To friendship, food and live music

A seemingly-mismatched group at Galle Face for a concert, but enjoying music from afar. That’s one of the pros of folk, Brazilian and carnatic music. You can listen to it with the volume high or you can listen to it from a distance. We decided to start the night with the music in the distance mingling with the crashing waves. The ships sailing on the great ocean making us stare at the horizon. Night fell as we munched on various types of wadey and blew soap bubbles.

Pic by Sakuna Gamage

We work together, spending at least four days of the week in each other’s company. There was another we don’t see a lot of; a rare sighting, but a friend nonetheless. It didn’t feel awkward, we weren’t made uncomfortable by each other’s presence. We got along so well, it made me realize that our past, common interests or beliefs aren’t what really matter. What makes friendship possible is what we have to offer. Often, we choose to keep to ourselves and don’t make an effort to make friends. We are stubborn, and yet, our stubbornness only brings loss to us. We gain nothing out of it.

That night, we weren’t stubborn. We were young and free. The night was ours and we had no distractions or deadlines coming up. We were there on a work assignment but it sure didn’t feel like one.

The warm breeze and the slight drizzle made us hungrier and happier. Our clothes were slightly damp but we weren’t bothered. Our hair was messy and feet dirty, and yet, we didn’t care. This is something we can afford at our age, not caring. We can turn our backs on the world and say the stares, comments and opinions don’t matter. We could blow soap bubbles and laugh at lame jokes because our minds are still empty of worry, responsibilities and duties.

Galle Face or any other beach is a place we visit often. However, we go to such places with family or close friends. Rarely do you hang out with people who are your friends but who you don’t see much of out of office. When you have mostly unplanned meetings of this kind, you learn a lot about them, and you learn a lot about yourself. Your guard is down, so is their guard. There is no pretending, no trying to impress and no forced smiles.

“That’s who you really like. The people you can think out loud in front of.”  - John Green, An Abundance of Katherines

That night we did think out loud in front of each other. There were moments of silence too, however, when we enjoyed the silence. However, silence too, speaks, and that night we spoke even when we weren’t using words.

This is when you find happiness. The kind that makes a day so special you don’t care if the next day will be terrible. You tease each other; create your own inside jokes and also a memory to treasure. You realize that you never knew these people two years ago, and yet, now, they are who make life worth living.

When the night ended, and we went our separate ways, I should have been tired. I knew it was past my bedtime and I had to wake up early the next day. And yet, as sleep finally clouded my senses, I couldn’t help smiling.

The Nation