I have known many Terence-s in my life, but two of them stand out from the rest.
I am speaking, of course, of Terence Leong (TL) and Terence Cheah (TC). Our friendships started “accidentally” actually. We didn’t get to know each other until the final year in our studies at NTU, and even then we weren’t as close as we became after graduation. Partly because we clicked well, and also I wanted to maintain strong links with a select group of friends after I have stepped out of the comfort zone of the Boon Lay campus.
TL and TC were one of the few who were with me through thick and thin.
Since graduation day, the few of us maintain close touch with each other. TL, TC, Tony, Liping, Zhiren and I were the usual gang, with the occassional Jinguang joining us. Later on when love blossomed (hehe), Dora and Yali joined the gang as well. As a clique, we have seen each other through many ups and downs in life, be it in relationships or career. Just thinking back on how much we have known each other the past over six years gave me a warm fuzzy feeling.
The highlight, of course, was when TL got married to the ever lovely Dora. I was honored to be one of his “brothers” for the wedding. Seeing my buddy going through the most important day of his life upfront was a blessing beyond description. It is different when a good friend of yours is getting wedded and you are part of the occasion, compared to when you are just a dinner guest at a wedding of someone you hardly know.
Considering how tough their schedules were, it was almost a miracle how we managed to meet up on Monday night for a farewell dinner. TL was literally flying in and out of country all the time, since he is (drum roll please) a pilot with Singapore Airlines. TC was also flying all over the place, often bestowing with tales of foreign places as a regional sales guy for a HR consultancy firm.
So we met up for some drinks, and chatted and of course talked about my imminent departure. It saddens me that it will be even more difficult for me to catch up with them when I am no longer in Singapore. But deep inside I know these friends will be one of the handful whose friendships will remain steadfast regardless of time and distance.
Thank you, my friends, for being part of life for the past years. This is not the end; it’s the beginning of something new. For you, and me.
