Twenty Years of Letters

Fiona lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. Gabriela lives in Montevideo, Uruguay. They have been friends for twenty years, but they have never met.

It started in 2005. Fiona was fourteen and she was studying Spanish at school. Her teacher gave the class the addresses of some students in Uruguay. "Write a letter," she said. "In Spanish, please." Fiona wrote three pages about her dog, the rain and her favorite band. Two months later, a letter arrived from Montevideo. It was from Gabriela, and it was in English. "I want to practice too," she wrote.

Since then, they have written hundreds of letters. Later they sent emails, and now they send voice messages every week. Fiona has learned a lot of Spanish from Gabriela. Gabriela has learned Scottish words that nobody in Uruguay understands. They have talked about school, boyfriends, jobs, weddings and babies. Fiona has two children now. Gabriela has a daughter called Fiona.

But in twenty years, they have never been in the same room. Plane tickets were always too expensive, and life was always too busy.

Last month, Gabriela wrote: "I have bought a ticket. I arrive on the fifteenth." Fiona read the message five times.

On the fifteenth, Fiona waited at the airport with a sign. She didn't need it. Gabriela walked out, saw her and ran. They hugged for a long time and cried a little. "You're shorter than in the photos," said Gabriela. "And you're louder than in the letters," said Fiona.

They have known each other since 2005. Now they have finally met. And they have already started planning the next trip, to Montevideo.