Note: For privacy, I am not going to name some people in this since I did not get their permission. I do apologize if any of this gets confusing.
For those who were not with HC last year, I wrote an article about how one of my best friends, Zaharaa, was going to school in her home country of Iraq. I wrote about how I will miss her and how the last time I spoke to her was in November of 2024. I did not know when the next time I would have the opportunity to talk to her was going to be, but I knew that I was missing her and wanted to see her again. I just did not know when that would be.
Back in May or June, I received a message from Zaharaa asking if I had the Her Campus magazine to give to her sister, Lara. I had three magazines in my possession: one for my family, one for Zaharaa, and one for her family. Lara and I talked, and we agreed on a time and a place to meet up so we can hang out and catch up. I am not going to lie, I was very nervous. I had not seen Lara since I graduated high school back in 2023. So needless to say, I was nervous to see her.
When the day came to meet up with Lara, I was nervous. I had not seen her in years, and I was worried that the friendship that we made in high school was going to be different because I had graduated and she was still in high school. When I arrived, all I could do was to wait and to hope that everything was going to go well.
When Lara arrived, we sat down and talked about how everything was going after graduation. Lara was telling me that her classes were tough because she arrived back in the States halfway through the year and needed to catch up. I told her that she was going to do great and that everything was going to work out. I noticed that she was filming about halfway through our meeting. I believed that she was vlogging our meeting for Zaharaa since she was still in Iraq. Oh, how wrong I was.
A little while after, I heard someone walking up behind us and heard a familiar voice saying, “Hi ladies!” I turn around to see Zaharaa standing behind me, with her phone out. I was completely shocked to see her standing there. As I was standing up, I was saying, “No, shut up! No, shut up!” I hugged her so tight and began to cry a tiny bit. When I let her go, I remember saying, “Dang it, I had a feeling!” and hugged her again. The three of us then walked to one of the pavilions in the park and chatted for hours. We took some pictures and went our separate ways for about a month.
A month later, the three of us decided to catch up at Qamaria Yemeni Coffee in Williamsville. Great cafe, by the way. When I drove to their house, I texted Zaharaa to let her know that I was there. She told me that she would be ready in a minute. Lara came outside, we hugged, and we waited for Zaharaa to be ready.
When Zaharaa came out, we headed to the cafe. When we arrived at the cafe, we ordered our drinks and desserts, sat down, and were there until 7:30-ish at night. When we arrived back at their house, we found out that their cousins were going to be there soon. So, we decided to wait for their cousins to come by the house.
When they arrived, I was hiding in my car with Zaharaa in the passenger seat while Lara went to tell the younger cousin to get her sister out of the car. She went back to the car to get her sister, and when Zaharaa gave me the signal, I left my car and surprised the older sister.
Now, this is why I will always believe that the world is indeed a small world. I knew Zaharaa and Lara’s cousins for years. They were some of my best friends growing up. They lived right across from the elementary school we went to and there is a photo of me eating bread in their home and there is a funny moment with me and drinking tea…oh, those were the days.
Anyway, the cousin was so happy to see me; we hugged and chatted for a while. Let me tell you, I felt old because the last time I saw this cousin, her little sister was just a baby. But when I saw her this time, she was all “grown up and saving China” (props to you if you know that reference).
After a little while, Zaharaa and Lara’s little sister came outside to hang out with us. This was my first time meeting Zaharaa and Lara’s little sister. She came up to me, gave me a big hug, and said, “You look prettier in person.” We all hung out for about an hour and took a group photo, and then we went our separate ways.
Zaharaa has gone back to Iraq to continue her education, Lara is in high school, their little sister is in school, their one cousin is in college in Buffalo, and the younger cousin is also in school at this current moment. I hope that they are all doing well, and I hope that this year is a great year for them. I love you guys!