BFFs—best friends forever, Naureen and Tia were an unlikely pair. Naureen was an introvert, only able to handle people in short bursts. Tia, her opposite in almost every way, had dozens of friends with whom she regularly socialized.
Despite their striking differences, Naureen and Tia shared three traits that joined them in an unbreakable bond. Both women valued family above all else, were fiercely loyal, and had a wicked sense of humor.
Still, as Tia, after more than sixty years of sisterhood with her BFF, sat writing a eulogy for Naureen, she worried there would be few people beyond immediate family to hear about her amazing friend. Sighing, she closed her laptop, not wanting to be late for the evening visitation.
As she headed into the room marked for Naureen, she did a double take, stepping back out the door to check the name plate. It was the right room. Inside, a screen displayed photos of Naureen, including Tia’s favorite—an old picture of the two of them laughing over some long-forgotten joke.
Dozens of people milled about, chatting among themselves and with Naureen’s children and siblings. Some of their faces were familiar—very familiar. They belonged to many of Tia’s friends, whom Naureen had met at gatherings over the years.
Tia approached a group of women from her book club. “Thank you for coming. I was afraid Naureen didn’t know many people and that the room would be empty.”
Karen leaned in for a hug, eyes moist with tears. “Naureen was a good friend. I know she was closest with you, but she kept up with us online. “
“I didn’t know. I mean, I knew she had a bunch of writer friends online and did most of her socializing there. But I didn’t know she had kept up with my friends.”
Karen froze for a moment, looking guilty. “We didn’t mean to exclude you. It just never came up. Naureen was just so funny and caring. She was quiet about it, but it seems she was there for all of us. I didn’t know about the others either.”
Through her tears, Tia laughed. “I’m not angry. I’m just happy and surprised that Naureen touched so many peoples’ lives. And I’m glad I’m not the only one who got to see what a special person she was.”
I’m a huge fan of the Netflix series Stranger Things, so when Reedsy put out a group of prompts related to the release of the new season, I couldn’t resist. This prompt was to write about unlikely friends. I thought about how my BFF and I always comment on how opposite we are, (She’s the extrovert.), and this story was born. Honestly, I’m not nearly as extreme in my introversion as Naureen.
I might decide to put out a story on another of the prompts on Thursday. Stay tuned! (And please remember to share!)
So good! Shows we all have predetermined notions about people before we dig a little deeper and discover the truth! Great story!
Loved the story, Dascha!
I’m a fan of Stranger Things, too. I just finished the first episode of the fourth season - spooky! Can’t wait to see how it pans out. 😀