A French man named Victor has reunited with Janu, a Balinese man who looked after him 17 years ago, in a touching reunion that has gone viral on social media.
In 2006, Victor and his family stayed at a guest house where Janu worked and the two became friends as Janu took care of him and his sibling. Janu would take Victor – then six years old – on his motorbike and sometimes bring him along to attend traditional ceremonies.
“Almost everyday I sat for him and his sibling, going around on motorbike, accompanying me at the office, and to the ceremonies,” Janu, 40, said on his TikTok account, @janulembongan.
Victor held on to the dear memories and promised to himself that he would search for Janu if he ever returned to the Island of Gods. He kept a picture of the two together in 2006 and used it to ask around for Janu’s whereabouts when he returned to the island earlier this month.
@janulembongan 5/8/2006 Kami pertama kali bertemu karena dia menginap di tempat saya kerja bersama keluarganya. Hampir setiap hari saya jaga dia dan adiknya, ajak keliling naik motor, menemani saya kerja di kantor sampai saya ajak ke upacara adat. 5/5/2023, Dia datang lagi ke Nusa Lembongan berusaha mencari saya dengan berbekal photo dulu yang dia bawa. Akhirnya Kami bertemu setelah 17 tahun lamanya. Kami sama nangis bahagia dan masih tidak percaya. Sekarang dia sudah besar, tampan dan gagah. Dia berkata: “Saya kerja keras dan menabung agar bisa liburan kesini dan mencarimu”. Seketika tidak bisa menahan airmata. @Yessair #SunsilkCreatorAcademy #temanlama #sahabat #temankecil #bocil #bertemu ♬ original sound – Pearl Ann Jordan Prado
Eventually, Victor found Janu in Nusa Lembongan. When they saw each other again after 17 years, the two embraced in a tearful reunion. Janu had also kept a photo of Victor from their original meeting, which he showed to him.
“On May 5, 2023, he [Victor] returned to Nusa Lembongan attempting to find me using an old picture that he kept. Now we met again after 17 years,” said Janu.
“Now he is already an adult, handsome, and gallant. He said, ‘I worked hard and saved up money so I can travel here and find you.’ I couldn’t hold back my tears.”
The heartwarming reunion has since been shared widely on social media, with netizens praising the enduring friendship between the two men, who had formed a bond that lasted over a decade and a half.
The TikTok video itself has reached 2.5 million views by the time of this article’s publication.
One netizen commented that Janu looked much different from his younger days with some saying that he actually looks younger now.
Janu jokingly replied that he did not know how to take care of himself back then, but also said that it might have something to do with his weight gain.
“Back then I was 23 years old weighing 55 kilograms and now [I’m] 40 years old [and] 105 kilograms. Two-folds. 😂😁😂😁.”
The reunion shows that the friendships we make while traveling can last a lifetime, and that the people we meet along the way can leave a lasting impact on our lives.
