The Day He Left… (December 2, 2005)
Time flies without you noticing. I am in my fourth year here and seeing people come and go simply pinches my heart, leaving it sore for a while. Who could have imagined that for me to study here in Japan I have made a network of friends from all over the world and when it is time for us to part, it is like they are taking away a piece of me.
I was brave. I didn’t cry. Well, maybe the blow was so sudden that the notion of Mervin leaving Japan for good didn’t really have a hold on me. We were supposed to meet on his birthday to catch up and celebrate… the plans were pretty wierd that weekend and we couldn’t meet. The next piece of news I heard about him was that he will be leaving. As it is the end of the semester, I really didn’t have the time to check that piece of news out till I texted him on my cell. There, he asked me to meet him at Narita. I teased him a little, saying that I have classes on Friday and couldn’t make it.
Friday morning came. Yanagisawa-sensei drove Rajiv and I out to Tokyo New-International Airport (Narita) and we arrived around 8am. We waited for Mervin to come with the Yamamine Family. There, I had the opportunity to catch up with them (Yamamine papa & mama) and met people (the Tokoi-family) Mervin had mentioned all the time.
We exchanged hugs, caught up a little and talked about our future. It was a pleasant see-off at the airport. Haha… it wouldn’t be long before I set foot at Narita again. Yanagisawa-sensei has been really into driving to Narita and back (practising her driving). She has been nothing but a darling since we first knew her. Not only she teaches us Japanese and helps us settle in with our studies. She has always been taking pictures and of recently uploading them online for all to see. She often give us meals at her home or bring snacks for us during intensive course(s). Once in a while she takes us on a sight-seeing/cultural study trip. The latest fad was that she got her driving license during Summer and now she is driving the ACTS-es students everywhere!
I can’t believe that Mervin is gone. Seems like he has always been here, will always be here… Well, India is not too far away. After all, we are family! Haha… we will meet again! I will miss you babes; missing all those crazy time we have had together. Be good and take care, ok?
*Do check out Yanagisawa-sensei’s site for pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/miwakoy/
