“It’s cold.”
– Elle
That was all I could think of the moment I hopped off the yellow bus. I stood in front of the schoolyard gates, staring at the vast crowd of students and parents whilst clutching my jacket tightly. It was my first day in a new school in a new country and I was beyond terrified— but most of all, I was freezing.
Having lived in a tropical place all my life, my city reaching degrees in the high 30s, sometimes even low 40s, one could say I was inaptly prepared for the Canadian September weather. Children left and right laughed and cheered in their thin sweaters while I stood in a corner wrapped in a black winter coat. As wind ran through my hair, agitation ran through my mind.
Luckily, I was soon approached by an amiable girl standing next to me. A wonderful new friend whom, we found out only moments later, I shared a class with. My nervosity was mostly gone and replaced with contentment; perhaps today wouldn’t be as lonely as I thought it’d be.
The contentment I felt only grew as I progressed through the week: my friend and I became lunch buddies and we met other classmates to hang out with. We traded wisdoms, cracked jokes and bonded over random topics we enjoyed. I learned the true meaning of loyalty, experienced the aftermath of falling-outs and overall evolved as a person. Our friend group grew larger and the nagging voice in my head grew smaller.
The weeks soon turned into months that turned into a full school year— suddenly, sixth grade had ended, and I was ageing up to be a seventh-grader. However, that one act of goodwill from my friend would never be forgotten, nor will the experiences that came along with it; the feelings of joy, dejection and averageness.
Though I’m sorry to say we are no longer friends, I still cherish the memories we shared. Had she not walked up to me that day, who knows what I’d have ended up like now.
Thanks to that fateful day, the Canadian cold is no longer a terrible foe, but rather, a welcome acquaintance.