I will always remember the first time I saw her, wearing a feminine swing skirt dress combined with orange heels; straight, long and blonde hair, one of the longest and impressive I have ever seen. She looked like a true lady and thus I thought, ‘what on earth is she doing here?’ I showed her the house anyway.

I couldn’t help staring at that delicate pale skin and green eyes while she struggled to climb the narrow stairs in miss manners. To my surprise, after the viewing, she decided to rent the room. It was the beginning of two years for us being side by side. It is said that you should not judge a book by its cover. It was actually Sarah Wilson who taught me this quote.

I have to say I never thought we would become good friends, or just friends indeed, but it turned out to be the opposite. As a matter of fact, this is what we are, like day and night, but sometimes life gives you a present.

She comes from a catholic family born in the cloudy and cold lands of Derry, a place where everyone is somehow allowed to leave responsibilities aside in the unique event of a sunny day in the year. Tea addict, devourer of mystery stories and chocolates of every kind. She is of constant correct attitude and respectful answers in calm serenity.

As for me, well, let’s just say I fit one of those stereotypes from warm paradises: a brunette of brown skin who speaks loudly and laughs ever louder. Apparently, too emotional and, it is true, a bit hysterical. Coffee addict and socially irremediable. Someone who longs for a beach day during which to get burnt from head to toe.

It was the windy winter of Edinburgh that gave us the possibility of knowing each other. ‘But who on earth doesn’t like Spanish ham? Was it imaginable?’ -Oh yes, it was. To her astonishment, so far I had spent my life without any kettles at home. Yes, it was possible as well.

From one corner of the sofa to another my English improved. Having talked about her politeness it doesn’t sound strange that she found my beginner language skills quite advanced while what I actually spoke was a virtuous Spanglish. I got used to having someone correcting my mistakes over and over again and became a specialist in making up words and new expressions while kicking the dictionary.

I still remember the first Sunday she was getting ready to go out and then I asked where she was going. ‘I am going to attend the mass,’ she said. The what? I had not seen someone going to the church for ages and it struck me as unexpected so I asked her: ‘But… Do you believe in god?’ ‘I believe in the good heart of people,’ she answered. I couldn’t agree more with that, ‘such a perfect reply,’ I thought. I also come from a catholic family although to their disappointment I turned out to be agnostic. Nevertheless, as the curious and respectful black sheep I am, I accompanied her to the mass on one occasion, just to nose around.

A year on, I decided to move to London and it so happened that she made her mind up as well and came with me. I was leaving an eight year relationship behind me and, as for her, five years in Edinburgh and an unfinished degree. We rented a car and squeezed our stuff on it. In front of us was a two-day trip through England in which we found ourselves far away from routine. She planned everything of course in detailed schedule and I drove most of the time giving headaches to her and a heart attack when I turned right instead of left on a roundabout. It was just a momentary crossing of wires, remember I am Spanish.

Old Compton Street in Soho was our headquarters. Tea for her and coffee for me, please. At least once a week, we carried out this ritual. Stories about Halloween in November and plenty of good wishes around family before Christmas. I have never been an enthusiastic of any special date on the calendar but I sometimes envied her when she described those roasted meals around her loved ones. I quickly understood how important potatoes are.

Time goes very quick and with the passing of the months we started to rack our brains looking for a promising future. It is true that London has plenty of opportunities but it doesn’t offer any help during the process. She will be leaving this metropolis by the end of the summer, the third one for us.

To make the best of time we went back to live together again but this time we were sharing the same room, even the same bed. We both were frightened with the idea of two identical souls in such a tiny space but, once again, it turned out to be all right. One should accept their partner just the way they are.

I have almost never seen her cooking, just baking; my Mediterranean diet faded away making way for another sweet tooth at home. As part of my determination to know more about how the opposite side looks like we went out for breakfast on a Sunday morning and had the traditional English; I struggled with that mountain of meat while listening to her story about her grandfather. ‘How could that man take three of those a day?’ I wondered. I made my lunch at the same time.

We also became experts in wedding arrangements after two seasons of our television program in which neither of us was interested in at the beginning but marked it on the agenda as a compulsory time to stay together and argue about the poor selection of the dress made by the groom. In the end, we all do things that don’t fit us at all yet enjoy them to the full.

By the time I could realize myself I have changed many aspects of my character, not obviously my own essence but a series of small details that might be imperceptible for many.

It was time for her to go back to Ireland and start a process that would bring new opportunities, so we said goodbye two weeks ago. It was the first time I didn’t cry when seeing a friend leave and it was because of her stiff upper lip, as I am still otherwise a hysterical, nervous lady.

Now I am sitting in her spot, drinking tea, remembering how lucky I was the day I met her, how much I have learnt thanks to her, and how happy I feel because, as she told me once under a tree in Hyde Park where we were caught by the rain with a bottle of rum, we are not just friends, we are sisters.