That was yesterday

Walking around the old neighborhood, and walking into another time. I meet some of the old neighbors and they ask me how I am. I say that I am doing fine, working and living the life in the big city. I don't say much but you can't really cram a few years into a 5 minute conversation.

I have coffee with a friend I grew up with, who is visiting from Denmark. Her parents still live in our old building though, and mine moved to another place. She looks good and doesn't think about coming back for more than visits and vacations, and I understand.

After that I decide to walk to my old school, just for kicks.

The paths that I walk seem strange and familiar, like I've been there but in another life. Like I have amnesia and don't really know where I am going but still know how to get there. I walk past the small smoke-filled cafes that Toni and I used to spend so much time in before and after school. We talked about what we were going to do once we were out of high school and the places that we would visit and the bar we would open on the beach. I don't remember what the name of that bar was but we were going to have live music at night. For sure.

I moved to another city and she moved to another country. Come to think of it, many of my friends did. My sister did too.

My old school doesn't look as old. They've done some work on it. It's totally empty because it's a Sunday. I curse at myself a little for not going there on Thursday or Friday. But maybe I've had enough trips down memory lane for me to meet my old teachers as well. Maybe next time.

As I stroll back to my parents' apartment I start counting. It's been almost 8 years since I graduated and, effectively, moved away. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I will spend it in another town. I will be 27 years old. But that's tomorrow.