Sara

     Sara. A common name throughout the world. I've met many awesome Sara's and who's, but there's one special Sara that's very dear to my heart. Her name is Sara Nabeel Ali ❤ This is the story of how I met her and how we became the ultimate soul-sisters.
     At the end of eighth grade, we moved houses. And because we moved to Lanson Avenue, that meant that I had to go to Edsel Ford and not Fordson, which was the high school all my middle school friends were going to. I was devastated. I spent the entire summer crying my heart out and begging my parents to let me go to Fordson like the other two guys on my street, but I was destined to go to Edsel! My first day was probably the most horrible day ever. I was sick and my voice was practically gone. All the ninth graders were new, but I was the new-new girl! My first hour was gym class, and I didn't know where the gym was because I didn't go to the orientation. I found this Link Crew Leader, a senior, that was sweet enough to take a look at my schedule and show me where I needed to go. Anyways, I sat all the way at the end of the bleachers, and to my left I saw this pretty girl. I don't know why, but the way she was talking and smiling caught my attention. Ms.Terry called out my name for attendance and I kept saying, "Here!" A few girls finally heard me and told her that I wasn't absent after all! That pretty girl was Sara. 

     I don't remember how and when we actually started talking, but I remember how we used to walk around the gym and she'd tell me a story about her cousins ,Kylie and Kevin. And I started anticipating gym class everyday because I wanted to know the end of the story- only to realize that she didn't have cousins named Kylie and Kevin only to find out that was only a story out of her wild imagination. I remember it was a very captivating story. She told me, because she felt guilty, " I just told you that so we could have something to talk about and be friends!" And then, we started talking about everything and anything! I started to think that Edsel wasn't so bad after all. We made friends, some realllllly awesome friends in the meanwhile, but we were always together. It got to the point where people started thinking we were twins. Not sisters, but identical twins. 💝 We always laughed at such remarks and replied with " We're from different continents!!!" She's 75% Yemeni and what's left of the percentage is Native American.
I got to know her bit by bit! And I really started to know who she was after she was absent from school for a day or two! I remember asking the girls in my class about her! And my friend Esra answers, "Oh, you didn't hear?" And I knew it wasn't gonna be good news! "What happened?" "Her father passed away yesterday!" And my heart sank and broke. I was devastated! I remember just being shell shocked and wondering what she was going through. She's a strong girl, I'll tell you that. She came the following day to school because she cared about her attendance record and she knew better than to skip school, and many other reasons that make her up to the unique individual she is! I didn't know what to say. I just looked at her and she was so sad. Terrified of her new world. I wanted to cry, but I didn't want her to so I just held my tears in and tried my best to comfort her. She was holding back a river of tears. I remember her eyes vividly and I wish she never had to go through that. My dear Sara stayed strong. She kept coming to school, and one day she worked up the courage to tell me in explicit detail about the death of her beloved father. I tried my best to be there for her. I really did. And I hope I did that. During her time of mourning, we developed a strong bond. She would listen to every word I had to say, and I would do the same for her. It was so effortless doing that! I know that she's my best friend because every time we'd go out to the track in gym class, and I would tell her " Look Sara, my eyes look better in the sun! " and she'd reply every time with a, "Yes they do!" She never told me to stop saying that. 

     As the year went by, we made memories that are forever engraved in my memory. I remember when Ms.Prieur told us to narrate a song in the form of a poem, and she did the best presentation. Sara performed Adele's "Turning Tables" so dramatically, I was so impressed, as I'm sure the rest of the class was too! I think my favorite memory was when we got out of Ms.Prieur's class and giggling while saying " Do you bite your thumb at me sir?" "No, sir!" "Do you quarrel sir?" "No, sir!" We realized then that I had a horrible British accent. Sara says it sounds like a "dying hyena!" And another memory of Ms.Prieur's class was when we finished reading Romeo and Juliet and Sara sewed her very own princess's dress for the Renaissance'a festival, and impressed us all! She looked like true princess. Better than Juliet could've ever looked. That day Sara came on my bus and we went home together. My mom was in awe at how much alike we truly looked. She gasped and said, " subhana Allah!!" 

     And there are so many more memories that morphed me into the person I am today.
Sophomore year was more sentimental, because we both knew that I'd be heading back to Libya! And she promised that she'd make it the best year of my life. And it truly was. We didn't have any classes together, but always were together! I would come to school, head to my locker ,and then to Sara's locker, and go to the cafeteria together. We were probably the only two who were laughing so early in the morning. We would laugh and talk facing each other and when the five minute bell rings, she'd walk me to my first hour. We would see each other between the other hours and she would give me a note she wrote to me during class that said something funny, sweet, or totally unexpected. She'd come to my locker after fourth hour and we'd go to the cafeteria again for lunch. And we made so many memories, promises, and inside jokes during those 30 minutes. On Fridays, we'd stay after school to attend a lecture at the Islamic club, which we became devout members of because we were both interested in our beloved religion. The bus ride home was always the best, and I believe that's where I got my love for car rides.
Sara's so cute! She'd ask Mr.Cook, the best Chemistry teacher, if she could write " Hi Nuha! " or something of that sort on his unused chalkboard , and he'd let her because he's awesome! And I'd walk in my sixth hour to find my name written in big, bold letters on the board! And I'd write something back for her to see the next day 💜
The week before I came back to Libya, I had a goodbye party at Hemlock park! She showed up of course with my other besties, and she was the last to leave. We both cried. And she gave me a pack of letters; you see Sara didn't just make me one letter, but a whole bunch of them. And each of them had the title " Open when..." I still have them of course, along with the memory box she made me!
I have opened several of them. For example, the one that said, " Open when you tell someone that your eyes look better in the sun!" I laughed ( and I still laugh) the first time I opened it to find out that she wrote, " Seriously? You still tell people that! Well, they do!" And I'm waiting for the days when I'll open the others such as " Open when you're engaged." And I hope I never open the ones where she wrote things like, "Open when you get rich and forget about me!" 

     When I came to Libya, she encouraged me to write an article stating the differences between America and Libya. I decided to portray it by writing a comparison between my two high schools. She went ahead and convinced Mr.Rydzik, my Journalism and Newstaff teacher, to get it printed on one of The Bolt newspaper's editions! That was something I'll never forget. That I'd have my article printed on my high school's newspaper when I wasn't even going there anymore. That gave me so much positive energy that is inexplicable in words.

     She said she's making me a "Care-Package" that involves another set of "Open when letters!" I can't wait till I receive it.
We sill talk. Whenever we can. She knows my life here as if she's with me and I know hers. We send pictures and letters and videos! Love doesn't know what distance is. And we have been best friends although we haven't seen each other for five years!!! And I pray for her all the time. And I know she prays for me. I hope Allah blesses her beautiful soul. And I pray that we'd sit across a table again in our lifetime and chat just like good old times ❤❤😘