a deep goodbye

On Feb, 28th was my last day in Leuven. After six months I had to return to Brazil to continue my doctoral studies there. But the special goodbye happened on Feb, 27th. 

As long it was my last day in the city, I invited my best friend there to take a coffee in one special and very pleasant coffee house in Leuven, called Barboek. Another friend of mine introduced me to this coffee house, and my beautiful wife liked a lot when she visited me in Leuven. 

For this reason, I thought it was a great idea to go there with my best friend in Leuven on my last day in the city. It was a good choice. She loved the place and I believe she will come back to more coffee and studies there.

But the most meaningful to me was the third part of the goodbye day. After the coffee house, my friend Wincy told me that for her, it is so more special the time we spend together talking alone than with another friends in some kind of farewell dinner. For this reason, she postponed the dinner time to a little late, so in this way, we could continue the talking until 20:30. 

And, of course, we did it. As talk to us is not a problem the time really flew and we had to start to cook the dinner. She wanted to try to do the empadão and I was there to help her, as long it was a Brazilian dish. We ate, we talked with the friends that was there, we laughed together and everything was amazing. Amazing food, song, companies, talks. Then, everybody started to leave to go to sleep, or come back home. 

So, the meaningful thing that I told above started to happen. After everyone leave, we stayed there talking and she said: “you are realizing that I don´t want you to go”. And I said: “I have no problem to stay talking. I have nothing else to do”. And then, we talked until 4 am in the morning that was the time I had to leave to take my luggage and the train to go to Brussels and Amsterdam. After the talking, we said goodbye to each other. She gave to me and Andrea one beautiful hand made traditional Hong Kong cord, like a friendship bracelet. Andrea and I loved the gift. It was, for me, a very special moment. I believe we both suffered with the goodbye because of the deep relationship we builded in this six months I was there.

My friend Wincy is not good with affirmative words but I could realize how deep was that moment for her as well. 

Why this was so meaningful to me? For me, It was one the most amazing gesture that she could do. Stayed awake until 4 am just to enjoy until the last moment it was possible with me means a lot for those who has “quality time” as one of his “language of love”. This was a gesture that I will always remember.

Leuven was an amazing experience and real blessing in my life. We found another part of the family there. Wincy became my sister in law, because since the first moment she met Andrea, she called her sister. And this is amazing.

Andrea and I have “saudades” of Wincy and we hope to be possible to see her again someday, not only online. 

It is good to make friends through the way we pass. And Wincy, for sure, was so much more than just a friend for Andrea and I. 

I believe this was the reason for a so deep goodbye.