Ayu and Ara had been best friends since they were little, their homes were very close to each other, and they were always together playing, studying, and sharing stories, They understood each other without needing many words, However, life doesn’t always go the way we expect.
When Ara reached fifth grade, something unexpected happened, Ara’s father got the chance to work abroad, and Ara had to go with him, Reluctantly, Ara had to leave her village, and, of course, leave Ayu behind, Before leaving, Ara hugged Ayu tightly, her eyes filled with tears.
“So long,” she said in a trembling voice, “Goodbye, Ayu, Someday, we’ll meet again.”
Ayu could only nod, feeling like something was missing from her life, After Ara left, there was no news, no letters, no phone calls, or text messages, Back then, there was no technology like today, No Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or WhatsApp, Ayu felt like she had lost her best friend.
Time passed, and Ayu grew up, but she still missed Ara, Even though many friends came and went in her life, no one could replace Ara as the one she confided in and played with, To Ayu, Ara was always the best friend in her life, Ayu tried to forget Ara, but sometimes the memories of their friendship would still haunt her thoughts.
Years went by, and thanks to her hard work, Ayu became an auditor at one of the branches of a multinational company based in Singapore, This job was the result of her childhood dream, though it made her busy and often far from her family.
One day, Ayu’s boss asked her to resolve an issue between the branch and the headquarters, “Ayu, tomorrow you need to go to Singapore, There’s a discrepancy in the financial data between the branch and the headquarters, You have to check the data with the finance team,” he said.
“Yes, Sir,” Ayu replied, though she grumbled in her heart, “Such short notice, like a surprise round.”
Upon arriving at a lobby in a Singapore office building, Ayu rushed to a scheduled meeting, That’s when she saw a woman who looked familiar, talking to a group of people, Ayu froze, her eyes locked on the woman.
“Could that be Ara?” Ayu thought to herself.
The woman saw Ayu, and they stared at each other, Slowly, she walked toward Ayu and smiled.
“Hello, are you Ayu? My childhood friend?” she asked.
Ayu paused for a moment, then answered, “Aiya… yes, I’m Ayu, Ayuu,”
Suddenly, Ara hugged Ayu.
“I’ve missed you, Yuu, I’m Ara, your friend from childhood,” They hugged each other tightly, and a mix of happiness and nostalgia filled their hearts.
“Why now?” Ayu asked with a trembling voice, “I’ve been waiting for you for so many years.”
Ara smiled faintly, “I know, Ayu, Life has taken me to many places, After my father finished his work, I started my own business, I often travel to Singapore to meet clients, but I never expected to meet you here.”
Ayu trying to understand, After work, they decided to sit at a nearby café to talk, For hours, they shared stories about their lives, about careers, dreams that had come true, and the struggles they had faced alone, Ayu talked about her stressful world of auditing, while Ara shared the story of her growing business that now reached many countries.
“Why do I always feel so lost?” Ayu said suddenly, her voice soft, Even though you’re in the same world as me.”
Ara took Ayu’s hand, “I feel the same way, Ayu, But now we’ve met again, There won’t be any more loss.”
They exchanged social media contacts, ensuring that distance and time would no longer be obstacles.
“Goodbye, Ayu,” Ara said, repeating the words she once said, But this time, those words weren’t an ending, they were a new beginning.
Ayu smiled, this time without sadness, “So long, Ara, See you again, my true friend.”
In the busy city of Singapore, two friends who had once been separated by time and distance were finally reunited, Now, they believed that So Long Doesn’t Mean So Long (Goodbye).
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