Feeling Homesick
In university, I befriended a guy who was into heavy metal music. He was quite different compared to me. I was sporty and on the university football team, while he was big on metal music and substances.
He had come from the other side of the country and I could tell he felt quite lonely. He was also just barely surviving financially.
I used to invite him into my room with some of my other friends, and it would always end up with us talking about conspiracy theories until the early hours.
When we were going out, I would drag him with me and I would stick a $20 or so in his pocket. I started a cook-off with him in the halls as he wasn’t sure how to cook. I gave him a few recipes and he ran with them.
He was a great guy–we liked totally different things, but at the same time, we connected. Anyway, one of these nights, I forced him out because he was looking homesick in his room.
He was tipsy and when we were walking home, he made a confession I’ve never forgotten. He put his arm around me and said: “You know, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
I thought he as referring to him being out and about, so I responded, “I know; you were tough to persuade to come out.” He then said, “No, not this; I meant that you saved me so many times and you don’t know it.”
Being confused, I asked what he meant. “Dude, I’m so unhappy here that I’ve thought about ending it all, only for you to come in and start talking to me.”
I was in shock. I remember him looking straight at me as if he didn’t just confess his darkest secret. He just smiled and motioned to the takeaway stand, asking if I wanted anything and saying that he was buying.
A few weeks later, we broke for Christmas and we all went back to where we came from for the holidays. He rang me and he was in the car with a friend driving back to university to get his stuff.
I remember him sounding so relieved. He thanked me for everything. It was only later that I realized the difference I made, and it messed with my head a little bit. I started thinking about how things might have played out if I didn’t initiate all of those times.
I sincerely hope he’s doing well nowadays and that he’s no longer feeling homesick. Story credit: Reddit / interyama