The Diary of Anne Ku
11 August 2000 Friday
THE GANG
Do similar people stay friends longer than opposites? I have a theory that initially people get to know each other because they see similarities which they can share. The longer they get to know one other, the more different they become. Over time, opposites become complementary - and that is the force that balances the relationship.
When I was a teenager, we formed a so-called Gang of Four. We got to know each other separately. Xena's parents and my parents were good friends since we were toddlers. When they moved to Okinawa, we became friends. As Hari and Lemondrops were practically next door neighbours, they became friends naturally. At the summer marine biology seminar, we all got to know one other and paired off as Hari-me, Lemondrops-Xena. The following year, for whatever reason, Xena and Lemondrops registered for the same classes - until they got fed up with each other. So Lemondrops got to know me and came out with my Okinawan band. The guys had made the excuse that they wanted to practise their English. The blazing sun bleached Lemondrops' blonde hair and bronzed my skin - what a sight! Meanwhile, Xena and Hari got to know one another and eventually ended up going to colleges in the North West.
Today is Hari's birthday. Like Xena, she's married with two kids. Like me, she had pursued post-graduate education. Like Lemondrops, she loves children. Unlike Xena and Lemondrops, she reads my online diary. Happy Birthday, Hari - I'll see you next month!
The original four
Many years later.