My husband is a truck driver, so I am often alone at home. One day, I was alone again. I was watching a movie in front of the TV, wearing a thin nightgown so that I would be comfortable. It was approaching 12 o’clock and the doorbell rang. When I opened the door, I saw my friend, my neighbor upstairs. He was looking me up and down, and although this made me a little nervous, I didn’t show that I was bothered.
“What’s up, my friend?” I said.
“I’m sorry to bother you, it’s so late, but can I use your computer for 10 minutes?” he said.
“Of course, come in,” I said and invited him in. He opened my computer and I sat next to him. While my friend was doing something on the computer, I turned to the TV and continued watching the movie.
Suddenly, he noticed the movies I was watching in a window that was open on the computer. I was a little embarrassed by this situation. My friend noticed it too, but he accepted it very maturely.
“It’s not a big deal, Zehra. Such things can happen to anyone,” he said with a smile. “Actually, I didn’t need to use the computer. I just wanted to talk about something.”
“Of course, go ahead, my friend,” I said, still a little embarrassed.
“I’ve wanted to talk to you for a long time, Zehra. I know your husband is a truck driver and you’re often alone at home. I’m lonely too. Why don’t we support each other? Just a friendly, coordinated friendship where we can spend time together.”
The friend’s sincere and heartfelt speech put me at ease. “My friend, that’s a very nice offer. Loneliness is really hard sometimes. But we can support each other, why not?” I said.
After this conversation, my friend and I started seeing each other more often. On the days my husband was away on a trip, we would drink coffee together and chat, sometimes cook together and support each other as neighbors. This friendship eased both my friend’s and my friend’s feelings of loneliness and made both our lives more meaningful.
When my husband learned about my situation, he was also pleased, because he knew I was spending time with a neighbor he could trust. Thus, the foundations of a small but meaningful friendship were laid.
In life, you can make meaningful contacts at unexpected times and in unexpected places. These contacts can be a great support for you in times of loneliness and trouble. The friendship I established with Arkadaş was one of the best examples of this.