When a close-knit group of four high school friends—Joseph, Kyle, Sam, and Harry—parted ways after graduation, they made a solemn promise: no matter what life brought, they would reunite in exactly forty years at their favorite beach. But when three of them arrived for the long-awaited meeting, their fourth friend was missing.
After an hour passed, worry began to set in. They waited until nightfall, but Joseph still didn’t show. As one of the friends bent down to retrieve a lighter, he spotted a folded note tucked under the bench, addressed to them. Opening it, they discovered a heartbreaking message from Joseph. He explained that he had lost their addresses and, after decades of struggling with poverty in Europe, he couldn’t afford the ticket to join them.
The three friends fell silent, their hearts heavy with the knowledge that their friend had been suffering alone. But their sadness was quickly replaced by a sense of determination. Without hesitation, they booked the next flight to Spain to find him.
When they arrived at Joseph’s address, he was stunned to see them in person. He revealed that his life had been filled with misfortune since his parents’ death, and he had been a janitor for years, unable to get by. Touched by their visit, he revealed his struggles with poverty and loneliness, and they made a new plan: to bring Joseph back with them and give him a new start.
With that settled, they spent the next few days reconnecting and making new memories as Joseph happily became their tour guide in Spain. Before parting ways, they made a new promise—to never lose touch again, and to visit one another every year to continue their journey together.