The Gift of Friendship
Khusbo had always been a shy and lonely girl. She had trouble making friends at school, and she often felt like an outsider. She spent most of her time reading books, listening to music, or drawing pictures. She dreamed of having a true friend who would understand her and accept her for who she was.
One day, she saw a flyer on the school bulletin board. It was an invitation to join the Art Club, a new after-school activity for students who loved to create and express themselves. Khusbo felt a spark of interest and curiosity. She loved art, but she had never shared her drawings with anyone. Maybe this was an opportunity to meet some like-minded people and make some friends.
She decided to give it a try and signed up for the club. The next day, she went to the art room after school, feeling nervous and excited. She saw a few other students sitting around a table, chatting and laughing. They looked friendly and welcoming, but Khusbo felt too shy to approach them. She quietly took a seat at the corner of the room and opened her sketchbook.
She started to draw a picture of a dragon, one of her favorite subjects. She loved dragons because they were powerful, majestic, and mysterious. She imagined that they could fly anywhere they wanted and breathe fire at their enemies. She wished she could be like them, fearless and free.
She was so absorbed in her drawing that she didn’t notice someone standing behind her until she heard a voice.
“Wow, that’s amazing! You’re really talented!”
Khusbo jumped and turned around. She saw a boy with brown hair and green eyes smiling at her. He was holding a sketchbook of his own.
“Hi, I’m Usman. I’m in the Art Club too. What’s your name?”
Khusbo felt her face turn red. She stuttered, “I-I’m Khusbo.”
“Nice to meet you, Khusbo. I really like your dragon. It’s so detailed and realistic. How long have you been drawing?”
Khusbo felt a surge of warmth in her chest. She had never received such a compliment before. She smiled shyly and said, “Thank you. I’ve been drawing since I was little. It’s my favorite thing to do.”
“Me too! I love drawing too. Can I see some more of your sketches?”
Khusbo hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She opened her sketchbook and showed him some of her other drawings. They were mostly fantasy creatures, such as unicorns, fairies, mermaids, and elves.
Usman looked at them with admiration and awe.
“These are incredible! You have such a vivid imagination and a great sense of color and composition. You should be proud of your work.”
Khusbo felt a blush rise to her cheeks again. She couldn’t believe that someone was praising her so much.
“Thank you. You’re very kind.”
Usman grinned and said, “No problem. Hey, do you want to see some of my drawings too?”
Khusbo nodded eagerly. She was curious about what he liked to draw.
Usman opened his sketchbook and showed her his drawings. They were mostly realistic portraits of people, animals, and landscapes.
Khusbo looked at them with wonder and respect.
“These are amazing too! You have such a good eye for proportions and shading. You make everything look so lifelike.”
Usman smiled and said, “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
They continued to look at each other’s drawings, exchanging compliments and tips. They found out that they had a lot in common, such as their favorite books, movies, music, and hobbies.
They also discovered that they had similar personalities: they were both quiet, sensitive, and creative.
They felt an instant connection and rapport.
They talked for hours, until the art teacher came in and announced that it was time to go home.
They realized that they had missed the whole club meeting.
They looked at each other sheepishly and laughed.
They exchanged phone numbers and agreed to meet again the next day.
They walked out of the school together, feeling happy and hopeful.
They had found something precious: an honest friend.
As they parted ways, they hugged each other and said goodbye.
Khusbo felt a warm glow in her heart.
She realized that she had received the most valuable gift: the gift of friendship.
She thought of a quote that she had read in one of her books:
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.’”
She smiled and thought,
“That’s exactly how I feel.”
She looked up at the sky and saw a star twinkling brightly.
She made a wish:
“May our friendship last forever.”
