An absent-minded friend

Farewell after farewell - that was the theme for the past few weeks. No one knows when our path will cross again. Memories are all that will be left.

Today, I had a farewell dinner with two friends, one of whom was my very first friend here. I still remember clearly the day we met. It was in the van, heading towards the SU. Initially, we were merely acquaintance with me being closer to another friend of hers. As time went by, our sharing of the same dialect brought us closer together.

I have always been impressed by her maturity at such a young age and her vast knowledge on topics outside her field. Her ability to confront conflict far exceeds mine. She has always complained of my inability to deal with annoying people around me. I think it must be a case of short-term memory.

Tonight's meal was amazingly heavy as my friends attempted to finish off all their food before leaving the next day - roast chicken, japanese curry vegetable, stir-fried long beans, eggs and onions (my dish), roast potatoes and roast corns. We almost had ice-cream for dessert till my friend discovered that the tub was missing from the freezer. What's new?

Later in the night, my friend came and looked for me in my room. We talked for awhile. Then she left. I went back to my laptop. Before long I heard a knock. It was my friend again. She forgot her room key. It was her second time coming back to my room. The first time, she forgot her camera case. And she was telling me how often she forgot to take her keys with her whenever she left a friend's room. I think this will be the final time she forgot her keys in Heronbank. We had a good laugh that night.

Then it was time to say "zhai jien"...