It was June 2008. I was getting ready for school but I couldn't find my album with my Pokémoncards. Today was Friday and every Friday we can bring our cards to trade! I had been looking in every spot of my room but I couldn't find it.
" Mum! Did you see my Pokémon album? " I screamed from my room.
" No, dear, maybe in the chest? " I heard she was doing the dishes.
" Which chest? "
" The one in the living room "
I ran downstairs and opened the chest. I pushed all the other stuff out of my way and suddenly I saw something. I took it and it looked like it was a CD from DJ Tiesto. One of those Martijn gave to me 2 years ago. I guess I forgot to give this one back.
I put the CD in my bag, " it's not in there ".
" It's not my fault, you should be less untidy! Come on, it's time for school "
When we arrived at school I started looking for Martijn. We have been friends since that concert from two years ago. He showed me a whole other world. The world of DJ's! And I liked it. I liked it more than the guitar but my parents won't let me stop. And I still didn't find something I was really good at.
But since Martijn entered my life, it only went better. He gave me so much advice! Now I care less about what my parents say about me or what my teacher says to me. I need to just be me.
" Martijn! " I screamed, waving in his direction.
" Hey! " he smiled.
" Look what I found back this morning " I took my bag and showed him the CD.
" What's wrong with it? "
" It's a Tiesto CD that I got from you two years ago but I never gave it back "
" Wow, you're giving it back late then " he laughed.
" Better late than never " I laughed too. I wanted to hand over the CD.
" Oh, it's okay, you can keep it " he said.
" But it's yours "
" I don't care, I have loads of CD's from him, you can keep that one "
" Well, I guess I must have liked this one most because I kept it " I smiled.
" Probably " he smiled back.
***
Two weeks later it was the last day of this schoolyear and me and Martijn were at the playground together. We were eating our lunch.
" Now I have to wait for 2 months to see you again... " I said, dissapointed. He was my best and only friend at last.
" Umm... Clara, I think you don't get it, hmm? "
" How do you mean? " I said, chewing on my sandwich.
" I'm not coming back " he got serious.
" What? "
" I'm going to a new school, I finished group 8 "
" You're gonna leave? "
" Yeah, I'm going to secondary school! "
" So I won't see you anymore? "
" Not here "
" I don't want you to go " and before I knew, I held him in my arms.
" I have to " he hugged me back.
" But you're the only one I have "
" I promise we'll see each other "
I didn't know what to say anymore so I just kept holding him into my arms. As an eight years old he felt like a big brother to me. The brother I never had.
My brother died when he was 7 and I was 4. He played soccer and he got tackled by this guy of the other team and my brother fell so badly that his neck was broken and he died there on the field.
My parents couldn't handle the loss but luckily they had still their daughter to live for. My mum lost her job and my dad got in financal trouble. There were fights between us and the rest of the family. They wanted to start a new life. They wanted to start a new chapter and that's why they moved to The Netherlands. Without saying a thing to our family.
My mum and dad have amazing jobs now and a lovely daughter from 8 years old who has find the brother she lost 4 years ago.
I was that daughter and Martijn was that brother.
And he had to leave.
" You know what, give me your adress and I'll visite you some time " he let me go.
" My adress? "
" Yeah! " he shouted and I gave him what he asked for.
" I promise I'll visite this summer "
" Okay "
***
Guess what? I didn't see Martijn that summer. I had been waiting for him. I had been staring out of the window to see if he would come. This was the crappiest summer ever. I had never felt this dissapointed before. He promised me he would come. Guess he broke his promise.
Guess he didn't like me as much as I liked him.
Was this friendship real?
One week later, the first Friday back at school, I was walking my way home and saw Martijn. Standing with a bunch of boys and girls.
I stared at them. They didn't notice me except Martijn, he did see me, but he just turned around again. This made me feel sick.
I could cry.
I wish I was brave enough to go to him and talk with him. But I wasn't.
I kept walking. Trying to hold my tears.
Until I felt something on my shoulder.
I turned around.
Martijn.
" Hey " he smiled.
" Hi "
" How was school? "
" Different "
" I am sorry I didn't visite this summer " he looked sad. But was he acting or was it real?
" You promised "
" I know, I know... "
" Why? "
" I don't know " I had this strange feeling that he meant his sadness.
" It's okay, you're here now "
" You know, it's not because friends don't see each other or talk to each other all the time that they stop being friends " he smiled.
And that made me smile too. How he does it, I don't know, but this guy is a miracle.
