A friend in need.....

When I was in primary school, I remember that i was taught several proverbs. For example, Honesty is the best Policy, A friend in need is a friend indeed, etc. Back then i never realised the significance and the true meaning of those proverbs. As time passed, i began to realise their significance. That was when i started finding really good friends. A recent incident reminded me of these proverbs and so i have now decided to dedicate this blog to all my friends whom i care about, and those who care about me.

It was the routine athletics practice for me here at NUS. Maybe not so routine. I was going to try out the long jump pit at the field for the first time! I was quite excited since it had been a long time since i did long jump. I quickly finished all the warm-up exercises and the necessary drills, then moved to the long jump pit. I should have read the signs right then.

It started raining. The sand in the pit was pretty firm (instead of being loose, the way it should be). I should have probably turned back. I could not do that then because my coach was there and so were a few other fellow athletes, ready to jump inspite of the rain. So i stayed back. The first guy jumped, it was a good one. The second guy proceeded, the coach was not pleased with his jump. Then the third athlete jumped, she did just fine. Then finally it was my turn. I ran, took off perfectly, but landed badly. The sand in the pit was full of ups and downs. My right foot landed in an awkward position in the sand and i ended up twisting my ankle real bad.

The pain was so severe, i just could not fell or think of anything for the next 5 mins. I could not even move from the position in which i had landed. I was helped to move away from the pit to the side of it. I sat there for almost half an hour, waiting for the pain to subside. I knew i would not be able to make it to the place where i had left my phone until the pain reduced. Finally i felt a little better and decided to try to make my way back across the field and the track, back to the stands. That was the most painful walk i had taken in a long, long time.

I decided to call for help. I called my friend, The Cookie Monster and asked her if she could come and pick me up. It was raining quite heavily by then and i could not walk on my own without any support. She said she would come right away. I expected her to come alone. But when she came, four other friends of mine, including Puttas and another friend of mine (whom i shall call H2O) were with her. I was overwhelmed to see that so many people here cared enough about me to come all the way in the rain just to pick me up from the ground! :)

It didn't take them long to realise that i was experiencing great pain while trying to walk from the ground to the bus stop, inspite of all the support Puttas and H2O were giving me. They decided that I should be taken to the hospital to have my foot checked. They were worried that i might have had a fracture or something. So without even listening to my arguments and pleas, they hailed a cab and whisked me away to the emergency ward in the hospital.

I was shifted to a wheel chair and H2O was taking me around. Puttas was nice enough to carry my bag and my smelly shoe which i had taken off my injured foot. Cookie Monster got busy registering my case and completing a few formalities. I didn't have to lift a finger! they did all the work for me. I just sta there on the wheel chair thanking God for giving me such wonderful friends.

Finally when all the formalities were over, a long waiting period followed before i could see the doctor. I hadn't eaten anything since lunch, so Cookie Monster and Puttas went to get me something to curb my hunger. All the three of them were willing to stay and wait with me in the hospital, no matter how long it took. But it is exam time now. I didn't want them to waste time in the hospital. H2O had some text book of her's, but the other two didn't. I insisted that they shoudl go back and study or bring their books back to the hospital and sit and study instead of simply sitting and wasting time. Thankfully, they agreed to my suggestion and left.

For the next one hour, H2O had quite a time trying to keep my mind off my aching foot and did her best to distract me from the pain and the surroundings!! That was really really sweet of her... I really appreciate all that she had done for me.. Thanks H2O!!!

Clueless, who had some dinner to attend, came to know that i was in the hospital with a bad ankle. She immediately called me and insisted on coming straight away. I told her not to come and waste time. But you know how good friends never listen to you!!! She ended up coming to the hospital anyway!!! Cookie monster also came back with some slippers for me (i had been sitting bare foot all that time).

After they came, i insisted on H2O going back before she missed the last bus. It was almost 11pm. I think the three of us sat there till midnight. I had an X-ray taken. The doctor told me that i had not broken anything, it was just a sprain and that i should be ok. The two of them completed the rest of the formalities for me and collected my prescribed medicine. Afterwards, they wheeled me out and took me to the cab pick-up area. Clueless waited for a cab to come by while Cookie monster went to buy a sandwich and a carton of milk for my dinner. We caught a cab and came back to my hostel. Then these two helped me back to my room.

By the time i came to my room, Oreo Cream heard the news about my foot from H2O and both of them came to visit me!!! The four of them spent time with me till i ate my dinner and they made absolutely sure that i took my medicine and that i had all the things that i might need in the night like water and my phone, in case i needed to call them if i needed anything. they left only after they made sure that everything was alright with me!!!

Now isn't this what you call good friendship? I had been toying with the idea of writing a blog about friendship, as it is such a major part of everybody's life. I thought that i could leave this topic for a few more months. I didn't think this was the right time to right. But now i guess you don't really need a "right time" to write anything about friendship, do you? So i dedicate this blog to all those friends of mine out there who care about me. This blog is my way of saying "thanks a lot for being there for me when i needed you the most!!! it meant a lot to me!"

Thank you Cookie Monster, for forcing me to go to the hospital inspite of my protests and for taking care of all the important stuff while i sat happily in the wheelchair!
Thank you H2O, for keeping my mind off the pain during the long waiting period!
Thank you Puttas, for coming along with Cookie monster and being my support!!! (and for carrying my smelly shoe around!!!)
Thank you Clueless, for being being such a sweetheart and coming all the way to the hospital and also for buying me my meals and bringing them to my room so i won't have to walk around. I know i had told you not to come. But seeing you there in the hospital by my side made me really happy!!! Thanks dude!!
Thank you Oreo cream for coming over to see how I was. It meant a lot to me. Believe me!!
Thanks to all my friends who helped me out during this episode!!!!! What would i do without you all!!!

Since this blog post is about friendship, let me also thank all my friends back home who were always there for me when i needed them. Who somehow managed to find time for me, no matter how busy they were. :)