12 I'LL CELEBRATE

12 I'LL CELEBRATE

Sandy had grown up with Nita. They were best friends in the classic sense of the term. They went to school and church together, played tennis and hockey together. If Nita was not around the house you could be sure she was at the Koelmeyers' or off somewhere else with Sandy.

The girls had sometimes teased each other about dying.

"You jolly well better come to my funeral sad," Nita insisted.

"Oh rubbish!" Sandy always retorted. "I'll celebrate! I'll wear a red dress and say, Thank God I got rid of the pest!"

Now Sandy lived with her husband in Australia. One of their friends had called her there and told her the medical verdict: Nita was going to die.

"If you want to see her, you'd better come now."

The family decided a surprise of this magnitude might be hard on Nita's weakening heart, but Sandy's brother-in-law Ashley, who had grown close to Nita since her return to Sri Lanka, decided to have a little fun with her.

"Santa's bringing you an early Christmas present," Ashley suggested slyly.

Nita smiled warmly, unable to talk but enjoying the game already.

"And it's a big present. It's five feet tall," he continued. Nita grinned but couldn't guess.

"Sandy's coming."

Nita's jaw dropped and her eyes rolled around in silent delight. This would be great!

The day came in early December. When Sandy arrived, all the family and friends quickly left the room so the two girls could enjoy their reunion alone.

Sandy came into the room and then paused. They had warned her how bad it was, but she hadn't been able to picture this. She walked close to the bedside and just stood there, frozen.

Neither girl had ever been the type to cry, but they cried together. Sandy couldn't find any words. Nita felt desperate. She couldn't reach out as she normally would, couldn't embrace Sandy as she longed to do. After a short while Sandy sat on her bed and leaned over her friend. In the old days they would have kissed each other, but Nita had so many tubes in the way.

They wept for a long time. When Sandy could finally talk, it was hard. Nita agonized; she wanted desperately to talk with her, to share things with Sandy that she could never share with anyone else. She strained to squeeze her voice out of her throat, but it was hopeless. Sandy had to read her lips; but she wasn't used to it.

Nita grew fatigued. The reunion had to end.

But Nita was eager to see her again, and Mrs. Edwards got Sandy a visitor's pass so she could come and go freely. The next day was better, and the next. Sandy would stay into the New Year. For Sandy, the shock soon wore off. She kept tissues nearby and mopped Nita's face, and after a day or two they could finally relax with each other, almost like the old times. Nita knew she could complain and Sandy would understand. It was the finest therapy.