1.2 Talk Soon

                                    

                                              
Groggily Mira woke up. Her eyes fluttered open as she gazed at the void in front of her then around her in her dimly lit room. Where is Nick? She checked her watch on her study table. 22:03.
                          
Racing down the staircase and into the main dining area she called out Nick's name but no response or sound was heard. Mira peered into the driveway to see that the family car was not there. At this point, she was certain that Nick was either at the airport or had left the country already.
                          
She shuddered in longing and sadness, she now knew what the older girls at her school were talking about when they mentioned that their hearts felt like they broke into two when their boyfriends broke up with them. But this was different, she had known Nick for 8 years, for more than half of her life. He was a major part of her life and no he was gone. Although she reckoned that she was being slightly dramatic and knew that this wasn't officially goodbye, in her heart, it sure felt like it. Now, she was alone. Forced to fend for herself and make new friends, something foreign to her as she had Nick to keep her company and protect her since the first grade. And now the growing feelings or adoration and love that had fostered during their friendship in Mira's heart were unable to be communicated to Nick, to tell him that she love him, more than friends.
                          
Ascending gradually up the stairs, tears began to splatter on the mahogany floorboards. She gazed down at her bedside table. There laid a note that Mira promised herself that she would treasure until the two besties met again -- perhaps she'll visit him in New York next summer break.
                          
Dearest Mimi,
                          
I know that you'll be mad that I didn't wake you up, but truthfully I didn't want to make my departure harder for you than it would have been for me.
                          
Remember that this is not goodbye although it almost seems like it, I will never stop thinking of you. 
                          
Love you. Friends forever.
                          
Truly,
                          
Nick x
                          
Holding the messily written letter to her chest, Mira sighed and grabbed her leather journal that she committed to write in at least once a week. She slipped the note in one of the pages of her diary before opening an new entry.
                          


                          
Dear Diary,
                          
It has been 4 days since I've written but I just want to express my feelings about Nick leaving for New York. This whole situation is too much for me to digest just within a time span of 10 hours. I mean I'm proud of him and all, pursuing his ambitions early, knowing what he wants to do... but, leaving South Africa and leaving me... I don't know. Truthfully I want him to stay but is that too selfish!?!
                          
I've been too shy and too stupid to not've told him earlier or show, in the slightest amount, my feelings to him but at the same time what he doesn't see my in that light. Will he ever? He always says that he sees me as his little sister or his best friend... never something more, nothing more than just a best friend. 
                          
Well, since I never got the chance to say this to him vis-a-vis, I'll write it in my diary; my medium to explode my feelings on paper...
                          
To Nick. I love you, but I'm not gutsy, nor will I ever be, to tell it to your face. You know that i'll tell you everything but this, this is another matter which I sweat nervously just thinking about. People say that you never know when true love comes, but, I'm pretty sure that during the middle of second grade when you shielded me from an incoming football that almost struck me on the head, I fell deep in love with you and your quirky habits and all your minute imperfections. I remember how outraged you were, how protective you were over me and I smile knowing that we would go to extreme lengths to ensure that either one of us are safe and sound. Nick, thank you. And Nick... I love you. 
                          


                          
4 months later
                          
Mira clicked the 'call' button on Skype but Nick was not picking up. Lately, for the past months, Mira and Nick had kept in touch via Skype but their video call frequency started to diminish. Nick was gradually becoming more occupied with the plethora of business terms and concepts that he had to grasp in his uncle's company along with settling down in the family apartment in The Bronx and balancing a new school part-time.
                          
Mira called again. 
                          
Brr -- brr -- brr
                          
"Hey Mira, sorry that I didn't pick up."
                          
"That's okay. What are you up to?"
                          
"Uh-h," Nick stammered as he tripped over a few packing boxes in his white high ceiling room.
                          
"You still haven't formerly moved into your room yet? That's ridiculous Nick. I knew that you were always the more disorganised out of us two." Mira giggled.
                          
"Yeah .. haha. Hey look, I've got go. Uncle Bob is calling me. Talk to you sometime soon yeah?"
                          
The call ended abruptly.
                          
"Yep, talk to you sometime soon..." Mira whispered in front of a blank screen as she hesitantly shifted out of her chair and looked out the window.
                          
"Nick, you said that you leaving wasn't goodbye. Then why does it feel like it is? Why does it feel like you've walked out of my life forever?"