Lauren Yehezkel, 38, from Sydney, NSW, shares her story with Take 5’s Mitchell Jordan
The ice-cold water took my breath away.
“It’s freezing!” I gasped to my friend, Gena, 21, who’d taken the plunge into the loch with me.
“And invigorating,” she laughed.
It was 2003, and, at 21 years old, I’d left my home in Sydney to fulfil the Aussie tradition of living in the UK for a year.
But loneliness had soon set in and I felt so relieved when Gena announced she was flying over to see me.
That’s how we’d ended up in Scotland, where we’d visited Loch Ness – supposedly, home to the infamous sea monster – and decided we’d go for a swim!
For the next three weeks, Gina and I had a blast exploring Ireland and sailing in Croatia before it was time for her to fly home.
“I’ll miss you so much,” I told her, reminding myself that in a couple more months I’d be back with her and my family.
Gena and I had a slightly unusual start to our friendship.
Lauren and Yami. (Image: supplied)
We’d grown up in Johannesburg, South Africa, where we attended the same school and dancing lessons.
Although our parents were friends, we never said much to one another and by the time I was 11, Mum and Dad decided we’d move to Australia, as it was safer.
While my parents, older brother and younger sister settled in fine, I struggled with life in Australia and frequently suffered migraines from anxiety.
Will I ever fit in here and find friends? I wondered.
Then, the following year, my parents told us some news.
“Gena and her parents are moving here, too,” they told us.
When Gena turned up at my school, relief washed over me and we were inseparable after that.
Gena and Lauren (both front centre) at school. (Image: supplied)
Sometimes, I’d flick through my school diary and see handwritten notes she’d left me.
You’re amazing, she’d write, while other messages declared that she and I were best friends.
Although we later attended different high schools, we’d still catch up and spend our weekends shopping or listening to bands we loved, like the Backstreet Boys.
As both of us were middle children, we were never alone, but felt so close to one another.
“You’re like a sister to me,” I said.
“You too,” Gena replied.
Later, when I returned from living in the UK, I moved back in with my parents and in 2009, each morning, there’d be a note on my car windscreen saying, You can’t park here.
“What’s this person’s problem?” I snapped, knowing I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
Then, one day, I spotted a young man leaving the note.
Gena (left) with Lauren in Scotland. (Image: supplied)
“Excuse me!” I called, rushing out to give him a piece of my mind.
We had an argument and both left in a huff.
But months later, we crossed paths again at the RSL on New Year’s Eve and got talking.
The guy’s name was Yami and, to our surprise, we liked each other… and started dating.
“That’s hilarious!” Gena laughed when I confessed that an angry note had eventually led me to love.
She had a boyfriend, Tony, by then and the four of us got along great.
It’s been a special friendship. (Image: supplied)
Yami later proposed and I shared the news with Gena straightaway.
“I’d love for you to be my bridesmaid,” I told her.
She was by my side when I married Yami in 2013.
And when she and Tony tied the knot shortly after, I was her bridesmaid, too.
These days, Gena is a mum to two kids, aged seven and four, while I have a five-year-old daughter.
At Lauren’s hen’s party. (Image: supplied)
We only live one suburb apart and meet up all the time.
Our husbands even take the kids some nights so we can have what we call ‘Mum Dinners’ and spend time together.
Looking back, we often laugh about how two young girls who were no more than acquaintances in South Africa would go on to become the very best of friends.
Moving to Australia might have been challenging for me, but it allowed a unique friendship to blossom and I’m so glad Gena has been with me on the journey.
At Gena’s wedding. (Image: supplied)
Gena says:
Lauren is incredibly supportive, fun and someone who I can be myself around.
Our friendship is forever.
