LEILA FADEL, HOST: Time now for StoryCorps. Next week marks one year since a former student opened fire on school children at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis. Third grader Fletcher Merkel and fifth grader Harper Moyski were killed. Twenty-eight people were wounded. Today, we hear from Harper's mother, Jackie Flavin. She chose Harper's best friend, 11-year-old Orla McGarvey, for her interview partner.
JACKIE FLAVIN: Did everything that happened at Annunciation give you a lot of questions?
ORLA MCGARVEY: Yeah.
FLAVIN: Yeah. I bet.
ORLA: Like, the person that shot our church, what made him do that? I just don't get it.
FLAVIN: A lot of adults should have protected you guys from this, and they didn't. And I'm really sorry for that.
ORLA: Yeah. I know.
FLAVIN: What's your first memory of Harper? Like when do you remember becoming friends with her?
ORLA: I think I was in second grade. I was never in the same class as her ever, but we just became best friends. And you guys would always be so nice to me when I was over.
FLAVIN: You know, people mention that she comes to them in their dreams. And so I wonder if you had any dreams about Harper?
ORLA: I do. Yeah. Sometimes I dream that we're having, like, a sleepover, and I can talk to her, be like, so, what are you doing up there?
FLAVIN: Yeah.
ORLA: Like, are you having fun? Are you talking to Fletcher or something? Are you talking to God? I just want to know.
FLAVIN: You know, I have been thinking about my friend Beth. We were friends all through school, and she died when we were 17 from cancer. And the way I would laugh with her was how you and Harper laugh. But when I'm really lonely, I can feel her with me. And in the first few days after Harper died, I remember feeling so certainly that they were together.
ORLA: Yeah.
FLAVIN: And I thought that was really beautiful that Harper's on the other side with Beth, and I'm here with you.
ORLA: Yeah. Your best friend died, and my best friend died. So we can talk to each other whenever we're sad and stuff.
FLAVIN: Of course. Yeah. I'm here for however you want to keep Harper alive.
ORLA: Thank you. When I see your curly hair, it reminds me of Harper. And I also have little things like - Harper loved turtles, just loved them. So I'm wearing a necklace of a turtle.
FLAVIN: It has a little bit of Harper's ashes...
ORLA: Yeah.
FLAVIN: ...Inside of it. It felt so important to give you a little piece of Harper's ashes.
ORLA: I love it so much.
FLAVIN: Thank you for being Harper's friend. She was her most best self with you, and thank you for that.
ORLA: Yeah. I know she's up there looking down at me and you.
FADEL: That was 11-year-old Orla McGarvey, speaking with Jackie Flavin, the mother of Orla's best friend, Harper Moyski. Their interview is archived in the Library of Congress.
