I had a very special visitor for few days. My friend who I met many years ago, at the first uni day.
I come from a rather small town by Polish standards. Inexperienced, unsure of myself going to study in Warsaw, big smoke and big challenge for me. Huge cultural shock. I was provincial and had to catch up. The first day at uni I showed up in a hall full of students. I did not knowing what to do, where to turn and I did not know anyone there. Near me was a pretty girl in a grey suit who smiled at me. She did not know anyone either. There is love from the first sight, confusing perhaps but it happens. This was something similar – it was a friendship at the first sight. We both managed to get our masters degree at maths but we would be very reluctant to count years of our friendship. We are talking big numbers here.
Barbara and I studied together, laughed a lot together, played bridge especially at the exams time. We shared a lot of interests but we were different, like Sense and Sensibility sisters. She was the Sensibility one. Then we went our separate ways, getting married, Barbara having children and choosing different career streams. I even left the country for many years. The friendship was always there, always important to us even if we would not meet for more than 10 years at a time. We still stayed close in some mysterious way. When we meet we have our jokes, we speak the language which only we understand. We talk shorthand. Looking back, I understand why our old boyfriends were not amused being in our company. They must have felt really out of our conversation. For us though, it was fun.
Barbara just left today, after few days we spent together in Gdansk. This time we had a one year break since the last meeting. When she was here we had the same old fun, we still were saying our updated but still private jokes, and talked our specific language. I feel grateful for having a friend I can trust, rely on, respect, learn from and love. A friend I can meet after many years apart and catch up as no time has passed since the last meeting.
La situation que j'ai le bonheur de connaitre avec une autre femme, une copine polonaise de mon jeune age qui y vie toujours pendant que moi même, j'ai quitté la Pologne quelques années après. On se retrouve soit même en compagnie de vieux amis. Ils sont très, très précieux....
ReplyDeleteHi Ela,
ReplyDeleteDziekuje, thank you. Is it about Wanda?
Yes, it's absolutly about Wanda.
DeleteBut almost the same strange feeling of a go back in time I observed when I met my Bachelor class for the 40th anniversary of our exams with 30 people with the same smiles and looks but with white hairs and wrinkled skins. I've gone to Poland for the event and it was the first time I've seen them since the diplomas distribution.
Let us wait ten, twenty years to see what will arrive to our own friendship, Anulka. We will be able to speak about our old friendship which has started when we were so young :).
Elzbieta
PS.: It's a very complicated to write it in English but I think that we should keep only one language in the blog. Otherwise it'll become messy.
It is fun Elżuniu, you are right that our friendship is very young,almost not born yet as we even have not met. And yet we know about each other so much. I am quite certain that our friendship will last a very long time. Only I am not sure we'll ever have grey hair. Not becoming.
DeleteI relate. I have many acquaintances and just a hand full of friends. I cherish the latter just as you do and I do not have to be in touch with them all the time. But when I do, it is like as though we just met yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThis is an old post of mine and the illustrations have been removed due to space constraints but the content should be of interest to you as it is on the same topic.
http://rummuser.com/?p=7342
Thank you Rummuser, beautiful post. Friendships can really warm one's heart.
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