Tales of three cities and a friendship…

Days ago, I received a call from an old friend informing me that she will be flying to visit; she is best friends with my X and I haven’t seen her for two years or so…, I really did not know what to expect. I was nervous that seeing her might trigger some memories I’ve been trying to suppress and that I would subconsciously treat her in a way that she doesn’t deserve, in prosecution of her capacity rather than the person she really is…

I picked her up at the airport and headed to my place. We had lots of catching up to do, that night we talked, ate and laughed and my nervousness faded away, she actually made me feel better.

It was to my surprise to see that she has a clear, light and beautiful soul that makes you feel at ease with her being around. I certainly didn’t see that before... neither did I ever feel close to her as I did that day, I felt alive, hopeful and tranquilized in a way I haven’t felt in months.

How can the fact of being close to someone – my X for that matter – ever block the vision of seeing others as they really are rather than “objectifying” them in reflection of their social affiliations?!! Why was I ever considering breaking up with that friend for something she didn’t do or even remotely contribute to?! When did I lose my vision and decided to play things safe and erroneous rather than risky but correct?

We later took a flight to Abu Dhabi and then split ways. I visited some friends in Sharja and Dubai and we met again two days later in Abu Dhabi.

I didn’t like Sharja or Dubai as much as I liked Abu Dhabi… but generally, I had more fun in these four days than I had in the past seven months.

It was certainly a nice change to enjoy the proximity of someone, whom I used to have history with before the “expat’s syndrome” kicks into my systems, and it was definitely more than I ever bargained for; to make a new friend out of an old one.

For all of that I am thankful.