November

Boarding School

Freddie:

The first days at school went by easily and I've made a few new friends but still I used to walk through the long hallways alone. While I was doing so I missed my family very much. I especially missed my best friend Betty. I had a feeling that something had happened to her. After a week I couldn't stop thinking about her anymore and was afraid that actually something had happened so I decided to call my parents.
I went to the principals office and knocked quietly. 'Yes!' it came from inside and I opened the door. 'Farrokh! Nice to see you! What can I do for you?' my principal asked with his friendly voice and I explained to him that I was missing my family and my best friend a little and asked if it would be okay if I could call them. 'Oh! Of course Farrokh! Of course! I thought you called them already. I guess there waiting for you to call huh? he said smiling and gave me the phone.' 'You can call me Freddie if you want to.' I said. 'All my friends call me Freddie now and I think it's a nice name.'I answered and he nodded.' I'll better leave you alone. I think you need a little privacy if you want to call your family Freddie.' he said with a warm smile and left his office. I dialed the number of our home.
'Bulsara.'the voice of my mum answered and I started to smile.
' Mum! This is Freddie!' I answered and realised that she didn't know about everyone calling me Freddie now.' I mean Farrokh.' I added and I could tell that she was smiling.' My baby! How are you?' she asked and we talked a while. After I said hi to my sister Kashmira and to my dad too and told them everything that had happened the last days and that my name was Freddie now, (which they liked a lot) I asked my dad if he knew something about Betty.

'Let me talk to him Bomi' I heard my mom say and a few seconds later she talked to me again. 'Freddie. I don't want you to freak out now but Betty and her mom moved back to London yesterday. Her parents thought it would be a good idea if she could grow up in London with her aunt. Her mother is going to stay there for a while too I guess. But Betty didn't forget about you. She cried a lot when sh told us that she had to leave and gave us the phone number of her aunts house. She said if you would call us we should give you her number and tell you that she loves you and misses you and wishes you the very best.' I felt how tears were running down my cheek. Betty was always there for me and always understood me. In everything. She was the one who knew everything about me and I knew everything about her.'Can you give me her number please?'I asked and tried to keep calm.
My mom gave me her number and said goodbye. After that I asked my principal if I could make another phone call and he allowed me to call her.
It felt like hours passed by as I waited for someone to answer the phone.
'Smith.' a not very nice sounding voice answered and I could hear that it was Bettys mother. 'Hello Mrs. Smith. This is Farrokh. Bettys best friend. Could I talk to her?' I asked as polite as I could. I heard a sigh from the other end and knew that I'd failed. 'No.' she said and hung up.