Living in poverty, I found a friend. He now shapes the person I am today. He helped me find myself, when I even couldn’t. My role model is ten years old. The Balinese the air was thick, a slow moving syrup. I could feel the sweat slipping down my legs from the humidity you couldn’t escape. Bali was my home for the next month, and I was about to meet the person who now means the world to me. I thought that this day would be like the rest,all memories you forget but the importance of this day will stay in my heart forever.
Those dark brown eyes looked down on me, and I stare at him in silence, our eyes met and I didn’t know what to expect. A dark skinned little boy sat down next to me, I didn’t know who he was, I didn’t know was to say so I smiled at him, and he smiled back. He had some leather bracelets in his left hand and from there I knew he was one of those poor children who had to sell bracelets to provide for his family. We didn’t talk we just sat there. I offered to buy some bracelets but he wouldn’t let me. At this point I didn’t understand who he was or what he wanted from me, but I knew something was about to change.
His name was Nyoman. We walked together with Nathan our friend from Sydney. We walked along to the beach front and sat down on the sand. Nyoman gave me a bowl of soup which looked like fish eye soup. Big round slimy balls were spread all throughout the plate like fish eyes. I refused to try it at first but then I thought to myself “I was being disrespectful to his culture.” The next thing I knew I had finished the bowl of “fish eye soup” Nyoman never realised this but he taught me to respect everyone and where they come from. To not judge a book by a cover, to not judge a person because they look different. But to accept everyone for whom they are.
Nyoman and I sat on Leigan beach acting like best friends I asked him what he wanted to do with his life, he told me he wanted to become a doctor. He told me he could be anything he wanted to be because he knew he can do anything if his tried his best. He asked me about school, and I asked him about his school. I have never met a ten year old child so determined to learn. Nyoman has his dream of becoming a doctor so he asked me was my dream was but I didn’t know I didn’t have a dream. Nyoman has taught to dream a little and that dreams can come true and to try and make my aspirations come true, and to not take my education for granted. My dreams can come true; they only can because Nyoman taught to dream.
“Kirvana don’t be mean to your sister” Nyoman told me as I refused to buy my sister a drink. I looked down on my sister and Nyoman who were looking up at me. I walked over to the fridge and pulled out three bottles of aqua. I never really understood why I was always being so mean to my little sister or so rude to my parents. I never had a good reason to be so. So why did I think I was so hard done by? Nyoman reminded me that “to have a family is the best tressure of all” how did I boy so young know these things? This is one mystery I will never understand.
I walked with Nyoman out of my hotel he stood close to me as we were near the security guard who Nyoman was always afraid of. We walked to the corner of the street where we were about to say our good byes. Nyoman looked up at me. I put my arms around my new best friend and Nyoman says “you’re like a sister to me now, and I will miss you” I look down on my little friend and all of my memories with him were stuck in my every thought. Once again those big brown eyes looked up at mine and he smiled. I watched him disappear in the distance and I knew this was good bye.
Not a day goes by when I don’t think about Nyoman, and everything he has taught me. I can now truly say I believe in myself. The memories could last a lifetime, but not seeing Nyoman everyday is a struggle. I am ever so grateful for every single minute I spent with Nyoman and absolutely everything he has taught me will stay in my heart forever. I have so much respect for this boy because he helped me find myself. My best friend is ten years old and 4498 km’s is what separates us.
