A friend like you

Pearl D’Silva pearlmascarenhas@gmail.com

Ching was a traveler.He loved travelling around the world. He hoped he could find what he was looking for. Except, that he did notknow what he was looking for!

He emailed his pen-pal, Arjun who livedin India. “Could youhelp me find what I am looking for?” heasked.

Arjun set out to findout what Ching was lookingfor as soon as hecould. Except that he didn’t know what Ching was lookingfor.

“What could Ching be looking for?” wonderedArjun. “And where could it be? Perhaps,I’ll look in my secret places.”

Arjun looked in Dadaji’s big steel trunk that hewas told never-to-touch.

He looked into thespecial hidey-holesthat Timmy his doghad dug in the garden.

Timmy watched from theshadows and gave anever-go-there bark.

Arjun asked Dadiji, sadly. “What would happen if Ching could never-find-what-he-was-looking for? He may never find his wayback home.”Dadiji continued rocking on her swing on the verendah and smiled, “Don’t worry beta. I’m sure Ching will find what he is looking for. All he needs to do is visit you.”

Arjun received a videomessage from Ching. Itlooked like he was in theRajasthan deserts.“ Hello Arjun, I amgoing to visit you soon. I hope I find what Iam looking for.”

On the morning of Ching’s arrival,Arjun gathered up some vegetablesfrom the garden and took them toDadiji to cook. “Fresh vegetables! I will cook up some yummy sambhar for Ching.” Arjun was so happy. He was really looking forward toChing’s visit.

When Ching arrived at Arjun’sHouse, the two friends hugged.Ching told Arjun all about hisadventures of how he ran around the world in a marathon…

… and how heplayed with the moon andthe stars.“But, did you find what youwere looking for, Ching?” asked Arjun urgently. “Ilooked high and low butcouldn’t find what you werelooking for.”

“Oh Arjun, I did do a lot of thinking! I thought when I thought, I thought when I bumped my head and I thought when I played with my baby brother Changtoo.

But half way through my travels I knew Ifound what I was looking for… It was

A-friend-like-you!

The End