Friday, July 23, 2010

Ring! Krystal and Wendy



"Hello?"

"Hi, Ms. Ryane!"

"Hi! Who's this?"

Click.

Hmmm.

The next week Krystal and I had a chat on a bench outside of her third-grade classroom.

"How are you doing, Krystal?"

"Good."

Krystal, tiny in stature, is a fashionista. Every day a different look with a different color choice. It could be all blue or all pink or all purple. She coordinates right down to her sneakers and shoelaces. Krystal should have a contract with Crayola.

On Halloween she wore a pageboy wig perfectly sized for her little head. She looked like a cast member from "Dreamgirls."

"Hey Krystal, did you phone me the other day?"

She looked down at her swinging feet, clad in bright green tennis shoes.

"Yeah."

"I thought that was you. Then what happened? Did someone come in the room or did you get scared when you heard my voice?"

"Yeah."

I wasn't sure which of those questions she was answering.

"Was there something you wanted to ask me, Krystal?"

"Well...no...."

"It's okay, Krystal, that you called me. You can call any time, it's all right. I was just a little worried because you hung up."

"I just wanted to say hi."

"No problem then, any time. You better get back to your class now."

"Okay, Ms. Ryane."

And she squished her arms around my thighs for a hug.

A couple of months later.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Ms. Ryane!"

"Hi! Who's this?"

"It's Wendy."

"Hi, Wendy. How are you?"

"Good."

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"Well, I'm just fine and happy to hear from you. How are you?"

"I'm good."

It went back and forth like that for a few more sentences. We covered the benefits of ice cream and summer fruits and made sure we were both AOK before signing off.

Because Wendy and Krystal are best friends they one-up, argue and irritate each other as much as they laugh, play and share secrets.

They're the only two in this year's club that phone me. I appreciate the concern for my well-being and the bravery at picking up the phone. I appreciate that this too will pass as they move toward fourth grade.


CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry
My job is as a friend is to care about them to share with them to not be mean to them because if u want to be a friend you have to act like it do not be mean to them behind there back. It will be mean and plz don't be rude.
—Wendy, 3rd grade

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