Anisa sobbed quietly in the corner that she found in the garden. She didn’t realise that a simple gesture would make her friend say those mean words to her. As a ten-year-old, all she knew was that as long as she was nice to people, they would return her the same way. Her mother had taught her that. However, Gregory wasn’t happy about her being nice to Hasan. He called her a fake and put his tongue at her and gave her the evil eye.
Thinking back, Anisa started crying again. Gregory was horrible, she thought. Hasan just needed her help in Mathematics and Gregory didn’t have the right to say mean things. “Anisa?” a voice called out softly. Wiping her tears with her hands, Anisa turned towards the voice. It was Hasan.
“Anisa, I’m sorry that Gregory was so mean to you. I didn’t know he would do that.” Hasan looked at the ground as if a flower would suddenly grow where he was staring hard at. Anisa didn’t answer and smiled. She walked towards him and put out her hand. Hasan stared at her when he saw the hand. She was smiling at him. It was the first time that anyone had smiled so gently at Hasan that he didn’t know how to react but when she continued holding her hand out, he shook her hand.
“Hasan, we are friends. My mummy taught me to be nice to everyone who deserves it. You deserve this. Gregory can go suck his thumb for all I care. I know that we are friends because you came to find me and comfort me. Thank you.” The both of them smiled at each other.
Back in class, Ansia ignored Gregory’s snide remarks and concentrated on what the teacher was saying. Hasan pursed his lips and did the same. Finally, Mrs Lim stopped her teaching. “Gregory Chan, stand up and go the back of the classroom now!” The class except Anisa and Hasan looked at Gregory. Humiliated, Gregory stood up, the sound of the chair’s legs dragged across the floor loudly and he walked to the back of the classroom with his head bowed.
The lesson continued without any interruptions. After school, Grace and Krishna went up to Hasan and apologised for treating him so cruelly. Anisa winked at her new-found friend who winked back. Her mother had often spoke about true friends and she now understood what she meant.
“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked” ~ Bernard Meltzer [Source]
