The Death of a Best Friend

The civilizehouse hall was quiet. Everyone was silent with their betokens bowed down. No one spoke,laughed, giggled or chatted. there was Just sorrow in the atmosphere. Few students could be heard weep while the rest Just sit stone dead in their behinds. What had happened? What was the cause of this sad and eerie situation? Why did she do it? She had endlessly been that twinkly bubbly fille that everyone loved. Her wide flashing smile could crystalise up anyones day. My thoughts were disrupted when the principal stood up at the podium to form a short speech. Today , we all sit here in thickheaded grief and sorrow.Our school has lost one of its b decentest student. Her death was and then shocking and unexpected. And it would be only respectful if we attended her turneral in SST Pewters church building this coming cheerfulnessshine. The service starts at 9 in the morning and ends at 10. 30. We hope to see each and every one of you there. As for the school , we have make a small altar with messdles and pictures of her by the gym. Students can place flowers and cards of sympathy there. Deepest condolences from East High goes to the family with that she stepped off the stage. The head prefects speech brought many students to snap. My eyes entangle misty and wet.We were than dismissed. As I walked along the school corridor towards the gymnasium,my thoughts traveled afar. I remembered my first day in East High. I was a spic-and-spanbie with no friends. People whisper when I walked pass by. The mean lads threw spitballs in my direction. No one sat with me during luncheon hours. I would lock myself in the washroom cubicle with my tray of food with tears seeping from my eyes. I didnt have any friends. I invariably wondered what my flaws were. Was I fat? Did I have greasy hair? Or was it because I wasnt a size zero? hardly then one girl changed everything. She was a freshlybie too.I was sitting alone at the back of my biological science class. Mr. Trend was having a difficult time putting up with the students. The boys were streamlet about and the girls were gossiping. And there was me. The loner. It is amazing how a noisy situation changes into a sudden quiet one isnt it? Well that was what happened. Someone walked into class. A new face. She was a brunette with sparkly brown eyes. She wore simple clothing and flashed a wide grin as she walked into class. All eyes were on her as she handed Mr.. Trend a letter. Class , we have a new student. Her name is Amanda Grey and she come all the way from Dallas , Texas.Do make her musical note at home. Amanda was given the survival of the fittest to choose her set. I sight her eyes scanning the room and it fell on the empty seat beside me. She walked with confidence towards me and sat. Hello , Im Amanda. Nice to meet you she utter as she agitate my hand. My mum had always taught me to greet citizenry with proper manners so I shook her hand back and introduced myself too. All th rough class, I noticed many students stealing glances in our way. Some even had the ticker to walk up to our table and tell Amanda that she had do the wrong choice by hosing me as her first friend and sitting right conterminous to me.I had expected Amanda to agree with them and change seats but to my astonishment she stood up for me saying that it was her choice on the friends she made and no one had the right to choose for her. I had an instant liking towards Amanda. She became my new outmatch lunch hours in the cafeteria. Amanda made new friends really fast because of her socially dynamical character. Through her, I got to know people too and began conversing openly without macrocosm the old shy anti-social me. Amanda was my other half. I shared everything with her. She was someone I felt that I could open up to and not be appalled of being Judged.Once , she even caught me self harming and throwing up after meals. She took away my razors and made sure I stayed put after mea ls without going to the washroom. She told me I was picturesque in her eyes and by gods eyes. And I didnt have to be a size zero to be beautiful. She made me appreciate biography and draw in that there were people who actually cared for me and I wasnt alone. Not only was she owing(p) in giving advice, Amanda was a very brilliant girl. She excelled in the studies and always did well in her examinations. She careed me a lot in my studies and my grades which were failing finally began to improve.My feet made a silent thudding sound as I turned the corner towards the gymnasium. in that respect was quite a crowd some the altar. I stopped midway and stared ahead. My body trembled. And I realized I was alone. There wasnt a happy and Jolly Amanda beside me. The girl who changed my whole life in an instant had disappeared for good. She was never coming back. I approached the altar behind sinking everything in. There were brightly lit candles around Mantas pictures and flowers were a ll everywhere the altar. I knelt down ND stared at the pictures. The candles illuminated them with a well-heeled glow.I looked down and pulled out a picture of me and Amanda from my purse and placed it on the table. It was a picture of the very first time Amanda had a sleepover at my house. We watched a movie while snacking on caramel popcorn, baked cupcakes, did makeovers on each other and took loads of picture. That was the day Amanda had given me a miserly hug and promised that shell always be there for me no matter what. I tear rolled down my cheek. I wobbled slightly as I stood up. I turned away and walked out the school doors towards my home. The sky was a gloomy cast. Look , even the sky was upset about the loss.On Sunday , I remembered my mum shaking me and waking me up reminding me that it was time for the funeral. I wore one of my favorite suit which Amanda had told I looked good in. I took deep calm breaths. I wasnt prepared to see her for the last time ahead she wen t six feet under. My dad drove us to the church. There were a twain of students outside dressed in black. We alighted from the car and my mother laid a reassuring arm around my shoulders. We walked in. The place was filled with people and a part of me was happy discriminating that Amanda was loved by many. We took a seat at the back.I noticed Mantas mother sitting by the coffin. Her face was whitened and expressionless. I felt her. It felt as If I had lost a part of me when I heard the depressing news of Mantas sudden departure. The government minister began the ceremony by singing a few hymns and citing reading a bible phrase. He went on with the sermon saying how graven image took the best people at clock because he loved them more than we did. But she took her own life a little part of me whispered. Why did God let her die when she had so much to live for? My questions were left unanswered. at long last we came to the end of the ceremony.We were requested to pay our last respects. My heartbeat was racing. This was it. My one and only chance to bid farewell. I walked towards the coffin. Amanda lay in there with a peaceful look on her face. It didnt look like someone who had affiliated that she would wake up laughing telling how she had franked everyone. But she didnt. I light touched her hands. They were ice cold. I than unclasped the necklace around my neck and gently laid it in her coffin. It was my favorite necklace which Amanda really adored. Its now yours to keep Amanda I whispered.Goodbye and I love you I said as I walked out the church. The sun was shining brightly and the sky was blue. It wasnt a gloomy day at all. The birds were chirping a sweet melody. I looked towards the sky and blinked back tears knowing that Amanda was in a better place. To be honest , Vie never thought of Amanda as a girl who had problems in life. She seemed happy and cheerful at all times. I guess she felt better retentivity them to herself rather than burdening ot hers with her problems. She was someone who liked to help others in life. I hankering she had opened up and talked about her problems to me.It makes me feel that I wasnt there for her when she demand me the most or when she was going through rough times. She had told me many times that death wasnt the source for problems. Now it made me wonder why was it her solution to something. And there goes another unanswered question. A year passed. Soon the age of Mantas first death anniversary arrived. I walked on the soft necropolis grounds. Everything was peaceful and quiet. The grounds were well kept. I made my way towards Mantas grave. There it was. I knelt down beside it and stared at the tombstone. l miss you I said softly as I laid a hand on the cold hard tombstone.I laid the bouquet of roses I had specially made for Amanda on her grave and sat down right beside it. The memories came back. All the fun times with her. Amanda was like an angel sent by God to help me and taken away w hen her Job was done. I leaned back against the tomb. Some people might have found doing that plain scary. Knowing that your sitting on someones grave and leaning on a tombstone. But what I felt was a warm feeling. I felt Mantas presence with me. Right beside me. by and by spending a few quiet minutes there I got up to leave. And to this day , I still dont know why she did it.