"True friends are never apart, maybe in distance but never in heart." – Hellen Keller
And truer words have never been spoken...
Over the past two decades, I've made countless "friends". Some were true friends, some were friends by just the name, some were acquaintances, and many just remained as known faces. For some, the word and thing known as "friends" is an overstatement; for some, it's the opposite.
For close to half of my life, I've been very cautious about my surroundings and the company I keep. I've never forced a friendship, nor have I rejected a natural bond and synergy with someone. 8 out of 10 times, my gut feeling is usually right about a person and how they are. I'm a good judge of character. Yet, they all have to pass the test of time and trust. If they pass that "test", then you know it's real. That is why most of my "friendships" have been successful.
Even though a lot of my friends are now far, far away; living completely different lives, all I hope is, that they're all happy and living a good life.
After a certain stage and age, we've all had to depart on different paths toward a new and different destination. Some did stay back, and somehow we managed to stay connected, and I'm thankful for that. Yet, sometimes I do miss those buddies of mine; mostly the ones I got to know during my childhood and teenage years.
The other day I got a sudden call from an old friend of mine. He's been going through some rough sh*t, so he wanted to meet up for some advice and to catch up. The last time we met was on Eid day, last year.
He calls at around 8 PM or so out of nowhere and says he's already heading towards my area. So, I finish up my work ASAP and get ready in a jiffy.
About 20 minutes later he pops up, but with a long-lost dear friend of ours. He's more like a little brother than a friend, I quite literally saw the kid grow up. However, he is a kid no more, he's all grown up now, in his early 20s. I still remember all our memories from back then, as clear as day. It is undeniably the bond of friendship that made it so special and memorable. We have memories and experiences that go way back, way over a decade. Alas, the last time I met the kid was probably back in 2015, so it's been close to a decade since we last met up or even talked properly.
After that, we never really met. I got busy with my life, health issues, and higher studies, and he says he was going through some family issues back then; yet, all is good now he says.
ᴵᵐᵃᵍᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵒᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᶜᵒⁿᵗᵉⁿᵗ ᵃʳᵉ ᵐʸ ᵒʷⁿ ᵘⁿˡᵉˢˢ ᶦᵗ'ˢ ᵐᵉⁿᵗᶦᵒⁿᵉᵈ
The plan was to meet at Arabika Coffee and we did get there first, but that place was packed.
So, Awake Coffee Roasters was our second choice and a better choice, I must say. The coffee here is better, and the food too. We sat down and conversed for about 2 to 3 hours or so; until the cafe had reached closing hours at around 11 PM.
I got my usual, a hot cappuccino, my pals got mochas, and we had a double chocolate cookie to complement our beverages. It has been fairly rainy in Dhaka lately. It's raining almost every day, and quite heavily too. So, as we sat and spoke in the outdoor area, a light breeze was present during that time; a slight stormy vibe, thunder, and lightning. It was the perfect weather for a hot cup of coffee, and to sit with old pals and reminisce about the good ole days.
There's nothing better when it comes to such moments really. No fancy restaurant can top this feeling and ensemble that was present there that evening.
At around 11:30 PM, we were on our way back home. They dropped me at my place and were headed towards their destinations. They mentioned meeting up again soon. I couldn't promise another meet-up anytime soon, but I did mention that when the time is right, I will certainly be there when called upon.