As If They Never Parted

 

Echoes of the Past

Twelve years ago, if anyone was looking for Aris, they would definitely find Dimas right next to him. The two friends were like glue and paper back in high school. However, after graduation, the winds of fate carried them to different continents—Aris pursued a scholarship to Germany, while Dimas stayed behind to build a culinary business in Jakarta.

Gradually, their text messages, which started as a daily routine, turned weekly, then monthly, until they were finally swept away by their respective busy lives. Ten years passed without a single greeting.

That night, the ballroom of the hotel hosting the high school grand reunion was brightly lit. The clinking of glasses, boisterous laughter, and 2010s pop music filled the room. Aris stood near the buffet table, feeling a bit out of place among the faces that had now grown mature and adult.

As he was pouring a drink, a familiar voice from behind stopped him in his tracks.

"Aris? Is that... Aris, right?"

Aris turned around. Standing in front of him was a man in a casual suit without a tie. His facial features were sharper, his posture more upright, and a thin mustache now adorned his face. But his eyes hadn't changed—they held the exact same playful gaze.

"Dimas?" Aris was stunned.

Without any warning, Dimas immediately pulled Aris into a tight, masculine hug, patting his old friend's back firmly.

"Crazy, ten years, Ris! Where have you been? Look at you, you've gotten even taller!" Dimas exclaimed after letting go, his eyes gleaming with joy.

Aris laughed, and the awkwardness he had feared earlier instantly vanished. "I should be the one asking you, Dim. You look quite prosperous. A successful culinary boss now, huh?"

As If They Never Parted

Eventually, they separated themselves from the crowd, choosing to sit on the quieter balcony area. Under the city's night sky, the two friends began to exchange stories.

• Aris talked about the freezing cold of Germany, his grueling thesis struggle, and how deeply he missed Indonesian food.

• Dimas shared the ups and downs of starting his restaurant from scratch, the sleepless nights, and how he finally managed to open his third branch just last month.

Strangely, despite not seeing each other for ten years, the rhythm of their conversation remained exactly the same. They still laughed at inside jokes only the two of them understood, reminiscing about the times they were punished to pull weeds in the school yard for skipping history class.

"It’s true what they say, Ris," Dimas said, staring at his glass. "True friends are like stars. You don't always see them, but you know they're always there."

Aris smiled, then clinked his glass against Dimas's. "And tonight, the star is shining incredibly bright."

As the reunion ended and the ballroom lights began to dim, they walked together toward the parking lot. There was no longer any sense of loss for the time gone by. They knew that ten years of separation was never strong enough to erase the bond they had built since their teenage years.

"Tomorrow night, come to my restaurant. No excuses," Dimas said as he opened his car door.

"You got it, Boss. This time, it's your treat!" Aris replied, waving his hand.

They parted ways that night, no longer as two strangers trapped in the past, but as two best friends ready to write the next chapter of their story.