Prologue

"There's something about childhood friends that you can't just replace."

Do you still remember your childhood memories? Your childhood friends? Because me, I clearly still remember my childhood, especially the memories that I had with my childhood best friend, Horsy.

I was a bubbly little girl that always excited to wake up every morning because I knew I could play all day with him. He made my childhood so exciting and memorable.

But one day, everything had changed...

"Are you really leaving?" I asked him while looking at the ground. "Can't you stay just a little bit longer…. You promised me you will let me win on tag…."

The man beside me shook his head and replied, "You know I can't stay here, Turtle. My grandfather needs me, and my mother can't take care of him alone. He needs me, Turtle.... they need me.'"

After hearing those lines, my heart got ripped into shreds. Those birds chirping above the branches made my stomach twirl inside of me, feeling giddy. I clenched my hands and pinched my hips. But…. despite my tantrums, there was no other way around this.

Horsy will leave me…. And I couldn't chain him down with me. My mom never taught me that.

After a few seconds, the little boy, of the same age as mine, chuckled to himself and whispered, "I will slowly run now... make sure you'll gonna catch me this time, little turtle "

It was the little saving grace that I had spent my time with him. Since I was just seven years old, I could not ask for more but Horsy's time. He was like a brother to me…. A prince charming inside the books that I read every night…

He was like something more when we grew up... And I wanted that to happen, instead of a dollhouse my friends wished for.

He started running around our garden, where we usually play tag and hide and seek. He keep running and calling my name to catch him... But instead of catching him, I sat on the picnic blanket that we laid out and continue pinching my hips.

I tried my very best not to cry, but I can't hold it anymore. I looked at him and my sight becomes blurry immediately. I cried... so loud.

Few moments later, I saw a man standing in front of me. I looked up to see who is he even my sight is still blurry, "Here! I know I can't stop you from crying... but ice cream can." He sat beside me and give the ice cream he was holding, "If you stop crying, I promise I will buy you another ice cream."

The ice cream charmed my eyes, telling me how special it was. But when I eat it right away, my tongue would probably not like it. However, when I left it on my hand, the vanilla cream would drip on my fingers. And before I could even finish it, the ice cream would disappear…. for forever.

It was the irony of our situation right now.

After a few minutes, an adult came inside our house and called him.

If I had to guess it right, that woman was Horsy's mother. She had come here to fetch his son and finally leave this place.

"I got to go…." Horsy's mumbled, as he gingerly got off from the blanket. "Goodbye."

"What about our promise?" I asked for the last time.

"Of course, I will…. I promise. And if I come back, we will play again all day long. Do you want me to do a pinky swear?"

I nodded and offered my fingers. Horsy did the same as we exchanged vows.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The last thing I remembered was Horsy's back moving farther away from me. My feet wanted to chase and tell him I didn't want Horsy to go. But when I finally moved my body, his car raced towards the road.