Reconnected

How time flies and how we sometimes let friendships lie dormant for years. Paul and I were school-mates in boarding school at Immanuel College in Adelaide two decades ago. Over the years, we lost touch. Facebook got us back in touch a couple of years back. And today, we reconnected in person. Paul and Karen, with three kids in tow, were in Kuala Lumpur on a 9-hour transit on their way back to Adelaide from a holiday in Phuket. A few emails plus numerous text messages later, we made arrangements to meet to catch up over a couple of hours during their layover.

It's funny how having not met for twenty years or so, friends can just reconnect so easily. I can't put a finger on it but perhaps it was because of the bonds we formed all those years ago, living, studying, socialising in a closely-knit school community. I was initially apprehensive as to whether we would have much to talk about after having not met for so long. The apprehension was unnecessary. I had a great time. Five hours is not exactly sufficient time to really catch up on twenty years' worth of news but I came away from this encounter with a sense of renewal, a renewal of a friendship. The few short hours I hope, will be a catalyst towards this renewal. Karen, who I was meeting for the first time no doubt, believes that our years in high school are the times when the strongest bonds are formed. And even after having not met for some time, those bonds can be easily re-established with friends whom we shared that phase of our lives with. There must be some truth to that.

Two fond memories come to mind. Paul a.k.a 'Father Jericho' was the one who gave me the name Kris when at Immanuel. And of course the force feeding episode where Paul force fed me Vegemite while the others held me down. Suffice to say, I have till this day not acquired the taste for Vegemite, no matter how much our friend David, an accomplice of Paul's during the force feeding, sings its praises. I hope to visit Paul, Karen and the kids in Loveday, South Australia someday. The vistas of their vineyard already has me thinking of a return trip to Adelaide and its surroundings soon.

Photo of David, Paul and I, once dorm-mates at Immanuel College in Adelaide, South Australia.