Friends

Gezim. The moment I saw him again after maybe 2 years, and we both broke into big smiles. We ordered a coffee and sat down together in the cafe, and the passage of time melted away. He's got married since I last saw him, and other changes have taken place, but the pleasure of sitting and chatting made me feel relaxed and happy. So much to talk about, and 4 hours weren't enough. It helped me realise that friends that you can relax with are so important.

And Robert. I met him first over 3 years ago, as I travelled from Montenegro to Albania, meeting him in Shkodra. We made instant friends, and have visited each other several times again since then, in Albania and Macedonia. And now England. Gathering at an old-fashioned pub in an old-fashioned village in the Kent countryside, Robert and his parents, together with me and my parents, sat down to a meal by the log fire. And we nattered. A lot. Our parents happily engaged in conversation, having been friends longer than Robert and I, whilst we also caught up on life and events, like his wedding engagement. And then the time was over far too quickly and we went our own ways, hoping to meet up again soon in some country or another...