Youthful Adventures

 My memories of her haven't gone to her in years but the other night I seemed to have a dream or at least a remembrance of her. It was somewhat vague, but it involved henna, the lovely, designed tattoo that usually goes on your hands. Somehow it came back to my mind while I was reading and enjoying Malala Yousfzai's new book, 'Finding My Way.'

When I write 'her', it brings me back to my old friend from junior college, Nasira, or Nas as she sometimes called herself. We met on the first day of our Political Science class January 2013. The room was packed and I happened to be sitting way in the back, perhaps even sitting on the carpet. During a break, we somehow started talking and asked each other's majors (she was a Poli Sci major) and I was an English major and would probably emphasis in Literature. At the time, I was thinking about transferring to SF State. We clicked right away and I felt her interesting and inspiring to talk to. 

After the class was over, and we both knew we would be accepted into that crowded class and waitlist, we said goodbye and parted ways. Only a few minutes later did I see her at the bus stop, and we reconnected as I also took the bus. I learned that she was on her way to work- she worked at a clothing store at a nearby shopping mall. 

We sat next to each other on the bus and continued to talk further and we shared having many siblings in common! She a Muslim, I a Catholic, and her detailing her life in Russia growing up. She was Afghan and originally from there but felt more connected to being Russian and the culture as she spent most of her growing up years there. Though she spoke 5 languages, Russian seemed to be her most dominant and comfortable. 

We began to do various things together, as she had the ideas, and was able to get a car. I could drive and was getting more comfortable but didn't have access to a car yet.  I remember her birthday to be in late March, and just two months after meeting and befriending we had lunch out, Haagen-Dazs ice cream and went to a park to celebrate. I found it interesting since she offered to pay for everything after I mentioned to help pay but she disagreed. She said since it was her idea, she would pay! She also called me and thanked me for my birthday card. I thought that it was so different than my past friendships.

I remember one time we decided to go all the way to the city (SF) after school. We took Bart and spent the afternoon there and went shopping at a mall, got dinner and laughed and talked about the various people we knew. We also got lost in the parking garage for a while when we couldn't find her car. Nasira and I were both part of Student Government as Senators. I joined first before I met her, and later on she also joined. 

I feel life became more fun, interesting and dramatic with Nasira. Besides Political Science, we also took a drawing class together (my idea) and an International Relations Political Science, as well as Volleyball my last semester. She would happily do henna on my hands many a time at school and even on my sisters when she came over to my house, which was a number of times. 

We even got ready together for a formal dance at my house that a contact from student government put on with a lot of us. We enjoyed playing a rendition of ultimate frisbee on Friday afternoons with other student government people. Or the summer I was stressed and working at In-N-Out and we stayed up late and tried to watch a meteor shower with her sister, our mutual friend and my sister. And two years prior was when she went with two of my sisters and I. 

However, like many friendships do, I felt our friendship starting to fizzle out a year or so after I graduated from Junior College. I think it was more me, as I graduated sooner to transfer to university than she did, we had less in common, and I felt I became more serious. 

I felt a shift as I was going to a new school and didn't know anyone, and more an emphasis on my catholic faith. I started going to daily Mass and increase my prayer life and I saw huge shifts in how I spent my time, and the people I would spend it with. Ultimately, I felt that I had a lot more grace and an awareness of it in my life. 

Our priorities and lifestyles were different and that didn't seem to be a noticeable thing when we were in Junor College together. I just felt we were growing apart in our own ways, on our own unique and beautiful paths. Deep down, I truly believed we met and had our friendship for a specific purpose and time, even if she didn't hold that same belief.

Looking back, I'm so grateful for our time together, the memories, the excursions, laughs, and inside jokes. It was a very youthful time in our early 20's navigating college and the world at our fingertips. We learned from each other, and I think helped one another in our own ways. We had different stories and life experiences, opposite personalities and energies, different faiths but respected one another's. I'm grateful for God for putting her in my life at that special and pivotal time.