when mini started kindergarten, she began the search for the girl that would be her best friend. with two classes o' twenty children, half bein' girls, she was certain that one of 'em just had to be 'the one'. but after couple o' years of tryin' out each and every girl available, it was obvious that none of 'em was the best friend she'd been dreamin' of for so long. and it wasn't 'cause she was bein' too picky or had unrealistic expectations...i heard more than one other mother state that it was an odd mix o' girls. while they were all special, they just didn't seem to belong together in the same group. even so, mini never gave up hope that one of 'em might return from summer vacation and fit the bill.
unfortunately mini's optimistic outlook throughout elementary school was in vain. she had lots o' 'good friends'...though no 'best friend'.
but her hopes could once again rise when entering middle school. a whole new crop o' girls would be added and she knew that one of 'em was gonna be the perfect fit....and this time she was right. it took no time at all for her and one o' the new girls, lily burk, to declare that they were the best o' friends.
they did have much in common - both only children of parents almost the same age....both very creative and each with a wicked sense o' humor. they both loved the same music, the same books and together developed a habit o' keepin' dozens o' lil notebooks with them at all times, coverin' each page - front and back - with teeny tiny handwritin' that spelled out ideas and thoughts and goals etc. etc. etc. i find these lil pages everywhere - both mini's and lily's - and have come to the conclusion that they are all written in a language only the two of them can understand.
the first time i met lily i knew mini had made a good choice....the doo dad den was a wreck - worse than it's usual state o' bein'. mini's daddy had taken the girls to concert and they surprised me by returning early. i hated for mini's new friend to see my surroundings at their worst. but lily took one look at my mess and declared it was the most wonderful room she'd ever been in.
when lily entered our lives i had to accept the fact that when mini needed advice, i was no longer the only person she turned to for help. i'm still the first person she asks but once i finish providin' her with my excellent words o' wisdom, she then says 'i have to go call lily now and see what she thinks.'
last thursday night, for some reason neither mini or i could sleep and ended up in her bed together, me tellin' her the same tall tales she has loved all her life. as usually happens, lily became part of our conversation and i asked her what she loved most about their friendship. she said lily was the most clever, most creative person she'd ever met and when they departed, she always felt 'fuller' than before they were together. and then she said, as she always did when talkin' about lily, ' she's really goin' to go places mom'.
friday afternoon lily ran an errand for her mother and never returned. saturday morning she was found dead in her car.
my heart is broken for lily's parents and everyone who loved her - includin' my mini - and that all those places lily was supposed to go will not have the pleasure of seeing her arrive.
