A floral reminiscence
We would play with our paper dolls and her pet dog, Tiger. Whenever we had milk, we shared it with her Siamese cats. Her father owned a shop and used to work from a car. Her mother was a quarter German and had a strong jawline, similar to Jackie Kennedy. My friend had also inherited this feature. They sent her brother abroad to carry on their tradition.
We would always look forward to plays so much that we even watched rehearsals. We played sports like handball and netball. Back then, I was jealous of a girl called Maria, who won so many trophies that a horse carriage would be needed to carry all her prizes home. Many people came and went from our lives, but Perween and I have stuck together as thick as thieves. A wonderful person with a heart of gold, fate, it seems, was cruel to her; one of Perween's greatest tragedies was that she had
lost her first baby.
I still remember how quickly she finished her English paper, and went home early during the exams to sign her marriage papers. It was all so romantic when we were in our teens.
When my mother fell sick during my first year of college, Perween was one of the few friends that were allowed to come and visit her. We kept up our friendship throughout college, but then she got married, and went to university and later, got a job to teach there, followed by my stint at journalism. And boy was that an adventure!
Many decades later, I went to visit her and a couple of other friends as a journalist. She was just as warm and hospitable as ever. She took me to all these exciting places to eat and have our own little adventures, like visiting the art galleries around the Clifton area. We also did other things like shopping for clothes, carpets, etc. It felt as though we were never apart and I will cherish these memories forever.
By Fayza Haq
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