Once upon a time there lived two pretty girls named Fiyorina and Fanna. They lived in Ethiopia in a city called Addis Ababa.

Fiyorina and Fanna loved each other so much. They played together, walked to school together, and even dressed alike.

They both were known for their braids (shuruba) at school. Fiyorina's mom did their hair every Saturday while they watched children's TV programs.

Fanna and Fiyorina's friendship was so strong that their parents decided to open the fences between their two homes so that the girls could freely go to each other's homes.

Since Fiyorina and Fanna lived close to the airport, they often saw and heard planes flying by while playing in the backyard.

Saturday morning was their favorite day. They used to sit at their special spot, wait for the planes to take off, and play a game where they took turns naming the planes that flew by.

They would also play hide and seek. Fanna did not like this game, but she played it to make Fiyorina happy.

"Why you don't like hide and seek, Fanna?" Fiyorina asked.

"I don't like it when you're hiding. I feel like I will not find you, Fifi," said Fanna, calling Fiyorina by her nickname.

On the first day of the Ethiopian New Year in September (Enkutatash), girls in Ethiopia go door to door in the early morning to sing a special song called Abebayehosh (dear flower). Family and friends then give the girls money in return.

Fanna and Fiyorina always wanted to join the neighborhood girls during this tradition, but both of their parents never let them. Instead, their parents let them sing at home for the family and their parents would give them money.

One foggy Saturday, just four days before Fiyorina's 9th birthday, Fiyorina and her mom drove to the children's clothing store they owned. They picked up the red winter coat Fiyorina had been asking for her 9th birthday.

Fanna and her family left to go to the Langano resort for the weekend. Both Fanna and Fiyorina already missed each other and could not wait until they could see each other at Fiyorina's birthday party.

The car ride was very quiet for Fanna. It was odd that her Mom and Dad were whispering to each other the whole time. The family usually played word and number games in the car, but since her parents were so quiet, she felt like sleeping.

"Why are you sad?" said Fanna, sensing her mom's sadness in the car. "Is Big Mama okay?"

"Big Mama is fine. Just sleep, Fanna," Mamma said sounding irritated. "Why do you keep telling me to sleep, Mama?" asked Fanna.

"Fanna, we're going to drop you off at Big Mama's house, and you'll be there for two days," said Dad suddenly.

"Why, Daddy? I want to see Fiyorina! I want to go home!"

"No, Fanna," said her mom, sounding very sad.

"Then bring Fiyorina to Big Mama's!" Fanna said. She started to cry and soon fell asleep.

Just before bedtime the car pulled into Big Mama's old fashioned house. Fanna was half asleep and began to call out for Fiyorina, thinking she was home.

It had been five long days since Fanna and Fiyorina had seen each other. Fanna continued to ask Big Mama to take her home to see Fiyorina because she missed her. Eventually, her parents showed up and her mom looked like she had been crying. They all sat down on Big Mama's wooden chairs.

"Why are you sad, Mama?" asked Fanna anxiously. Mama told Fanna that her friend Fiyorina and her family moved somewhere far away and she would no longer be able to see her.

"Can I go see her?" asked Fanna, feeling confused.

"No, honey, not now. They went to a place where we cannot see them," said her mom.

"Where did they go? Daddy will fly us out there to see them. He knows how to fly a plane," said Fanna.

"They moved to a place called Eritrea," said her mom.

"It's a place far away on the other side of the mountain, honey," said her dad while looking down at the floor.

Many months passed since Fiyorina moved to Eritrea with her family She didn't get to celebrate her 9th birthday with Fanna. She missed playing the plane game every Saturday, watching children's TV shows, and even going to Big Mama's house with Fanna. 

On Saturdays, Fiyorina sat by the door of her new home in Eritrea and waited for planes to fly by. But no planes flew by. She wished she could see a plane fly by so that she could play the plane game like she did with Fanna.

One Saturday morning Fiyorina decided to write a letter to her friend Fanna, telling her how much she loved her and missed her. She made a paper plane out of the letter and named it Nova. She kissed Nova and threw it as high as she could into the air, hoping it would fly to the other side of the mountain and get to Fanna.

It took Nova the paper plane one week to fly from Asmara where Fiyorina lived to Addis Ababa where Fanna lived.

Once Nova the paper plane approached Fanna's backyard, it saw Fanna sitting by herself.

"Selam, Fanna, my name is Nova, the paper plane. I have a letter for you from your friend, Fiyorina," said Nova proudly.

Fanna quickly grabbed Nova, which was so dusty and worn down from flying for one week in the hot sun. As Fanna unfolded Nova and started to read the letter, she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Mommy, look!" said Fanna, running to her mom who was reading a newspaper. "Look, Mommy, Fiyorina wrote me a letter!" Fanna exclaimed.

In the letter, Fiyorina wrote how she missed her friend, how she couldn't wait to see her again, and how happy she was to find Nova. Fanna cried while reading the letter. She then wrote a letter back, kissed it, and threw it into the sky like Fiyorina did. Fanna sat in her backyard every Saturday morning, waiting for another letter to come back. 

As the years passed, the two friends wrote to each other about school, friends, and what they wanted to do when they grew up. They also promised each other that once they became adults, they wouldn't let any child be separated from their friends and family.

One Saturday afternoon Nova was late arriving at Fanna's backyard. Fanna was very worried all day waiting for Nova and wondered what happened to it.