Lost And Found

Have you ever wondered what became of your old friends, the ones you wanted to keep in touch with yet lost contact with?

Well, a while back I got in touch with a friend who attended university with me. We were in a lovely cafe on the outskirts of Malmö, talking about past events and people we used to know and socialise with.

Suddenly, my friend looked very sad, informing she'd found out a mutual friend got divorced and moved abroad. Unfortunately my friend lost contact with her years ago and had no idea where to start. Both of us didn't stay in touch with our old friends.

I suggested Facebook and all the usual things, such as getting in touch with her mother who used to live not far from my friend's parents.

Hooked on the idea to search for our mutual friend yet more inclined to contact old friends from university as opposed to Facebook, we set out to get hold of our friend's new details within a week.

What neither of us knew was that our old friend didn't want to be found.

After nearly two weeks of researching people who might know where she lived, I managed to get in touch with an old neighbour who gave me a number and address of where our friend lived before she moved abroad. The new owner of the big house looked at me suspiciously when letting me inside, saying "don't you know your friend severed all ties with everyone, family, friends and colleagues?"

Stunned she'd left everyone and everything she knew behind without a trace, I asked the new owner, middle aged bespectacled man, if he knew the reason.

"Of course. It's common knowledge your friend went through a lot of heart break and opted to start a new life far away from here."

Consumed with fear something dreadful happened to her, I asked in a low voice "What exactly took place that was so awful she decided to leave everyone behind?"

The man shook his head, then replied "after her parents died, her husband met someone else and she miscarried shortly after he left her."

Too upset to talk, I enquired whether she'd left a forwarding address or number. Surely, she'd be willing to stay in touch with old friends?"

Disappearing into the adjacent kitchen, the man returned a few minutes later with a piece of paper. "She sent it to me years ago in case someone wanted to get in touch. It's an old number. I don't expect it exists any longer."

Thanking him, I returned home and called my friend. That evening I called the number and was on the verge of hanging up when someone picked up. Hearing her voice was all I needed to know it was our friend.

To cut a long story short, our friend moved to Sydney where she met and fell in love with the man who became her husband. Many years later, they still lived in the same house, had two children in their upper teens and loved the life they'd created for themselves.

I and my friend are visiting them later this year and we can't wait to meet her and fill in all the gaps since we last saw each other at university.

How about you? Have you reconnected with people you've lost touch with?

I'd love to hear from you.

Enjoy the sunny weather,
with much love,
Hélene xx