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| P.E. Changing rooms at Fearnhill |
Today is my best friends birthday but unfortunately I cannot be with her so I thought I'd dedicate this blog post to her. She said 'I just want a text' but I thought I'd knock it up a level. I say she is my best friend but she is more than that, she is family.
The Story of Us:
Abigail and I first met when we were 6 or 7 in Icknield Infant and Nursery School, Letchworth. I joined a class sometime after the first half term (after moving from Germany to England) that was a mixture of year 1's and year 2's. I was actually a year 2 like Abigail but my teacher thought I was a year 1 until the very end.
I remember that there used to be several tires set up in the 'play area' and we used to sit there talking... I don't know how much English I could speak at that point but Abigail's non-stop chattering probably really helped with developing my own language skills.
We were friends pretty quickly and my mother tells me that Michelle (Abigial's mum) was the first English parent to speak to her at the playground, waiting to pick us up after school. (Right from the beginning our families got along!) Soon enough, we were going round each others houses on a regular basis.
By the time we were in Wilbury Junior School, we had gone through several phases in our relationship, including a mutual decision to become "Goths" (this makes me laugh a lot, looking back on things). By year 6, we were no longer "best friends" but we were still friends and we still hung out a lot. I remember that every time Abigail would come over, there would be an argument - I would storm upstairs and Abigail would stay in the kitchen and talk to my mother. After about 20 minutes, we'd find each other again and everything would be back on friendly terms.
Then we both moved up to Fearnhill School but were put into separate forms. In year 7 we combined our new form-friendship groups and 'The Six' was created. (Abigail, Cydney and Ellen from her form and Tanya, Leonie and myself from mine). Later we were joined by Emma and Hazel and 'The Six' was no longer really relevant but we kept the nickname. Naturally, thousands of arguments occurred with several larger ones and eventually by around year 10, I left the group. But after some time, Abigail and I began to talk again.
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| The Six |
I remember after one particular argument, we began speaking again on the bus to Wake-boarding. Mr Oliver, my resistant materials teacher, told us to all hurry up and get in the bus and suddenly there were only two seats left next to each other, and Abigail and I were the only year 11's going so we looked at each other and:
Abigail: "Are we alright then?"
Me: "Yeah"
From then on we were talking all the way to the lake and suddenly we were best friends again. At the end of year 11, Abigail had moved to Bedford and was going to go to College and I was moving to The Knights Templar School in Baldock. I remember that she cried on the last day but that I didn't. I saw no point in crying because I knew, no matter what, I was going stay friends with her. Now two and a half years later, she is pretty much the only person I still talk to from Fearnhill School and I have even lived with her for 3 and a half weeks.
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| Last day of Fearnhill School |
I know that she could turn up at our new place in Amsterdam and even if I wasn't there, feel perfectly at home, eat lunch with my parents, wear my clothes, read my books... She is family.
But I also know that, if the situation was reversed, I could easily go to the Black's family home in Bedford and stay there, help her brother with Science revision, chat to her mother about wine or get called Luke by her father.
Abigail has met both my German and my English extended family, I've met her grandparents, both sides also, her cousins, I went to Michelle's christening - I imagine that when I get married, I will have my German family, English family and Abigail's family all on my side. We've been on holidays together, gone through Goth, Emo, Scene and many more together -I know her mood swings inside out. I know when she needs a hug and she knows when I'm close to tears.
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| Schlangenbad, Germany |
You cannot chose your family, and in a way, I think I never chose Abigail, but that we were just drawn to each other from the beginning, and now, 12 years later, that time together is unimaginable with anyone else. We make new friends every day but our family can never see our friends grow up like we have watched each other grow up. We are both 18 now, well Abigail is 19 today, so we are officially 'adults'. Our parents and families have watched us from 6/7 to 18/19. I cannot share my childhood with anyone else anymore but neither do I want to. I love having Abigail, and I love that she is more than just a best friend, maybe a sister, but more like a brother. We don't have to talk every day to keep our friendship alive and I know I can share anything and nothing with her and either way it's fine. Bruno Mars - Count on me is our song, plus maybe countless others that we wrote together but nobody but us will ever hear : P
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| Prom |
Happy Birthday Abigail, 19 already!
We are stuck with each other until death do us part my friend and there is nothing you can do to get rid of me Abigail ;) I love you. Happy Birthday! I am sorry that I cannot be there to celebrate it with you, I will see you as soon as I can, I miss you. I already got you a Turkish flag, do you want a Netherlands, French and German one? I cannot remember if you already have those or not? Have a wonderful day, and I hope your party goes through the roof! And don't forget;
Bruno Mars - Count on Me
You can count on me like 1 2 3
I'll be there
And I know when I need it I can count on you like 4 3 2
And you'll be there
Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah
Happy Birthday,
Lucy xxo
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| My drawing of Abigail at Michelle's Christening |
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