Taimur and Daniyal were twins and had been my next door neighbors since I was five years old. Not only did we go to the same school, but our evenings and weekends were spent together too. It was like we were inseparable. I never felt that I needed any friends other than them. Unexpectedly, one evening their parents shared the news of them moving to another country — Australia.

I was shocked to realize that we would never be together. I started recalling all the good times we had spent together, such as playing in the school breaks, the play dates, and all the fun things we did. Was it all going to end?

When we had been through so many highs and lows together, shared secrets and supported each other through thick and thin, their moving away felt like my heart was being taken away. The news of their departure left me feeling empty and lost.

I was thinking about the biggest change that I was going to face in a few days. It was a difficult pill to swallow, but I knew I must move on. Though it wasn’t easy at first, I was trying my level best to beat the mental pain I was in.

After hearing the news, every day felt like a struggle, the school didn’t feel the same; the lunch breaks had no purpose. Soon there would be no one to compare the test marks with, homework remarks would not excite me like before, and so on. I couldn’t help but feel lost and alone already.

For a few days, I even felt less confident while rehearsing (排练) for my performance at the upcoming school’s annual event. But what I learned at this point in life was that your family can be the strongest support when you don’t even realize it. Turn to your family for support if necessary. Reach out to people who care about you. Find meaningful connections and share how you feel.

Seeing my condition, my family advised me to make the most of the time that was left before they moved.

Saying goodbye wasn’t easy, but it set my heart at ease to realize that we could still be the closest friends.

The day that I met my best friend for the first time, I was anxiously reviewing for an important exam in the local library. Because I kept being disturbed by others, I was unable to make any progress, The last straw was when I heard someone singing behind me. I turned around and gave the person a dirty look. It was a tall girl about the same age as me and she had a slight smile on her face. Standing near the “English Literature” section, she seemed to be looking for a book. “How could she be so selfish (自私的)?” I thought angrily.

I picked up my books, looked into her eyes and said angrily, “Please be considerate in public. I’ve been unable to study because of your terrible singing”

I still hate thinking of that moment. Let me tell you the rest of the story though.

Two hours later, I realized I’d forgotten my most important textbook in the library. What was worse, the library had already closed. I was close to tears. Just then, the phone rang. A soft voice introduced the speaker as Li Hua and asked if I was Jane. After confirming that I was, she told me that she had noticed my book in the library. As my phone number was in it, she called and told me she didn’t live far away and could bring it to me.

Paragraph 1: I sighed (叹息) with relief and agreed to meet her at the store down the road.

Paragraph 2: Can you believe we became best friends?

All through school, I had only one close friend. We spent years together, essentially joined at the hip. But then Greg moved away, and I never thought it would take more than 40 years to bring us together again.

As children, Greg and I dove into everything with passion. At that time, we were pure and kind, full of curiosity and expectation for life. We raced our bikes and illustrated our own comic books. We even became attracted to the same blonde girl from around the corner, a sixth-grader named Joanne who barely knew we existed.

The last time I saw Greg was sometime in 1966. It was so short a meeting that I couldn't recall saying goodbye before he moved. Since then, we lost touch.

But then, a few summers ago, I saw a familiar woman. "Excuse me. Would your name happen to be Joanne?”

“Uh, yes…” She didn't recognize me until I explained who I was. We hadn't exchanged more than a few dozen words in our entire lifetime. “Have you stayed in touch with Greg?” she asked. I was surprised she even knew of our friendship.

“No. I haven't,” I admitted. “I wish I had.”

Back at the cabin I checked my messages. I glanced at one email, and then read it from start to finish. The email was from Greg.

Greg had tracked me down through social media. He was now married, had two children and had become a musician and entrepreneur（企业家）. We exchanged several emails before connecting by phone. A month later, my wife and I drove to meet Greg and his family in person.