You are the girl who left your hometown many years ago. You have already forgotten some of the memories you thought were priceless: breaking your leg at the stadium, your first kiss with Andrei on the bench at the Royal Church, or the day you missed the last train to Bucharest, where you had tickets for the theatre. They’re all gone. Today, you can say that you are a tourist in your own hometown. You pull your suitcase which slides smoothly on the new asphalt, that wasn’t there when you left without knowing if you’d ever come back. The sidewalks have changed and you have changed with them.

Suddenly you hear an excited “hey” from a familiar voice. You answer instinctively. It’s your deskmate from elementary school, Sorina. She recognized you, a sign that you’re not really a tourist in Curtea de Argeș. Small talk follows, but it makes you feel good. Since 15 minutes isn’t enough time to talk about ten years of absence, she suggests that you meet her in the evening at the ruins of Sân Nicoară, in the park.

On the way, images flood your mind: you and Andrei holding each other, while the others talked about their schoolteachers. You wonder how Andrei is.

There is laughter. The ruins haven’t changed, maybe a stone or two have fallen, but the place still has the same fairytale feel. The building itself is a mystery, no one knows who built it or when. But you would have certainly enjoyed sitting and watching people from the observation tower. Andrei would have too. You come across some familiar faces, but you don’t recognise them at first. They’re your old friends, the people you grew up with here, at these ruins, that seem boring to some locals or tourists. Among them is Andrei.

You sit and chat until morning, feeling something long forgotten. You remember the days when your parents used to scold you for not spending enough time with them because you were always with your friends.

As you leave, Andrei offers to walk you home. How can you say no? Sweet as ever and diplomatic, he’s the same Andrei you knew, now with a beard. You walk the new sidewalks together. He wants to see you again and you say yes without hesitation. You realize you need to come back and explore those ruins more closely.