Childhood Memories

Dear Peter,

I don’t remember when was the first time we actually met. You were suddenly in my childhood life. The Woo’s and Choi’s would have dinner at least 2 times a month, and we would hang out nearly every weekend after church.

I still fondly remember sleepovers at yours and mine. The good old times when we watched South Park at your place in South Horizons, play Sim City and jump around your bunk bed. And then you moved to a bigger apartment and it was our world from then on. You got your own computer and a TV for your N64. Oh, how I hated your sweaty hands when we used to play that baby faced baseball N64 game.

Church was also epic back then. We would always get into trouble for not concentrating in masses, throw tennis balls up the church walls and running around for no apparent reason.

We weren’t as close when I suddenly moved to Shenzhen and went to Shatin College. But we always stayed in touch and would always be the same when we met. After high school, I went to Korea while you went abroad to Switzerland and we really kind of lost touch from then.

Still, we met a couple times during and after University, and it was never different in any way. It was always a blast. The last time I met you was in September 2018 in Korea. I picked you up after work and headed near my place. We had too much soju bombs that night, got pissed drunk while talking about each other’s future. We certainly had our differences. Our lifestyle and goals were completely opposite to one another. But when we met, we were the same old kids who used to run around like lunatics at church or at home, just acting like adults drinking alcohol in bigger clothes.

The day I heard about what happened to you, it was probably the happiest and saddest day of my life. I was actually making wedding arrangements with my girlfriend until I got a phone call from my mum. I didn’t pick up the phone because I was busy, but straightaway my smart watch message popped up and I just completely stopped. My mum messaged me that you had passed away and I could not believe it.

I never thought this day would come so fast. I regret not being able to contact you more often, and like you said the last time we met, take more photos. I’m so sorry for missing your call when I went to HK last year during CNY. I was actually just too hung-over and wasn’t able to get out of my hotel room that day. Thank you for being my friend for the past 30 years, and I will always remember you as a friend who cared more about others than yourself.

Hope you have a blast in Heaven.

You’re probably already speaking to Socrates and Steve Jobs right now.

고맙고 사랑한다 친구야. 자주 놀러갈게.

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