Keeping friends close

February 16th, 2008 at 01:59pm Jeniece Smith

Following the tragedy at NIU, I received more than 60 phone calls, text messages and e-mails from friends, family and fellow students. Because of the gridlocked cell phone towers in DeKalb on Thursday, more than half of the calls I received went to voicemail.

The calls stopped briefly around 11:30 Thursday night, then began flooding in again around 6 a.m. on Friday. On Friday, my battery became nearly drained, and I carried a cell phone charger around with me, plugging my phone in whenever I was near an outlet.

Many of the first calls Thursday afternoon were from panicked relatives or friends asking if I was safe. My mother was distraught — her call the first to reach me as I hid in a locked classroom — when I couldn’t tell her if I knew that I was out of danger. My best friend sobbed with relief when she heard my voice on the other line.

A member of my roller derby league called me about 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, saying that she and my other teammates had been trying to reach me for over an hour. I recruited her to call the others to relay the message that I was unhurt and that I loved them all.

Since Friday morning, the calls have been to inquire about my well being. None of my friends have asked me to talk about what happened. They’ve simply said, “I am here for you.” It doesn’t seem like much, but that’s the best thing a friend can offer another friend.

My friends have heard me break down as I try to make sense of the chaos of the situation. They have grieved with me for the victims and prayed with me for their friends and families. They have hugged me and have sat in silence with me when words were insufficient for expression.

Now, more than ever before, I want to be near the ones I love.

Entry Filed under: Jeniece Smith