It was 1989, the sun was shining brightly outside and a gentle, warm breeze was blowing.
On June 12, 1979, at approximately 1:30 a.m., a beautiful little girl was born in the hospital. From the very beginning, she bore an uncanny resemblance to her equally beautiful and young mother. They named her Magda. Unfortunately, she wasn't entirely healthy. She had minor breathing complications, and doctors didn't predict her long life. But the girl was very strong, and despite many difficulties, she lived to be seven years old.
In 1995, she entered the "Jarzębinka" preschool. Of all the children, she was the smallest, but she was the only one with an extraordinary sense of humor. Her gentle, always smiling face radiated throughout the building. She loved rhythm and art lessons. She was always eager to help; she was everywhere, unable to ignore anyone who needed help. And it was at this preschool that Anastazja met Natalia. Natalia was very tall for her young age. They quickly became friends, played together, and sat at the same table.
In 1996, they both left preschool. They were sad to be leaving. Magda consoled her friend, saying she would never forget her. On September 1, 1997, Magda went to her first lesson. And to the girl's great surprise, Natalia was there! They immediately sat together in the front row. Their friendship blossomed even more, just as they did.
They signed up for choir, which later turned out to be their only passion. They had similar interests and helped each other with everything. They were like lovebirds.
One day, Magda invited her friend to her house. They went to her room and, while sipping hot chocolate, wrote "The Code of Our Friendship." They wrote whatever came to mind. Magda prepared a special metal box and hid the letter inside. Along with the envelope, she also put in a cream-colored scarf with a drop of their blood—a sign that would forever cement their friendship. Inside was their high school graduation photo. That same day, they went out to the meadow and buried the box under an old lilac tree. Singing their favorite song, they buried it. Then Magda said,
"From now on, whenever we're sad, or when one of us is gone, we'll come here, dig up our treasure, and remember those wonderful days." And so, from then on, whenever they were sad, they went there and left something behind. But time flew by, and the girls grew into beautiful, wise women, now women.
In 2008, both passed their final exams with flying colors. They graduated with high grades. Unfortunately, only Magda got into university. There was no room left for Natalia. So she decided to leave her hometown and go abroad in search of work and adventure. It was August 21, 2009, to be precise. The weather wasn't great. Magda was very sad that her friend was leaving. However, they decided to write to each other monthly.
Four years later, Magda graduated and started a family. She had a loving husband and two wonderful children—a son, Piotr, and a daughter, Monika, whom she had always dreamed of and of whom she was proud! However, after a difficult childbirth, when Monika was born, Magda's health deteriorated. She was no longer the same beautiful woman. The illness had aged her young face—the only things that hadn't changed were that cheerful expression, that radiant, sparkling smile, and those small, gleaming blue eyes. Now she spent more time at home in an armchair than, as she once did, playing in the garden with her children.
One day, she remembered her dear friend. It had been a long time since she'd written to her. She wanted to write something for her, but she didn't know what. The only thing Magda could think of was visiting that memorable place, under the lilac tree. She remembered their solemn oath of friendship. She knew perfectly well that if she went there, she had to leave something as a souvenir. She took a white card from her dresser, wrote a few lines with a trembling hand. She carefully sealed it in an envelope, and left. She never forgot that day...
Meanwhile, in Paris—where Natalia was staying—the sun was shining. She also had her own family with five children. In the evenings, she sat on the veranda and reminisced. One overcast day, Piotr, her husband, came into the house. He handed her a small envelope. Natalia was overjoyed, recognizing immediately that it was a letter from Magda. The only thing that surprised her was the different handwriting on the envelope and the postmark. If she remembered correctly, she had already received a letter from her a week ago. But she was still glad she hadn't forgotten about her and that perhaps he had a message for her. She slowly opened the envelope, careful not to damage it. She carefully removed the note and began reading. Suddenly, a look of astonishment, regret, sadness, and tears all at once appeared on her face. The letter was very short. Natalia stood on the porch, staring motionless at the scrap of paper... the letter read:
Szamotuły, July 24, 2006
Dear Natalia!!
I don't want to beat around the bush, so I'll say it straight away: Magda is dead. She died on July 22nd of this year, on her name day. She was seriously ill. She had been battling the disease for a long time, but this time it won. She had cancer and collapsed on the street. A car hit her, and although doctors stubbornly fought for her life, they were unable to change anything. If you are able to come, the funeral will take place on July 26th of this year in Szamotuły. Best regards,
Kamil...
When she finished reading, she put the envelope down, tears streaming down her face. Without a second thought, she packed her bags and drove to Szamotuły.
The funeral was truly beautiful. The choir they had once attended sang their favorite song, one they often sang together: "There Is So Much Light in the Darkness." It was incredible. For the first time, this song was sung by one person. It was their conductor. Mr. Piotr wanted to personally say goodbye to one of his best choristers. While Remigiusz played the background for the song on the organ, Mr. Piotr concluded by adding: "Magda, you were one of the best choristers we've ever had. You and Natalia made a fantastic duo. You helped me when I couldn't cope. You remembered me, you were always there for me when things were bad and when things were good. You were my best friends, despite our age difference. Remember, I'll never forget you. I'll always hold you up as a role model, and Natalia will help me with that. She agreed to lead the band with me, so things would be like they used to be..."
After the ceremony, Natalia went to the memorable meadow – alone this time. Without much difficulty, she found the old tree, dug up the box, sat on a rock, and started reading. Nothing had changed. There was a photo, various mementos, that old handkerchief with blood stains, etc. At the very bottom was a red envelope. She pulled it out. This was Magda's last letter:
Natalia, my dear friend!!!
I'm seriously ill and don't have many days left to live. I hope you won't cry and that you'll visit this place until the end. Remember how we met in kindergarten? How we liked the rhythm teacher? Those were the days. We used to be really crazy. I think you'll manage without me! You were always stronger than me. I don't know what to write anymore. These few sentences took a lot out of me. And that's all I wanted to tell you. Oh, and one more thing: I love you, my Natalia, and I will never forget you.....
Anastazja 21/07.
I won't forget you either, whispered Natalia.
These were her friend's last words, and they lifted her spirits greatly. She knew that she would be happy up there, watching over her and caring for her. She carefully closed the lid of the box and left, all tears in her eyes, but smiling, for in her hand she clutched a photo of her beloved friend Magda—her beautiful little Magda...
NOW WE WILL BE TOGETHER FOREVER, AND I WILL REMEMBER HER RADIANT, SMILING FACE, HER LITTLE ANGEL—MY LITTLE ANGEL—Natalia thought.
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