"Tara, kita ta!" is a subtle way of telling your close friends that you need comforting embraces so you can make it through the difficult days you’re currently in.
One of my former colleague’s heartbreak late last year led us to be reunited with the rest of our core group when we were still working at Sykes Asia, the first company I worked for. Lo and behold, all it required to gather for a night filled with good food, drinks and conversation was a heartbreak. Funny but regardless of the reason why we gathered, I’m still thankful we met.
At first, our friend who called for this rare meeting didn’t say anything about his heartbreak. But knowing him, I knew there was something big going on and that he’d reveal it that night. We started the night with a hearty meal at Tavolata; everyone except for one was late but we had the entire night to wait for people to join us and so we waited. We exchanged life updates in the next hour or so until we decided coffee could fuel the conversation further. Tavolata is one of the best restaurants in town but coffee and dessert are not their specialty. Good thing a famous café called 10 Dove Street is just a few minute walk from Tavolata. At night, it could be difficult to get 6 or more people seated in 10 Dove Street as it could get crowded especially during weekends. Luckily there was enough space for all of us the moment we walked in.
There, our friend unleashed his frustrations over love and life in general. We felt his grief and pain with all the stories he shared to us but of course, we didn’t focus the discussion on what had been but on what will be. We were excited for the exciting things ahead of him; we cheered him up. We joked that we were only reunited by a heartbreak but at least, for once we gathered not just for a cheerful event but to remind our friend that he’s not alone; we’re by his side in his journey to healing.