Dear Clayton: I want to meet you again when we’re 30

July 17, 7:31PM

We had one night where I was actually expecting to be on my own to celebrate my birthday in the middle of nowhere. It was as if fate was very playful and tried to mess up with me when it sent you my way. Needless to say, celebrating my birthday with you and at the same time celebrating your birthday was one for the books.

You’re a decent guy, that’s why I’d like to keep you around as much as possible, even as a friend. You’re not one of those whom I met on the road that eventually fade away into the background as soon as we moved on to our onward destinations.

We may not talk as much but the fact that we keep in touch is at least something to look forward to. You’re an exciting being, maybe because we’re born under the same star? Anyway, there’s never an odd moment with you.

One night, I randomly clicked open my movie collection. I don’t know what possessed me but there was this irrational need for me to rewatch Before Midnight that starred Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, this movie was the last installment to Before Sunrise: two young travelers met on the train and lodged into deep conversations as they got off in Vienna, and the rest was history. You see, there was a big similarity of our chanced meeting compared to the movie.

We met by chance, just like any other people around the world. Personally, I’m not a great fan of chanced meetings, I’ve dreaded them as I knew that the person turned out to be a garbage at the end. It happened most of the time, believe me. Honestly, when we met the last time, I sort of prepared myself of the ultimate comedown that follows after we bid our goodbyes. I’ve knew the drill. We truly can’t be left on our own devices, can’t we?

So, I want to meet you again in our 30s. When we’ve lost all of our youth, when there’s nothing but pessimism that crawls beneath our skin. When we’ve made loads of mistakes adults make, when we’ve exhausted our idealistic selves, and realizing that we’re bound to do so and there’s more to come. When we’ve finally unloaded our youthful dramas that every 20-something people like us like to indulge ourselves in.

Perhaps in not trying, we commit ourselves to the free-flowing process of the Universe, that one day we’ll meet again finally say the words that we should have said. One day we’ll meet again circumstance is on our side.

This is a part of a series of letters I actually wrote, but never sent, to an actual person. The name is fictitious.