The Unexpected Bond Between Two Young Girls
A friendship of a lifetime
When I was 11, Nelly, a new girl from Cuba, became my classmate. My teacher assigned me to be her helper. Little did I know she would become a dear, lifelong friend.
What I remember most about that time was the principal frequently calling her out of class, and she would return looking like she had cried.
I always felt so sorry for her. I never knew what she was told, but knew that her father was still back in Cuba. Nelly, her sister, and her mother came to America without him.
I remember Nelly teaching me Spanish words. The word I recall the most is estúpido. I hope she wasn’t referring to me. I still have the Spanish book and list of words she wrote for me in her very fancy handwriting.
The thing Nelly remembers the most is that I was always breaking her pencils. I find this hard to believe because I was a kind child. But she insists I did this, so I believe her.
My parents embraced Nelly and would take us ice skating and on picnics with her family. We did a lot together.
The school moved Nelly to the grade above me, so we didn’t graduate together.
After high school, Nelly moved across the country. We wrote letters to each other and remained in…
