Within a month, without me even seeking it, "the guitar girl" and I became good friends.
Greeting her every day before leaving for school became a routine I enjoyed as our mutual trust grew.
But the best days were undoubtedly the weekends, as I could spend more time with her, listen to her songs, and occasionally help her collect money from passersby.
It really made me happy to share a friendship with her, and it was a happiness that even my growing social circle at school couldn't provide.
However, although our trust grew as the days went by, and we talked freely about our surroundings, we were never able to share details about our lives to a certain extent.
"The guitar girl" was quite reserved, and since she almost never asked about me, there was little I could say without feeling like an intense guy who wanted to make himself known.
Despite that detail, we often enjoyed each other's company, so in my case, I decided to let time flow and make or break our friendship; that's how I understood how uncertain the future really is.
"I've always wondered one thing," commented "The guitar girl" one Sunday morning.
"Is this something that worries you?" I asked.
"Not exactly, but it does impress me a little," she replied. "Tell me... Aren't you ashamed of me?"
"Why should I be ashamed?" I replied, confused.
"The answer is obvious," she said with a hint of embarrassment.
"Well, no, I'm not ashamed of you. In fact, I consider you my best friend. If I were ashamed of you, I wouldn't come see you or spend time with you, wouldn't I?"
She didn't respond to my question, just remained silent while tuning her guitar and keeping her eyes on the ground; I felt she was somewhat vulnerable.
"What's your name?" I asked suddenly.
The impression in his gaze took me by surprise.
I thought she didn't want to talk about it, but through her beautiful eyes, I noticed a hint of joy that reassured me; it was a particular glow that embellished her tender gaze.
"Eva," he murmured, briefly smiling.
"That's a beautiful name," I said.
"And what's your name?" he asked.
"Paul. It's a real pleasure to know your name, Eva," I replied, extending my hand.
We both shook hands and exchanged knowing smiles, which allowed me to sense that Eva was beginning to trust me more.
Furthermore, I was pleased to have the pleasure of addressing her by her name and not by the brief nickname I had been calling her in my thoughts.
♦♦♦
Sometime later, and with a friendship in which trust continued to grow, Eva began to open up a little about her life and tell me things that made me understand a lot about her talent and personality.
At first, I knew the reason why he was able to speak with enviable fluency and diction, as well as read better than me and even write with beautiful handwriting.
It turns out that, despite living in deplorable conditions, her partner took the time to instruct her in the basics of education, including basic math and history.
It was surprising and gratifying to learn that detail about his life, because I knew that, beyond being able to share a friendship, I could feel free to talk to him about my school and the things I was learning.
Furthermore, Eva never showed herself to be someone who was bothered by the happiness and prosperity of others.
Nor did she show envy or suspicion toward those who, unlike me, viewed her unfavorably or even ignored her during her presentations; her values spoke for themselves.
Maybe that's why I went through a stage in my life where I wanted to be like her in many ways.
I wanted to speak correctly like her, write with better handwriting, be kind and helpful, and even learn to play the guitar, although the latter proved impossible.
Thus, the time I shared with Eva extended as the days passed, and our trust grew stronger; it was a friendship I compared to the one I had with Uriel.
But the difference between Uriel and Eva is that she was the voice of conscience when immaturity got the better of me, and she even advised me as if she were my older sister.
While Uriel just encouraged me to keep going with the crazy ideas I came up with, which on more than one occasion got us into trouble despite how much fun we were having.
Meanwhile, Eva's image gradually overshadowed the memory of my best friend, to the point where I began to forget about him.
The promise I had made to him was hanging by a thread, and every time I tried to make a phone call, I was embarrassed by the time I had gone without contacting him.
So, one afternoon, while studying in my room, I came to the conclusion that I had to get over the stage of maintaining a friendship with Uriel.
In other words, I let myself get carried away when it came to forgetting him. Aware that this could have been a bad decision, and sad to think that we would never have the chance to meet again.