2014-08-10

【Aiden in English】

        I have never seen a true friend leave my life so far. Sure, classmates moved and acquaintances left, but never friends. And today, a girl named Crystal said her goodbyes.

        Crystal and I became the best buds at the preschool in Bright Horizon Child Learning Center, PA shortly after she moved from CA and I was relocated from NJ. Day in and day out, we enjoyed playing together and had a fun as time went by. When entering a different grade in the different elementary school districts, we had barely any contact like strangers. For some reasons, we seemed to stay connected. Both of us attached the same professional piano teacher Lena Chen for years. But our lessons were so far apart that we hardly knew where we were until we ran into one another for a recital at least once a year.

        About two years ago, she left with her parents for China and then it went back to being strangers again. As much as we didn't see face to face a lot, our families have kept in touch over the years. Yet my mom and Peter, Crystal's dad, used to work in the same building for the same company. Both moms were friends and did their volunteer work together for Guang Hua Chinese School and our local community. I have inherited some extra clothes from Jesse, Crystal's elder brother.

        Now Crystal came back briefly for her summer break in US and will set foot on the other part of the world. Somewhere in me, I recognized her just like her old self. I'm 99% certain that we're not gonna see each other again, well, at least for a long time.

        I've never lost a friend before. Now that I'm about to. I can't stand to see another friend go because I know the pain in losing a friend. Losing a friend is not cool. They're a piece of you. And as they leave, that piece goes with them, gone for good.

            Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

            and never brought to mind?

            Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

            for the sake of auld lang syne.

【紅霞譯文】

        長這麼大，我還從來沒經歷過與朋友分別的場面，當然同學搬家換地、熟人遠行離去，但絕非發生在朋友之間。然而就在今天，我和一位名叫家純的女生相互道別。

        憶想當年，家純自加利福尼亞州插班進入光明天地幼兒園小班的時候，我剛從新澤西遷至賓州不及數月半載，兩人唱歌跳舞一起成長，不知不覺已到了上學的歲數。打那以後，我們各奔東西，因為學區不同，加上年級相差一年，平常鮮少相見，幾乎形如路人。可不知為什麼，彼此又好像從未間斷過來往。多年來，我們一直師從藝術教育家陳倫茜學習鋼琴，儘管雙方上課時間錯開得很遠，根本談不上有任何接觸，但一年至少一次的匯報演出總能把我們聯繫在一起。

        大約兩年前，家純隨父母去了中國，這回我們真的成了陌生人。不過惺惺惜惺惺，好漢識好漢，難道見面並不等於忘卻朋友，更何況我們兩家已有多年情誼。我媽媽和家純的爸爸培志曾經在同一家公司同一座大樓上班；兩位媽友經常一起在賓州光華中文學校做義工，服務於本地華人社區；我還是她哥哥的“接班人”，身上穿的服裝不少都是從家傑那裡承接下來的。

        如今家純回美短期度假，夏季過後很快又將踏上回歸地球對面的征程， 天各一方。久別重逢之時，我依稀辨認出她兒時的容貌，我敢打賭，百分之九十九確定，今後彼此難得再見，至少在很長的日子裡。

        以前我從來沒有失去過任何朋友，看來現在我必須正視現實。有過這次體驗，我不願再經歷下一回，因為我清楚失去朋友的痛苦，送別朋友的滋味並不好受。朋友是你不可分割的組成部分，一旦離去，定會令你難以釋懷。

                怎能忘記舊日朋友

                心中能不歡笑

                舊日朋友豈能相忘

                友誼地久天長