I live in this beautiful large estate with all these identical white houses. People fondly call it - the White Estate. Nice trees planted orderly down the smooth road. We even have a standard soccer stadium in the middle of the estate. On Weekends, it's real fun with the neighbors, everyone comes out, and play.
The joy of friendship is sometimes inexpressible. Me and my best friend James have been friends since we were little kids. My mom says that I'm older than him with just one day. He was born the next day after I was born. We literally grew up together, and did almost everything together. "So many fun memories flow through my head when I think of James".
Our problems started 2 month ago, when Cassandra moved into our neighborhood. 21 years of good friendship has gone south, because we're both in love with Cassandra. I actually met Cassandra first; the day me and my parents went to welcome her family to the neighborhood.
While our parents were talking in their living room, which they decorated so creatively. I was perceiving this aroma, "Wow, something delicious is definitely on the fire", I said aloud. Cassandra's parents laughed and said "it's our daughter, she's preparing dinner". I replied "hmm, it smells great. Can I go make her acquaintance in the kitchen?". They said "sure, feel free".
I went to meet her in the kitchen. She was putting on these purple jackets. " I've never seen purple pierce so graciously. She was shocked to see me, as I knocked gently at the kitchen door which was opened, but she was backing the door. When she turned around, "O my, I was touched by her green stare". It was as though we were talking through our minds. My feelings were everywhere and I could feel her feelings too.
She said "hi". I replied " Hello, I'm Lucas, one of your many neighbors in this large estate". She said "yep, please have a sit". There was a small table and four tiny chairs in the middle of the kitchen. Soon she closed the pot, came to sit on one of the tiny chairs, and said " it should be ready in 15 minutes". I said "do you know that it's the aroma of your food that drew me here?". She smiled shyly.
We started talking, and she told me that she's 19. "But she has curves beyond her age. I literally can go insane looking at her waist line". Impulsively, I held her hand and said "you have very beautiful eyes". She smiled again; she didn't pull away her hands from mine, rather I could feel her holding my hands too. It was love at first sight. We had a connection. After me and my parents left their house, I told James about Cassandra.
To my greatest surprise, James went behind me to start sending gifts and making advances at Cassandra. When I got to know a week later, Cassandra was now confused who she preferred between me and James. James told me to stay away from her with a very angry tone, but I told him straight to his face that "I think I'm in love her", and that was the beginning of our fight. James made me his enemy. And troubled me literally everywhere he sees me. "Very weird considering how long we've known each other".
Cassandra was travelling to her hometown to visit her grandma, so she told me and told James. She took an early morning bus. It was in the afternoon, when I heard her mother crying and I saw people at her doorstep consoling her. Cassandra got into a very fatal accident close to her hometown. Reports have it that she lost her ability to move both her legs. Meaning that she's paralyzed from her waist down.
She was hospitalized in a good hospital close to her hometown. I travelled over there. I met her sleeping, and the nurse said that "she's been given sedatives". When she woke up she was very happy to see me. After spending a week in the hospital, her family moved her back home to our estate. I was always visiting her to check up on her.
I've been investing in stocks since I was 15, my account balance is almost too big for my age. So I decided to propose to Cassandra, because I am truly in love with her. She refused to marry me, she said "I can't imagine putting you through the pains of taking care of me at this state" . And I replied "But you can't let this destroy my love for you. I loved you then, and I still love you now".
All the while she was paralysed, James never came around for once, he only sent a message wishing her quick recovery. My dad's friend is a really amazing doctor, so I told him about Cassandra's case, and he gave me an expert's number to call. I've made all the arrangements, and her family agrees. Now a surgery is done on her legs.
To everyone's greatest amusement, Cassandra legs are working again. But, now she knows who really loves her truly between me and James. She told me " Henry, you've done so much for me. You've been there through the storm with me. Now that I'm in better condition, I agree to your proposal to marry me, if you still want to".
With the happiest voice of my existence, I said "Yes Cassandra, I still so much want to marry you". On the day of our wedding, James came around. I was dancing gently with Cassandra on a rather crowded dancefloor. James came to us, excused us from the dancefloor, and said Cassandra "Quite clearly, I do not love you as much as Henry does, now I know that, but I'll always be a friend".
Then he said to me" Henry my buddy, I'm sorry for being a splash of trouble all this while. I know that it's been me attacking you, and not the other way around. I don't know what came over me". I smiled and said "James my friend, apologies accepted, and thanks for honoring our invite. Let's toast to friendship". We smiled, as our glasses clinked.
