I OWE YOU #NOT A DAY GOES BY

I am sitting in the graveyard located on the outskirts of Auckland in front of her grave. 'Riley Cole ( 1991 - 2019)' is engraved on her gravestone.

I can feel tears trickling down my cheek to my exposed cleavage of the button down peach blouse she gifted me on my 21st birthday.

She is a friend, a sister, my mentor but in my world people know her as my savoir. It is true, she is my hero not because of what she did but she had that aura, kindest of nature, after being an orphan who suffered abuse from her foster family, sweetest of smiles after the pain she endured.

My own family is broke, my parents fight always and she knew my pain, she is my epitome of strength. But people know her as my elder sister, one from other mother.

She died three years ago, it was a day before my 22nd birthday, we were shopping for the party she forced me to throw like always, we wandered after that away from her boyfriend for some girls' time, when a news flashed in a shop, a man has looted the bank and has ran off with a gun, she ushered me to go home and I was not ready. Using my birthday and puppy face as weapon, I succeeded in prolonging our walk.

By 5 in the evening we were to hire a cab. Since our wallets were near empty, we decided to take the bus and ended up in a bus station.

It was that dreadful moment, our bus came but we could see no commotion in it, still we boarded it. It was when the bus didn't stop on the next stop we figured something is fishy, a man on the last seat was suspicious.

Me being stupid, decided to confront him when I saw him eyeing a girl, as I did he became furious and pulled out a gun aiming at me, that's when we found out the odd environment it was the one who broke in the bank.

All hid from the man except the brave and foolish Ashi – me. The driver when saw stopped the bus and panicked he tried to shoot me from calling the police, I didn't budge but was pushed aside. A gunshot was heard and my eyes widened, riley was standing in front of the man while I was on the bus floor. I came into action with others. Only it was late, the bullet pierced into her heart making her still, in her last moments I was holding her, she gave up breathing after mouthing happy birthday princess.

I see her grave stone and smile mouthing thank you, this is why people know her as my savoir. My friend paid for my stupidity. Not a day goes by when I don't miss her, don't regret my actions, and I feel her near me as my angel. I should have told her I love her more often.