Absent friend

Today is a sad day.

Normally I am a jovial chap. I like to laugh and lark about in the office by teasing my staff with lewd double entendres. But not today.

Because of my easy going nature I tend to make friends quite easily but never close friends. All but one of my friends get to a certain level of intimacy but never get close enough to know the real me or to make a deep impact on my life. The reason for this is mostly because every-time I do let down my guard, my little protective shield; I get hurt, let down or disappointed in some way.  

I say ‘all but one’ because I have in the past 18 months become close to one particular friend. We share the same interests, goals, sense of humor, love of fake boobs (as seen on Sunset Tan and Playboy Mansion), same taste in foods and the same ambition to sample as much a variety of alcoholic beverages before we die with our internal organs pickled.

Sometimes we talk about everything and nothing. Sometimes just watch crappy TV. Sometimes just sit quiet with a beer in one hand and a single malt in the other… or more accurately, we did. Sadly yesterday evening I said my last farewell to my best friend. My bestest best friend.

After spending the last year and a half on Malta, he and his family are moving back to the US of A. We’ve promised to keep in touch and to email, text, call and Skype each other on a regular basis. I’m even looking to visit the States at the end of the year however I cannot suppress the feeling that I will never see my best friend again and its a killer. Henceforth the little shield will be firmly back in place.

So here’s to you friend. The guy who always made me laugh. The guy who could always out drink me. The guy who plays Denny Crane to my Alan Shore and Cheech to my Chong. In the time to come whenever I drink there’ll be two glasses; one for me and one for you.

Absent but never to be forgotten.