OH NO, NOT AGAIN!

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.

-Douglas Pagels-(All the graphics in this post are from Karen at THE GRAPHICS FAIRY)

The little girl sat with her bony knees pressed to the wall under the window sill, her body forming a loose backwards Z. Her feet were tucked back under the chair with the tops of her toes resting on the chair rung as she bent forward at the waist with her chin resting on the back of her hands.

She could feel the cool of the glass where she pressed her forehead. With every cough from her feverish rosy cheeks came a puff of breath that left a fog pattern on the window pane. She lifted a lazy pinkie finger to trace tiny circle patterns in the mist. She could see them but not join them, the children playing beyond the glass in the cul-de-sac in front of her home.A movement from the house that sat two doors down across the street caught her eye. She saw him, her best friend, bound down the steps of his home. He quickly scanned the crowd of children, not seeing her, he started towards her home with his bare feet slapping the pavement in a happy patter. It wasn't until he reached the edge of her lawn that he saw her face in the window and he knew. He took a few tentative steps closer as their eyes locked through the glass, his almond shaped chocolate ones meeting her large moody sometimes blue, sometimes green ones.

He struck a pose as if thinking, scratching his head and tapping his chin with his forefinger, all the while his toes were making a thrumming motion in the clover underfoot. A wide grin spread across his face as he lifted one olive toned hand making an exaggerated open palm slap to his forehead while shouting, "Not Again!", tumbling himself over into a somersault in the process, scattering honey bees in his wake. His antics had their desired effect, she smiled. He stood for a moment longer and pulled a silly face at her, she giggled and returned the favor. He then made an exaggerated tiptoe towards her disappearing from her view only to pop back up into her line of vision with a series of jumps that reminded her of a jack-in-the-box.She saw his fingers grip the brick window sill as he toed himself up to press his nose against the window screen in the exact same place her nose was pressed against the glass. They looked cross eyed at one another and laughed. His grip loosened as he pointed to the hole in the wire screen and said loud enough to be heard through the single paned glass, "Secret code". She nodded in understanding.

Making sure her mother was not in the kitchen doorway behind her, she slipped from her chair quietly sliding open the big drawer under the old black rotary wall phone where the fat yellow phone book was kept. She removed a yellow pencil stub and tore off a piece of scratch paper from the notepad. Sneaking back to her seat she labored over her coded message, a code they had invented together. With one last look to make sure she was not observed, she stood on the chair unlatching the window, pulling it up just enough to reveal the hole in the screen.
She hastily rolled her message around the pencil stub and shoved both through the hole into the waiting wiggling fingers of her friend. Afraid of being caught, she slid the window closed but slipped on the chair in the process making a loud bumping noise. "Sandra Renae' what in heaven's name are you doing now?" called her mother's voice from down the hall. "Nothing momma!" she replied in an overly innocent tone.

The pecking of the pencil on the window pane returned her focus to her friend. She retrieved the message and fell into a fit of giggles as her friend pantomimed for her to eat it if her mother came in and caught them. She unrolled the paper and read the message that was printed in his very best printing, "I am sorry you are sick again. I wish it was not again."
The other children called to him wanting him to come and play dodge ball but he vigorously shook his head "no". He stayed all morning entertaining her until his mother called him in for lunch. He reluctantly left with his little fists tucked into his shorts pockets. Dipping his head and looking back over his shoulder at her, he paused at the edge of the lawn and mouthed, "Not again." He never wanted her to be sick again.

This was not the first time or the last time over their years of friendship that he cheered her while she was sick and all these many years later he still does when she thinks back upon that warm summer day when he took the sting out of being sick with the soothing balm of friendship. I have no idea if he even remembers this incident from our childhood but I do know that I will never forget it.

This memory came to me when I woke up sick on Friday morning last week. My very first thought was, "Oh no! Not again!" Funny, how a little thing like a phrase can trigger such a vivid memory that has been tucked away for such a very long time. We were about six back then, inseparable best friends. I am afraid it will take more than a cheerful friend to get me over this bout. I have had a relapse of the nasty virus/flu thing that I had recently had for three weeks. I am returning to the doctor this morning. I'll post as I am able, which might be spotty at best, due to the fact that I seem to run out of steam quickly and am in need of much rest. In the meantime, I am wishing you cheerful summer-like days filled with praise!

I'd love to hear your favorite memory of a time when a friend cheered you up!

Blessings,
Miss Sandy