In a small neighborhood where narrow dusty streets passed between old houses and open land, two boys were known by everyone for always being together.
Their names were Elian and Matteo.
From the age of five, they spent almost every afternoon side by side. They ran through the alleyways, hid behind broken walls during games of hide-and-seek, and chased insects in the tall grass beyond the last houses in the area.
Elian’s father worked as a mechanic at a small roadside workshop and was rarely home because of long working hours. Matteo lived with relatives because his mother worked in another country and sent money home to support him.
But none of those things mattered to the boys.
To the people around them, their bond looked deeper than ordinary friendship.
They looked like brothers.
One afternoon, however, their lives took an unexpected turn.
Matteo’s mother finally returned after many years abroad with news that would change everything.
She had arranged for Matteo to move overseas with her.
On the day he left, the two boys stood in the same street where they had spent countless afternoons playing.
They hugged tightly and cried without trying to hide it.
“I’ll come back one day,” Matteo said, wiping his tears.
“I promise.”
At that age, both of them believed it would only be a short separation.
But years passed.
Five long years later, Matteo returned to the neighborhood.
He was thirteen now—taller, more confident, and dressed neatly as if he had just come from a special event. He had stopped by to visit relatives after arriving from the airport.
As he stepped out of the car, he noticed a boy sitting beside a small roadside shop.
The boy looked thin. His clothes were old and faded, and his sandals were covered with dust and dried mud.
At first, Matteo didn’t recognize him.
Then the boy raised his head.
Their eyes met.
Matteo slowly placed his hand on his chest.
“Elian?” he said quietly.
The boy stood up slowly, shock written across his face.
“Matteo?”
Matteo paused.
The cheerful friend he remembered seemed different now. The old Elian had been energetic and full of laughter.
But the boy standing before him carried a tired look in his eyes, as if life had been much heavier than it should be for someone his age.
Matteo stepped closer.
But Elian took a small step back.
“It’s me,” Matteo said gently.
Then he noticed so
