Second Chances

Shinjuku, Japan

October 12, 2014

This, perhaps, was the great finale to my dream vacation in Japan: getting together with my former classmate Freda and her sister, Candy; reconnecting and reminiscing our good ol' high school days.

Reunited with my high school friends Candy (left) and Freda (right)

Freda and I have been in contact, planning our reunion since I learned I was going to Japan.

“We’ll stay positive. I won’t allow this to keep me from seeing you,” I assured her when we heard the news that Super typhoon Vongfong was threatening to hit mainland Japan.

We’ve waited far too long to reunite. Neither of us was going to let this opportunity slip. Thankfully, the storm changed course. Although there was a bit of rain, it wasn’t enough to dampen our “party.”

All the way from Chiba where she resides, Freda and her sister Candy took the train to meet Alan and me in Shinjuku. Our meeting place was the train station closest to our hotel. From there, we all walked to a nearby sports bar called Bee Dining & Darts Bar.

I picked up this brochure from Bee Dining & Darts Bar in Shinjuku.

 

Unlike a typical sports bar, this one was specifically focused on darts. It was a spacious basement with cocktail tables and a wall of computerized dart games.

The bar and its computerized darts (photo from Bee's Facebook page).

Alan and I were still full from our lunch at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Roppongi Hills (story here) but we couldn’t resist the delicious pizza and finger food. The most interesting appetizers were the fried spaghetti sticks. They were best enjoyed when dipped in Caesar salad dressing. I wasn’t able to take a photo but the image below is the closest I could find (from Christina Cheung's post in BlogTo.com).

Fun appetizer: Fried spaghetti sticks (photo from Christina Cheung's post in BlogTo.com)

The atmosphere was really enjoyable and laid-back. It set the tone for our fun gathering. Candy, Freda, and I walked down memory lane and giggled about our senior year foolishness. Meanwhile, Alan came back from the men's room saying that it has an amusing way of measuring your wizz. "Mine was 2-1/2 beer cans' worth," he chuckled. That made me laugh out loud.

“You’re still the same!” Freda observed as we posed for our goofy photos.

Goofy pose: Mimicking Charlie's Angels while flashing our must-have eyeglasses.

Taking a break to share photos and update status on Facebook.

It took years for Freda and I to reconnect. Thanks to Facebook, I was able to find her. I’m surprised she even wanted to speak to me after all this time.

It was so long ago and I don’t recall all the details. But I am certain that I broke my dear friend’s heart when we were in high school. We were young. I was stupid. At the time, I didn’t appreciate how much she just wanted to offer true friendship. I took it for granted. I gave in to a former boyfriend's influence and just stopped hanging out with her.

It took years but I'm glad I had the chance to reach out and say I was sorry.

Without hesitation, she accepted my apology.  I was overcome with a sense of comfort when she added, “With the message you sent, I’m now at peace.” 

And we did cross paths again. A wish come true!

In one of her messages, she even said, “I wish someday I can see you again and hug you. I never had the chance to hug you when we were in high school.”

It was so good to see her again and exchange the best hugs we could ever give each other. This day marks the most meaningful birthdays I’ve ever had. A true friend with a heart of gold allowed me to right a wrong, reacquaint, and catch up for lost time. Thanks, Freda, for the gift of friendship.

Thanks for the gift of friendship.

This story continued from Applause! Applause! is part of my travel series about Japan.