working, I am not sure how Emily felt when I left for Cape Town as we didnt keep in contact so much. I remember though that she used to call me randomly from her office and we would catch up, and I would see her atleast once everytime I went home for the varsity vacation. A week ago on the 13th of May 2013, Emily informed me that she was moving from Pretoria to Rustenburg as her firm in Pretoria was closing down and she was being relocated. This shocked me. Firstly I thought to myself: she's been working in town and I got to see her most the time when I was home. Last December I would always pop into her offices everytime I was in the CBD as I was staying at my aunties in town. So this sudden change saddened me a bit. I felt like I was losing my best friend, I mean I know we dont keep in contact as muchwe used to but she still gives the best laughs whenever we are together. Secondly I thought to myself: and now who will buy me pie or chicken licken the next time I am in town?
I was more saddened by the fact that she kept asking and "pestering" for us to go ice-skating and every year I'd delay and now here she is just about to leave.
Truthfuly I am happy that she is going away to a new place to gain bigger dreams and to make a life of her own. But at the same time I cant help but feel like I am losing a daughter, a friend, a lover. I wonder if she had similar feelings when I left for Cape Town? I am sure she did! As happy as she was for me I am sure she also felt that her friend was going away. A sense of loss.
I guess we are more comfortable knowing that something that we love is still in the place we left it and soon we grow complacent and unappreciative that we fail to see its importance until it goes away or dies. But friendship is a relationship and thus deserves nurturing, love and attention.
I have been chating to Emily today on Whatsapp and just laughing with her, and expressing my love for her. Its craze but I miss her already. I have told her about my feelings regarding this change but I have also pointed out my affirmations, and they are this: That God may keep her and sustain her in her calling.
To Emily Mmamule Mmope ( wa Mr Muscles LOL)
I love you craze my friend.
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