Prologue
Five years. That was how long it had been since we saw each other.
Not so long ago, we used to talk a lot. Even after leaving the country, he made sure that we were still in touch. Technology wasn’t at its peak during these times, but the internet was in its prime. Having different time zones made it difficult for us to talk. Regardless of that, he still made sure that he was able to make me feel his presence around.
Things were okay, or so I hoped it would have been.
Two years after he left, suddenly the emails stopped. I knew this would happen sooner or later, but it took at least two years for our long-distance friendship to last. It was hard. Back then, I was the type of person, who preferred old friends than meeting new ones.
Time passed by, and every day was going to be different. As much as I hate to say it, he was just going to be another person becoming a part of my life. The ones who add bits of memories onto your life, but don’t complete the chapters following it. He sure stayed for a long time, and I’m saddened by the fact that he wasn’t going to stay for the long run.
I’m a sentimental person so connections that I lose hit me hard.
Things have changed a lot since then—I eventually met new people, went to different places, and experienced new chapters of my life—and he officially became a part of my past. I have been quite happy with everything, but Jake’s memory continues to linger at the back of my mind.
He was right about one thing though. His name engraved in this on our friendship necklace. It served as a solid reminder. I made sure to cherish our memories and kept a piece of him close. Even if he was somewhere far away, I still hoped that he kept his necklace as well. Was it silly of me to keep his little promise when we were young? It was one of the reasons why I never wanted to forget him.
I remember what my mom once told me that promises were the most precious thing any person is willing to grant. I was young. I don’t know any better. All I knew was that our bond was strong. Again, I was a very sentimental person. I still am.
Growing up without him was not easy. Men we’re not so keen on befriending women especially the more I got older. Things we’re a lot more complicated and some of them expected a lot just for being friends with a woman. Jake was only the guy I really trusted to be close to me. I guess it because we were young, and we were still at the stage of being naïve.
It made me wonder if Jake would ever be like the other men I came across throughout my life. Would he also be wanting something else from me? I wouldn’t really know, but I did hope he wasn’t. It’s crazy how even if he’s no longer part of my life, I still make sure to add him, imagining what life will be like. A lot of these “what ifs” swirled inside my head. Seeing that he will not be part of my life anymore, it made me realize that he probably did not plan on keeping the promise he made.
I sighed, letting the wave of nostalgia and melancholy creep over my restless thoughts.
As much as I thought of giving up his memory, something in me still wanted to keep it.
His memory matters, He matters to me. I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep as I held on tight to the tag that bear his name and memory.
