A Friendly Face

I first met Hugo Rollins in a hospital. He was only nine years old at the time, but he had the wisdom of someone much older. He's a friendly young boy, with fluffy brown hair, and a smile that never fails to make one spread across your face too. The kind of boy that makes friends with everyone he meets.

"So I know why I'm here, but why are YOU here? I haven't seen you around before."

I didn't expect him to ask why I was there since I wasn't the one in a hospital gown, but I'm always willing to make new friends, so I entertained the conversation.

"Someone I know is dying. I'm here to be with them when they pass."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you know how long they have?"

"The doctors said it could be anywhere from days to weeks, so not long."

Hugo looked away from me when I said that, in a way that felt like he resonated with my words.

"But it's okay", I continued. "We aren't really that close, but I still care about them, so I want to be here with them when it happens."

After I spoke, a moment of silence sat between us. The moment wasn't painful to endure, but I could tell there was a pain coming from Hugo that weighed heavy on the young boy.

Hugo has this way of making everything seem so casual and friendly. It's one of the things I like most about him. You can always feel comfortable around Hugo. He makes things lighter, even when your situation might be a little dark. Even when his situation is a little dark.

At the risk of sounding too harsh given the air around us at that moment, I inquired about Hugo's presence at the hospital. I wanted to break the tension, at least as much as I could considering our current environment.

"Um…"

Hugo looked down. I could tell he was nervous to say his reason, and I didn't want him to feel pressured to tell me. However, the expression on his face gave most of his reason away. I knew why he was there.

"Hey, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it's not that, it's just…when I tell people, they always give me this look, and I HATE that look."

"What if I promise not to make a face?"

"Pinky promise?"

Hugo held up his right pinky finger. A pinky much smaller than my own. The gesture made me smile, so I followed his lead, holding up my own to complete the action.

"Pinky promise."

Hugo took a deep breath, then he began to tell me his story. I didn’t break my promise.

I would share Hugo’s story of how he ended up at the hospital that day, but it's not my story to tell. Hugo trusted me with it, and I respect his privacy. All you need to know is that Hugo was sick. Very sick. He still is, but he never lets that take the smile off his face. I admire that about him. He has a strength that even I can't fathom. A willingness to live, and to not let anything stop him from having a good life. Hugo is stronger than I could ever hope to be.

After that first day, I saw Hugo more and more at the hospital. Every time, he would greet me with a smile, and I would smile right back. He'd tell me about new songs the nurses would sing to him, and I would tell him about new friends I was making in other rooms at the hospital. He would save me some of his pudding, and I would sneak him pancakes every so often.

After a week of me going to the hospital and seeing him every day, Hugo called me his friend.

"Being in here has made it kinda hard to make friends, but now that I have you, I have a BEST friend!"

It made me smile when he said that. Most people are scared when they meet me. They tell me to leave, that they don't want me around. People try so hard to push me away, but Hugo didn’t do that. He isn’t like everyone else. Hugo welcomed me with open arms.

Such a young boy, with so much willpower and strength. So much creativity and life contained within someone so small, yet so powerful. Hugo has this light that is always so pleasant to be around. I'm glad he enjoys my company as much as I enjoy his.

Each day that passed, the more I saw him, the more he wanted to see me. He asked if I could visit, even on the days that I wasn't planning on being at the hospital.

I was never at the hospital for Hugo, but I always enjoyed seeing him. He smiled when he saw me, and that was different. Different in a way that I needed. In a way that made me feel good.

Weeks passed with me visiting Hugo every few days, occasionally bringing him treats when he asked. Over the course of months, Hugo would get stronger, then weaker, but his smile never faded.

I'll be seeing Hugo again tomorrow. It’ll be one of a few unprompted trips in which I see him.

He asked me to bring him chocolate chip cookies the next time I see him, said they're his favorite. I asked him if he could save me an orange jello in exchange, and he smiled that great big smile and said:

"Of course I can! I'd do anything for my best friend!"

I'm glad I met Hugo all those months ago. I'm glad he sees me as a friend. I'm honored to say I consider him a friend too. Not many people I meet like to become friends with me, but Hugo is special in that way. His heart is just that loving, and he's willing to embrace anyone, no matter how frightening they might be.

And although it won't be for a few while, I know that when the day finally comes that I'm there at that hospital for him, Hugo Rollins will greet me with a smile, like he has every time before.