Heavy rain always brings back memories, memories buried deep in my heart. I know, perhaps my name isn't important to you. But tonight, allow me to tell a story that was never finished. A story about my childhood, about a promise, and about them—four other children whose lives were bound by a fate they never understood.
I don't remember exactly when I first met them. Maybe it was one bright afternoon, when the sun was shining on the schoolyard. Or maybe, more precisely, it was when the light rain fell, signaling the end of yet another boring class. What I do remember is the warmth that always surrounded me whenever I was with them—Arya, Dinda, and the three others who now only exist in my memories.
Back then, I had just moved to a small town, leaving behind a narrow and lonely life. I was nine years old, entering fourth grade at a new school. My life felt empty until I met them. I was a shy child, more comfortable playing alone than joining the other kids. But all of that changed when I met them in the back yard of the school, where we often played hide and seek after the lessons ended.
Arya was the first to approach me. He was a boy with a large bag and a small smile that always warmed my heart. "You're new here, right? Want to play with us?" he asked, extending his hand. I just nodded, feeling a little nervous, but his smile made me feel welcome. It was as if he knew how much this meeting meant to me.
Then there was Dinda, always cheerful and never stopping to talk. She pulled me into their game, introducing me to the others. "This is our group! There's Arya, me, and the other three. If you want, you can be part of it too!" she said, her laughter making the world seem to stop for a moment.
In no time, I became part of them. There were five of us—me, Arya, Dinda, and the other three who I referred to by their initials: R, S, and B. We were inseparable during those two years, spending our days full of laughter, games, and small dreams we shared with each other. Everything felt beautiful, carefree, and without doubts.
One day, under a cloudy sky, the five of us sat at the edge of the school field. The rain began to fall slowly, its droplets softly touching the ground. But we didn't care. Arya, who had always been the leader of our group, suddenly stood up and said, "We need to make a promise."
"A promise about what?" I asked, confused.
"A promise that we won't forget each other, no matter what happens," he replied firmly, his serious eyes looking at each of us.
Dinda looked at him with bright eyes. "Of course! We'll be friends forever!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with certainty.
S, who was usually quiet, held my hand tightly, looking a bit hesitant. "But… what if we move or can't go to school together anymore?" she asked softly, her eyes filled with worry.
Arya smiled, as if confident there was no obstacle greater than their friendship. "It doesn't matter. As long as we remember this promise, we'll always stay connected, no matter what happens."
R, who was usually mischievous, looked serious for the first time. "Then we have to make something so that this promise can't be forgotten," he said with a deeper tone.
B took something out of his small bag—an item that was important to all of us. "How about we write the promise here? We'll keep it, and one day, we'll all come back to open it," he said, looking at us with hopeful eyes.
We all agreed. Using a marker taken from Arya's bag, we wrote something on that item. I don't even remember exactly what I wrote, but what I do know is that I felt happy. Happy because I felt accepted, because I had friends, because I felt alive—finally.
We hid the item in a place that only the five of us knew. That spot became the witness to our promise—the promise we made beneath the cloudy sky. We promised that one day, we would return, when we were adults, not knowing that time would not always be on our side.
Two years passed, and everything changed. My family had to move to another city, far away from them. My last day at school was the most painful day of my life. I cried, hugging them one by one, feeling like I was losing a part of myself. "I'll come back," I said, though deep down, I knew that the possibility was small.
They changed too after I left. Arya and Dinda stayed at that school, but R, S, and B slowly disappeared from our group. After we graduated from elementary school, they moved to different schools, leaving Arya and Dinda behind. The friendship we once had, which felt so strong, slowly faded. I could only remember them from afar, hoping that one day we would meet again, though I knew that promise might have been forgotten.
But I didn't forget. I never forgot. Even when everything felt like a dream, that promise remained in my heart—like a shadow that never disappeared. And now, after everything has ended, I can only hope they didn't forget me too.
The rain kept falling, bringing that memory back. I don't know if they still remember me, if they still remember the promise we made. But one thing is certain: I am always here, amidst the rain and the memories, waiting for the day they find me again.
Even if, by then, I will only be a shadow in their memories.