A FRIEND IN NEED
By fourteen, Vera had learned how to carry pain quietly. But she no longer carried it alone.Every afternoon, after bringing her younger siblings back from school, she would hurry through the remaining chores. "Vera! Don't think you'll step out today without finishing that laundry!" "I've finished it, ma," she would answer calmly.But these days, something had changed. The insults didn't sink as deeply. The beatings still hurt, yes. Sometimes her aunt's hand still landed on her back or arm for the smallest thing and sometimes she would sleep on her thin mattress with fresh bruises. But she wasn't drowning inside anymore.Because there was Lina.By early evening, Vera would sneak out, her small bag hanging on her shoulder, and head toward the café at the corner of the busy street. The signboard read: Sunrise Bites Café. The bell above the door jingled as she pushed it open."Ohooo! My wife is here!" Lina would shout dramatically from behind the counter. Vera would laugh despite herself. "You and who is your wife?" "You know! Come and greet me properly!" Lina would rush around the counter and pull her into a hug.The café owner, Mr. Hassan, would shake his head with a smile. He was in his early forties, tall, slightly chubby, always wearing a clean apron. "You two will scatter my café one day," he would say playfully. "Uncle Hassan, leave us o," Lina would reply. "This one needs therapy.""Therapy ke?" Vera would roll her eyes. "Yes! Emotional therapy. Sit down. Tell me what your wicked aunt did today." Vera would sit on the high stool near the counter, resting her chin on her palm."She said I wasted salt." "How?" "I added one extra pinch to the stew." Lina gasped dramatically. "Arrest her! Criminal! Salt bandit!" Vera burst into laughter. That was Lina's gift. She could turn pain into something lighter.Sometimes, when business was slow, Mr. Hassan would slide a small plate of puff-puff or meat pie toward Vera. "Eat. Growing girls shouldn't be this skinny." "Thank you, sir," she would say politely. "You're like my second daughter," he'd reply gently.And for a moment, the world didn't feel so cruel.One evening, as rain tapped softly against the café windows, Lina leaned forward across the counter. "Tell me that story again." "Which one?" "That's your rich friend." Vera smiled faintly. "He's not my friend." "You said you two were childhood friends!" "We were… when we were small." "And his name is Dylan what again?" "Dylan Martinez." Lina's jaw dropped for the hundredth time."Dylan Martinez? The Martinez? The one that's always on TV with his father? The teenage business genius?" Vera nodded shyly. Lina grabbed her own head. "God of heaven. So while I'm here frying puff-puff, my best friend was playing with billionaires?""We were children," Vera said softly. "Before everything changed." Lina leaned closer. "Does he know you're here?" "No." "Does he know what happened to you?" "No." "Would he recognize you?" Vera hesitated. "I don't know." Lina stared at her like she was holding a national treasure. "This is big. Do you understand? Big!" "It's not big," Vera said quietly. "It's just…the past."Lina softened. "Do you miss him?" Vera swallowed. "Sometimes."Life at home hadn't magically improved. Mrs. Williams still shouted, blamed, and beat her sometimes. One night, her aunt slapped her for "answering back" when Vera simply said she was tired. Her ear rang again. "You think because you're growing breasts now you can talk to me?" her aunt spat.Vera stood still. "I'm sorry, ma."Her cousin, Tami scoffed from the sofa. "See her face. Acting all innocent." Vera didn't react. She had learnt to remain silent.Later that night, she sat outside briefly before going to the café. When Lina saw her, she immediately knew."Who did it?" Vera shrugged. "Was it your aunt?" Lina grabbed her hand. "You don't have to pretend with me." Vera's eyes were a bit teary. "It's fine. I'm used to it." "That's not something to be used to." But Vera gave a small smile. "At least I have you."Lina squeezed her hand. "Always."A week later, Lina appeared with a small box."Close your eyes." "What are you doing?" "Close it, Vera!" Vera obeyed. Something cool was pressed into her palm."Open."It was a phone. Not brand new but clean with a pretty pink case. Vera's mouth fell open. "Lina…" "I changed mine. That one is my old one, It's yours." Lina said smiling. "I can't take this." "You can and you will. You don't even have a phone. How will you be snapping fine pictures?" Vera laughed softly. "I don't need fine pictures." "Yes, you do! You're a fine girl. We need to market you." "Market me to who?" "To life!" Lina declared. Vera hugged her tightly. "Thank you." "No crying allowed," Lina warned.Lina was a social butterfly. She dragged Vera out on small adventures whenever she could. One Saturday, she pulled Vera into a boutique. "Pick something." "I don't have money." "I didn't say you should pay," Lina replied."Lina…" "Just pick!" Vera hesitated, then touched a soft blue dress. Lina nodded. "Perfect." When Vera tried it on, Lina gasped dramatically. "Ha! See beauty! Your aunt is wicked for hiding this from the world."Vera stared at herself in the mirror. She barely recognized the girl looking back. She looked… young and pretty. "You see?" Lina said proudly. "You're not just a house help. You're a queen in disguise." Vera laughed.Over time, Lina gave her some of her old fancy clothes. Taught her about lip gloss, about perfume, about self-care. "Even if life is hard," Lina would say, applying lip balm on Vera's lips, "you must look soft. Soft girls win." Vera would shake her head. "You're crazy." "And you love me." "I do."