BROKEN BUT DESTINED

A friend in need.......

"Hey, what are you having for lunch? It's not rice and beans again, is it?" Hafsa asked, as she walked towards Esther's desk, clenching on a Disney-Princess themed food dish and a pink water bottle.

Hafsa had always been Esther's best and only trustworthy friend since they were in kindergarten. Though their friendship began as a simple gesture of kindness, time eventualities helped them grow closer and fonder. To each other, they were more than mere friends; they were sisters.

However, despite their really strong friendship, they had their ups and downs just like any other relationship. For starters, Hafsa was a Muslim from an extremely affluent family. Her father owned the largest mobile technology company in the country. As a result, being an only daughter in a family of four children, Hafsa had the best life a teenager could possibly wish for. To add onto that, she was a beautiful, hardworking, sophisticated and kind young lady. She was the pride of her family and was absolutely determined to keeping it that way for as long as she possibly could.

These amazing personalities are what gave rise to their unbreakable bond. Hafsa's mother always packed really nice food and desserts for her lunch and even some snacks for later. Sometimes it would be too much for her to finish by herself; so one day when she saw the little and unpalatable food young Esther had for lunch, her kind heart guided her to share what she had. From then, Hafsa always shared her lunch meals with Esther and, after knowing about Esther's misfortunes, sometimes even her pocket money too.

Yes, it's true to say their ten-year friendship was a rare and unique jewel. They were always there for each other, through thick and thin and this made Esther's life a bit bearable. Hafsa became her shoulder to lean on and as their friendship grew, so did Esther's dependency on Hafsa; but that never seemed to bother Hafsa at all; she actually liked it. It made her feel responsible and she liked that tingling satisfactory feeling you get after helping someone; especially somebody you really care about. She knew the struggles Esther was facing and was undoubtedly willing to stay by her side and support her all the way.

It was everyone's favourite time of the day; lunch time. The only study break long enough to enjoy a meal, play and catch up before classes resumed. As Hafsa pulled a seat to sit next to Esther, Esther could already smell the perfectly seasoned chicken pilau that was well packed in Hafsa's dish, with a side of vegetable salad slightly flavoured to perfection with a bit of mayonnaise. Esther was used to this often aromatic smell of mouth watering meals, and with a heavy sigh, she pulled out a cheap old green dish from her bag pack and placed it on the desk. And true to Hafsa's assumptions, it was boiled white rice and stewed red beans, again.

While Esther tried to open both dishes, Hafsa could feel something was totally off about her. The depressed and disappointed expressions portrayed on her face kept nagging on Hafsa. She knew, though Esther's meals were really humble, Esther always kept an open mind about them and was proud and happy that she could actually afford to eat some food, even though it wasn't the best. Hafsa knew it definitely couldn't be the food that got her in such a downcast mood, or could it?

After taking a few spoonfuls, Esther noticed Hafsa's gaze had not shifted from her for a while.
"Do I have something on my face? Why are you staring at me like that?" Esther asked while trying to wipe her face with the collar of her sweater.

"Is something wrong? I'm your bestie; I can tell when something is amiss."

"Ah, it's nothing really. It's just that I lost my food delivery job. The hotel is being shut down so they had to let go of their employees. You know it was my best paying job and now I have to look for it's replacement. But where am I going to find a place willing to hire a high school girl?"

With tears flooding in her already red and puffy eyes, Esther lay her head, face down on the desk. She did not want any of her classmates to see her crying. She hated presenting herself as 'weak' and according to her, crying was the biggest sign of weakness.

"Hey.....hey, don't cry. You know better than anyone that there's a solution to every problem. You've been through worse situations and if things get tough, I'll always be here if you need some help; now and forever."

Hafsa couldn't bear seeing Esther cry; as she tried to comfort her by gently patting on her left shoulder. Though Hafsa was known to have a strong personality, seeing Esther cry always made her chest feel stuffed and heavy.

"I'll share all my pocket money and see what I can get from my parents to help you till you find a new job. I'll even help you look for one." Hafsa said in a lowered tone.

With those hopeful and assuring words, Esther raised her head and looked at Hafsa. She felt blessed and lucky to have her as a friend. With a node at her closest person, she used the edge of her torn sleeves to wipe away her tears in relief. Hafsa kept her worrisome gaze on Esther till her eyes met Esther's and, as if laughing at their new predicament, they both chuckled.

"Thank you! You are the best!" Esther said, as she scooped another spoonful of her food.

With a comforting friendly warm smile on her fair face, Hafsa noded at her dearest friend and they tried their best to lighten the mood and enjoy their remaining lunch time by childishly whispering and gossiping about their classmates and teachers.