Member-only story
When old friendships meet new realities.
A Reunion with a Different Vibe
That evening, I arrived at an upscale restaurant in South Jakarta after navigating the rush-hour traffic. This wasn’t just any restaurant — it was known as a favorite spot for government officials, a place where negotiations, meetings, and lobbying took place.
The crowd reflected this reputation: mostly Gen X, Boomers, or early Millennials. It was far from my usual scene — no laid-back cafés with a mix of younger and older generations, no casual chatter over lattes.
I was invited to dinner by Emmy, let’s call her that, a distant relative who now held a high position in a ministry. To my surprise, she had recently become acquainted with Debby — my high school best friend and seatmate, who also happened to be a high-ranking official in another ministry. I was their mutual connection, a bridge between two different circles.
Besides our shared history, there was one more thing that united us: the Javanese language. We were all from Central Java, and this dinner would be the first time in years that I’d get to immerse myself in the rhythm of my mother tongue. I hadn’t met either of them in almost five years — not since before the pandemic.
