Life sent my best friend to the opposite side of the world. Or perhaps she was just running away. But I am of the opinion best friends shouldn’t judge each other. Or maybe they should.

We would meet whenever there was a chance, even if that happened between connecting flights. This took place for more than a decade, maybe almost two. No matter how long or how brief the meetings were we felt there was never enough time to catch up.

We would talk about everything: family, common friends, travels, books, movies, a little bit about the future, a lot about the present and a whole lot about the past that had gotten bigger every time we met.

I know my friend had been rehearsing that question for many years, just seeking courage to, one day, perhaps, ask it. It had to sound natural, spontaneous, truly en-passant, like many others before in the course of our conversations that lasted hours when the occasion allowed for it.

And I feared for the day the question would materialize and prayed that day never came. We were such close friends and there were no secrets to be shared, we knew every single detail of each other’s life. It was so strange that that question remained in such a forbidden and feared territory.

But we both knew the inevitable question would come. And then it did. With that pained expression that had never really left her face, my friend asked:

“Has he ever asked about me?”

“Just once.”

For years, I had feared the same question from HIM as well.

“When?”

“Many years ago. I can’t remember.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you were getting married.”

“Did you tell him that?”

“No.”

“What did you tell him then?”

“That you were fine.”

“Why didn’t you just say we had lost contact?”

“Because that would be another lie.”

“We are all pretty good about lies, aren’t we?”

That statement angered me. I fired:

“Speak for yourself”.

She tried to return the fire:

“Isn’t omission the same?”

A heavy and never-ending silence descended between us. This was not the tone of our friendship. She smiled and said:

“But tell me about your kids.”