A story (fiction) - 'Friendship'

A story of fiction for this weeks blog topic ... Friendship



                                                             Friendship




Olivia took one last look in the mirror before she rushed to answer the door bell.  She checked her appearance: slim tall figure,  Levi jeans, red skivvy and white Dunlops;  long dark hair pulled up  neatly into a  chignon.  She knew that she looked younger than her 31 years.  People were always telling her how young she looked.  Probably the ridiculously long hours she worked in the hospital as a senior Obstetric and Gynaecology registrar would explain the lack of photo-aging in her skin.  Her skin had rarely seen the sun in the last decade.

Olivia  always felt a twinge of sadness and regret when she considered the fact that she'd missed out on carefree times in her twenties.  That decade had  been filled with work and study and long hours. It had passed by in a blur of tiredness and stress.  Maybe that was why she could never keep a boyfriend.  The men in Olivia's life hadn't  understood the fact that she had to work the hospital roster she was given.  They didn't understand, like her three girl friends understood, how important her career was to her, and how difficult the exams were.  Her friends understood as, like Olivia, they too were doctors specialising in their respective medical disciplines in the hospital system.

Olivia's three  friends - Taylor, Emily and liza had been close since they'd all met at university 13 years earlier.  They'd been through a lot together since then, but now they had all passed their specialty exams and the poverty stricken, exhausting registrar years were finally behind them.

Olivia had finished her  exams a year after her friends, as she'd taken a gap year to travel to Europe after her internship.  The others had all gone straight through to training in their respective fields.
So for Olivia, the last six months had been especially hard.  She still had her exams to sit, and she'd been  ill with the worst case of flu she'd ever had.  The flu had occurred at the worst possible time too - only weeks before the exams.  Her friends had rallied around and helped her - just like they always did.  She always appreciated how reliable and supportive they were.

So, on this night the four young women  were meeting  at Olivia's place for pizza and wine and good conversation before they left for a three week holiday in Europe the following morning.  Three weeks well deserved R and R starting in Paris.

Liza, Taylor and Olivia were going.  Emily wasn't coming, unfortunately.  She'd had some reason or other.  Olivia had been too tired and too busy to really go into it with her.  Although, she recalled, it was all a bit cryptic and mysterious.  Emily had been particularly vague about what she was doing.  Olivia knew that she had four weeks leave from work, like the rest of them. But at least she was coming over with the others before she drove them to the airport in the morning.  The four of them would sleep at Olivia's place - and that way it would be easier in the morning travelling together.

As Olivia sprinted to the front door she took a last look around the apartment to see that everything was ready: four wine glasses sat on the smoked glass coffee table in the middle of the modern minimalist apartment.  Black plates sat on the breakfast bar between the sleek black and chrome kitchen and the lounge.  Olivia had left the curtains drawn so that they could enjoy the city lights and view.  She looked out through the large wall of glass  onto the small balcony disappearing into the darkness of the evening.  The large mass of purple irises sitting in the terracotta tub against the steel and glass railing stopped her in her tracks.  A rush of sadness hit her and almost took her breath away.

Michelle had given them to her as a house warming present five years earlier, when Olivia had moved into the apartment.  Michelle used to be her best friend.  Although, in the last six months Michelle had rarely bothered to speak to Olivia or visit her.

The sight of the irises seemed to paralyse her.  They held her gaze like magnets and they captured her thoughts and her heart.  Michelle had told her, at the time she'd given her the flowers, that they symbolised 'the importance of friendship' and also 'hope and faith'.  Michelle was always so sentimental like that.  Symbols and heartfelt gestures, Olivia thought sadly.

Michelle and Olivia had been friends for much longer than the other three girl friends Olivia now had.  They had been best friends from the start of high school when they were only twelve years old.  They'd been like 'twiddle dee and twiddle dum' at school, their teachers had told them.

They'd bothed duxed the school but they also got up to a lot of pranks and fun at school as well.
They'd been more like sisters than friends.  They were both 'only-children' in small families without cousins or aunts and uncles.  Then when Michelle's parents both died when she was only in her early twenties, and Olivia's parents had been too busy globe trotting to notice they had  daughter, the two of them had become even closer - more like family to each other.

Michelle was the calm and quiet one.  Olivia was more impulsive and wild than her friend.  However, like Yin-Yang they were good for each other.  Michelle gave Olivia the stability and calm she needed.  In a world that sometimes felt like a wild unpredictable and violent storm -  Michelle was a safe haven, a secure home for her to feel calm and gather inner strength again. Olivia felt that she contributed to the friendship a spark of excitement and spontaneity and fun.

Olivia recalled the time when she was over at Michelle's place, when they were both around fourteen years old, it had been her idea to get the sheets of corrugated iron they'd found in the shed and sled down the pine needles on a steep hill nearby.  What a wild ride that was.  It had been all fun, she recalled, until she'd gone through the barb-wire fence at the bottom of the hill and slashed her arm deeply.  Blood was everywhere.

Typically, Michelle had come to her rescue.  She'd ripped the Golden Breed t-shirt she was wearing to make a tourniquet for Olivia's arm.  It was her favourite top too.  She hadn't hesitated for a moment.  She'd then run home to get her dad and they'd taken Olivia to the hospital. Twenty stitches she'd needed.  And she'd lost a lot of blood.  The doctors had said if not for Michelle's quick thinking with the tourniquet she would probably have died.

Then, in that Emergency room, while everyone was focusing on her, Michelle had quietly collapsed to the floor in a corner.  She was blue and gasping.  The worst asthma attack she'd ever had.  Typical Michelle.  She was so busy making sure Olivia was getting help  that she hadn't told anyone how ill she'd become herself.   The stress related to Olivia's injury, and all that running to get her dad had triggered the attack.  A code blue was called.  The resus trolleys were everywhere and the next thing Michelle was off to ICU.  She'd nearly died.  So stupidly unselfish, Olivia thought, annoyed.

The door bell rang again and Olivia was back in her apartment and in the present.  She wiped tears from her eyes.  Whenever she thought of Michelle lately she seemed to get upset.

She continued on to the door and pulled it open with a yank.

The three young women standing there yelled their 'hellos' and shoved bottles of Chardonney at Olivia before they pulled  their 'wheely-suitcases' inside.

'Come in you lot!' Olivia yelled. "Sit down and I'll get the pizzas.  Pour me a drink too!  The glasses are on the table.'

Olivia ran off to the kitchen and got the  hot pizzas out of the oven.  She grabbed some tea towels to pick them up and then brought them into the lounge, where her friends were all now comfortable in the large black leather chairs placed around the coffee table.  They were just finishing pouring the glasses of wine.

Olivia threw the pizzas down, in their burning silver aluminium trays, onto the  table and then she plonked herself down into a vacant chair.

She couldn't help feeling grateful to these girls for helping her so much in last six months.  If not for them she may not have passed her  exams.  They were her friends.  Sadly, Michelle, the friend she thought was her closest friend, had been 'missing in action.'

In the last six months Olivia had seen Michelle only a couple of times.  She'd phoned once or twice and that was it.  When she was so sick before her exams with the flu - bed ridden - her three girl friends  had come to help, and they'd even brought her hot chicken soup.  But not even one visit from Michelle.

Maybe they'd grown apart, Olivia thought.  What other reason could there be for a friend deserting the other one during the hardest time of her life.  Those exams had meant so much to Olivia.  She'd devoted her young life to this vocation.  And where was Michelle who had passed her O&G exams the previous year.  Gone.  Missing.  Olivia thought bitterly about how much she'd helped Michelle when she had been studying for her final O&G exams.

The evening raced by and talk turned to the holiday.  Paris and fun and holiday romances maybe.  They all deserved it.  Boyfriends would now be back on the cards.  The four friends had no more exams for the rest of their lives and the next phase of their lives could begin.  High status exciting jobs and hopefully husbands and children of their own.

Olivia went to the kitchen to get coffee for everyone.  However, as she was returning with the cups she noticed the three women talking in whispers between themselves and she heard the name Michelle mentioned more than once.

Olivia all at once knew there was something about Michelle the other knew and they weren't telling her.  A secret about Michelle!  Oh my god! she thought.  Maybe there was a reason that she had rarely seen or heard from her old friend in the last six months. She had been so stressed with study and being ill and work that she hadn't ever considered something was going on with Michelle.  But then that was Michelle, wasn't it?  Quietly expiring in a corner while everyone focused on her and helped her.

Olivia stood absolutely still.  Holding the two coffee mugs she watching the worried and sad faces of her friends who were still unaware that she'd seen and heard them.

'OK. What's going on with Michelle?' she demanded. 'I heard you and you're all whispering.  So what is it?'

The three women all turned and looked at Olivia who was staring back at them - fixed to the spot and deathly pale.

Finally Taylor spoke. 'She's sick Livvy.  She didn't want you to know until after your exams were over and after you'd had your holiday in Europe.  She wanted you to pass your exams and she said you really needed that holiday.  She made us promise.'

Emily continued, 'She's got cancer.  Breast cancer.  It's aggressive and it's already spread to her  nodes. She had surgery six months ago ... '

Olivia dropped the cups.  'Six months ago! Six months ago! And you all kept it from me?  I don't care what she wanted. What she told you.  I should have been there with her. To help...'

Emily got up and helped Olivia to her chair. Softly she spoke to her friend and she put her arm around her shoulder, 'We were there Livvy.  We all passed our exams last year.  You were the last one to finish.  We all wanted you to pass your exams.  We've been with her through her chemo, and we've kept her up to date on you.  We've all been with her through everything Livv.  We've looked after her.'
Emily rubbed Olivia's back to calm her down. 'She wanted to see you when you had the flu but she was neutropenic - so her Oncologist wouldn't let her.  And we wouldn't let her either.  We let her make you her chicken soup.'

Olivia remembered the soup.  Of course, she thought, Michelle always made her that soup when she had a cold.  She's remembered that it had tasted familiar.

'She also loaned you her lecture notes for your exams.  She told us that at high school you used to like her super-organised notes.  We told you that they were from one of our friends.' Emily smiled, 'That was sort of true, as Michelle is our friend.'

Olivia realised now that the hand writing had been Michelle's in the notes.  Those notes had got her through the exams.  Her own notes were typically all over the place.  Michelle was the tidy organised one.

'Livvy, that's why I'm not going to Paris with you,' Emily continued.  'I have leave from work but that's so I can be there for Michelle through her radiotherapy.'

Olivia was already up and walking to the kitchen.

'Olivia,' Emily said firmly, 'Michelle wants you to go on the holiday.  You can help her when you get back.  She'll be so upset if she knows you found out and missed your trip.'

Olivia was now out on the balcony cutting off all of the long stemmed irises.  She then  brought the large armful of them inside.  As she walked to the kitchen to wrap them in newspaper she said to her friends, 'Do you know what irises symbolise?  They symbolise "the importance of friendship" and also "faith and hope".'

Olivia wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her wrist as she wrapped the bouquet.

She walked into her bedroom, as the three young women sat silently watching her.  They knew what she would do and they knew that they couldn't say or do anything to stop her.

Olivia wheeled her suitcase, already packed, from her bedroom.  She walked over to where her friends sat and threw her airline tickets onto the table.

'You've all done a great job looking after me when I needed you, and also looking after Michelle.' Olivia looked at Emily and put her hand gently on her friend's shoulder, ' Emily take my tickets.  You've got holiday leave from work and a pass port - so don't tell me you can't go.  Send me some post cards.  It's my turn to take care of Michelle.'

Olivia then gave each of the women a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

'Take care and have fun, you lot!  You deserve it.'

And with that she took her bag and her flowers and she left.

She was going to  be with her best friend.





                                                            The    End




The inspiration for this story was from some of the wonderful friends that  I've had in my life.  Friends I've had  for many years.

In particular, one of my best friends inspired the story.  We've been best friends since we were both twelve years old when we met in high school, and we've remained best friends through all of our years studying medicine together at uni and all of the years beyond that through so many things - fun and wonderful times as well as difficult times.

This friend and I did sled down a steep pine-needle  covered  hill on sheets on corrugated iron,  and  I did go through a barb-wire fence when we hit the bottom of the hill.

However, it was my friend's idea to sled down the hill, not mine, and I only slashed up my jeans when I hit the fence. I recall we then both laughed for a good ten minutes.

She is still one of  my best friends - and she always will be.  A 'sister' to me.

I know she reads my blog - so thanks for being such a great friend, Jenny.