Edinburgh, Portobello High School

Sandra's friend, Eliza

When I was in school, I had a friend called Eliza. She had long chestnut hair, blue eyes and a soft voice. She always had a smile on her face.

We went to a school in Aberdeen. We played hockey for the school, and we made an excellent team! The strip was red, and itchy.

Eliza was never in a bad mood. She always cheered me up, but she knew when to leave me alone. We spent years together. We would go to the pictures and eat bucket-loads of ice cream.

We tried to keep in touch after school. However our relationship petered out. I have lived in Edinburgh for many years now, sitting in a chair in Spring Gardens Care Home, surrounded by so many people whose stories I am yet to hear.

I will always remember Eliza, but I have a new life here. I sometimes feel a little lonely and incomplete without her. If I were to see her now, I most definitely wouldn’t recognised her, given how much I’ve changed and how much she must have too.