#8

It all started in Grade 4....we were in same section back then... we have known each other since we joined school but we were just classmates who talked only for business....that also we chatted rarely...

But grade 4 changed complete chapter of our lives... It was the time when Henry lost his Mom... no one knew about that incident because his father didn't inform our principal... accept for girl in our class... Her name is Jiya... she was close friend of Henry as both of them had been sharing same quater for years... they grew up together.... when Henry's mother passed away she told us that Henry didn't shed a single drop of tear until the whole funeral process was over.. he just looked dull.... we were really shocked after hearing the news.. cuz how can a small kid not cry after losing his mother and he knew that he won't be able to see her again.. that's when I had a good impression of him....

Henry was absent in school for almost a month.. he even missed his half yearly exam.. Teacher was extremely angry due to his action cuz she didn't know what was going on with Henry.. and his family.. so the day Henry came.. a good show was about to begin....

It was morning 8 o clock.. 1st period in school... teacher was taking our attendance... soon when Henry's name came..

Teacher : Roll no. 34 Henry... oh why am I calling him I am sure he is absent again...

Henry : no miss I am present today..

Teacher : ( shocked and looks at Henry) what how come you are present today... I thought you are absent again..

Henry : ( standing silently..)

Teacher : ( furious) why were you absent for so many days... do you know how much you missed.. you even missed your exam., do you take exam as a game whom you can attend anytime you want... don't you want to get promoted to grade 5.!!

Henry : ( loosing his patience)

Teacher : why don't you say anything... or now you don't have a mouth to speak.... or have you forgotten how to speak.. !

Henry : ( shouts) I didn't come to school because I lost my mother.... I was fulfilling the funeral ceremony....!!!!

Teacher : ( shocked..) what..!! you mother passed away...? why didn't you inform principal.. such an important matter...

Henry : I don't know.... why father didn't do that guess he really hated my mom..

Teacher : what ( feeling guilty..) I am sorry....

Henry : ( silent..)

Henry's seat was beside mine so he was sitting beside me.. the conversation between him and our teacher was clearly audible to me. I heard each and every single word so clearly that it's engraved in my brain.. it's really hard for me to forget it..

After that conversation.... Henry put his head down on his desk.. he didn't even had his tiffin.. when I turned back.. at first I thought he was crying.. but actually I was wrong.. he was not crying.. he was lost in his deep thoughts.. . he didn't know that I was staring at him.... I realised that was the first time I saw Henry's face so closely.. earlier I never noticed that he had a handsome face... a face that every girl would fall for....

After staring to long.... Henry noticed.. he lift his head and looked at me right in my ears.. I was slightly shocked after seeing his face.. it seemed like he had been holding on for too long.. his eyes seemed totally dry.. it was like he wanted to cry out loud but he didn't or can't... I don't know the reason why.. but after hearing his story from jiya I guessed maybe because he wanted to act strong or maybe he didn't have a good person to lean on.. a person whom he can trust or a person who can lend his shoulder to him..... .

After Few seconds I asked him...

Seth : are you okay... Henry...

Henry : (staring at seth for a long time) I am fine....

Seth : are you sure... but your eyes and your voice defines something else... it's okay you can tell me everything I am all on ears.. and I won't tell anyone else about this... I swear..

Henry : are you sure...?

Seth : yea I am.. I am someone you can lean on don't worry I won't make out a fuss about it

Henry : I just want to ask something.. can I..?

Seth : sure... you can..

Henry : is it wrong for a boy to cry...

Seth : ( shocked ) what..?

Henry : I want to cry out loud.. but thinking about the things I have been facing now.. my mind told me not too... it feels my heart is going to burst..

Seth : it's okay... who said a boy cannot cry.. everyone has the right to show true their feelings...

Henry : ( burst into tears..) thank you... ( puts his head down..)

Seth : It's okay.. trust me.. you can cry out all you want.. I am here... ( pats Henry's head..)

Henry : I miss my mom... I miss her so much...!

That was the first time I saw him cry.. it leaved a big impression on my life.. a person whom I barely know opened up to me... I felt happy...the person who didn't shed a single drop of tear in front of his mother's dead body cried in front of me letting all his frustration out...

i actually sucked in consoling people who cry cuz I barely cry and don't know how to console people... so it was hard for me to console him.... he cried till till the sun was shining bright in the sky... my words didn't work on him... at a time I thought how can a person have so much tears... whole class was looking at me thinking I was the one who made him cry.. all were staring at me... so at last I didn't have any option but to scold him..

Seth : Henry..!! get up.. it's more than enough are you going to built an ocean of tears..

Henry : ( stops crying..) ( silent for some time..)

Seth : ( guilty feeling..) hey are you going to cry again... please don't... please...

Henry : ( laughs..) ( rubbing his tears..) you ae funny...

Seth : what..? you didn't cry.. sigh..! that's a relief...

Henry : thanks..

Seth : it's okay... so can we be good friends..

Henry : sure.... till death.. we have to be together.

Seth : deal...

This is how the journey of our friendship started...

TO BE CONTINUED....