The thing about old friends is that they never really leave you.
No matter how angry you are at them, they’ll come back, and win your heart again in the perfect way only they know, in the way they know you like. They know you inside out, not because they are so very observant, but because they-are-old-friends.
New friends might be supportive, empathetic, understanding and cheerful. But then an old friend passes by, and instantly brightens up your mood – even if they are in a bad mood themselves – like a breath of fresh air. And both of you will smile, sometimes reluctantly, at the person who knows everything about you, not because they are good listeners, but because they-have-been-beside-you-all-this-time.
You might be angry at them for not contacting you frequently, you might be angry because they are hanging out with a new set of friends. But then they come by your house at an odd hour on an odd day – and your mom lets them in, because they’ve been friends so long that they are practically family – and you’ll shout at them for ignoring you, you’ll sulk a little, but then you’re back to normal again. They’re always welcome to the house, not because you spend a great time together, but because they-are-like-family-and-family-is-always-welcome-whether-irritating-or-not.
The new friends you have might be very close to you. You might have told them a lot about yourself. You might text them, snap them all day. But when your old friend texts you, she might bring up the day in Class 9 when you fell smack on your butt in the mud, the day both of you decided a rendezvous at the top floor of your school, the day the both of you trolled an unsuspecting classmate – incidents so small you might have missed mentioning them to your new friend, but incidents which are pure gold. And just like that, the both of you start laughing like crazy, not because the incidents are so funny, but because you-remember-every-amazing-moment-you-spent-together.
This is the thing about old friends – no matter how much you want them to go out of your life, they keep coming back in the form of pictures, texts, events, or in their very person. And if you see them and not talk with them, or at least not grin at them – your heart breaks into a million pieces. Not because you miss them, because they-are-part-of-your-very-being.
Who would want to lose old friends?
They are like living, walking, talking memories. Seeing their current short hair might remind you of the time you cut off their then long hair just for the sake of a dare. When they see you wearing your lucky bracelet, they might instantly realise that you have an important event coming up, important enough to make you bring out your lucky bracelet. And they might hug you tightly and wish you all the best, while your “new gang” looks on in disbelief. Not because a person unknown to them is hugging you, but because they-don’t-know-how-an-apparent-stranger-guessed-things-they-hadn’t-been-able-to.
Ultimately, the thing about old friends is that you always forgive them for old times’ sake. Pitiable is the friendship whose transgressions couldn’t be forgiven. They have shared part of their lives with you, and vice versa. Every word they say is a throwback, every smirk they give is with regards to an inside joke. They know you, and you grew up together. They represent the beauty of your past, they are symbolic of the best, worst and all the mediocre you suffered through.
And no matter what anyone says, in the end – everyone wants to relive their past, even for a little bit. The time when we were not who are now, but someone who was possibly more innocent.
The thing about old friends is that they never really leave you. Not because they
don’t want to, but because they-are-your-past.
And no one can leave their past, no matter how bitter or how sweet.
