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"Je garde espoir de te revoir dans un proche avenir. Je t'attends comme si t'allais rentrer. Tu vas me manquer."
Gims_French singer
Norabel
On Monday morning thousands of students from our university and other neighboring ones gathered in our school ready to begin the peace march. Our student committee was greatly surprised that the number of T-shirts we commissioned wasn't sufficient for the number of people attending the rally. The event blew up way past our expectations.
Standing next to the disciplinary office with my best friend I glance at the crowd assembled on campus, a sudden weariness lodging itself inside my throat and making me shiver despite the warm temperature.
Keisha, who probably sensed my nerves, addresses me with a gentle voice, "Are you okay Nora?" Her eyes look way past my nervous smile. She knows I'm faking it.
"I don't think I can do this."
I stayed up all night wrestling with that thought until exhaustion mercifully took me to slumber at the earliest hours of dawn. My sleep was anything but peaceful. I relived through vivid nightmares the horrifying moment when I saw Ethan collapse on the ground barely a few feet away from me.
"Yes you can," Keisha affirms, bringing me back to reality.
I appreciate her support but I honestly don't feel like I have the physical or mental energy to lead all of those people through a protest demanding that our basic right to security be respected.
"This is bigger than I imagined Kish. I never thought that there would be so many people. I feel like an impostor."
My eyes inadvertently fly back to the crowd, the sudden urge to throw up gripping me tightly.
"Hey, listen to me."
Keisha holds me by the shoulders with firm hands. I focus on that familiar maternal expression of hers that appears whenever she's about to give me a lecture.
"I know the woman I saw on Saturday in that room," she begins fiercely. "She was fearless and devoted to honoring Henry today. Everyone in that room was hypnotized by your energy Norabel. We all jumped in on this project not only for Henry but because we also believed that you could see it through. We're almost there Nora. You can do this."
I let the words of my best friends plant their seed inside of me. Her encouragement travels under my skin igniting the spark that doubt and fear almost extinguished.
I take a deep breath as I force those annoying voices of weakness to shut up inside my head.
"I can do this," I say with conviction.
"That's my girl!"
We're leaning forward to exchange a hug and I hadn't realized how badly I needed to be held like this until I allowed myself to fall into my best friend completely.
