I met my friend Jane in Louisville to celebrate her birthday. Jane and I have been friends since the summer between Junior and Senior High School. Since we’re both about 28 ~cough cough~ that isn’t so long ago. Yeah, my oldest grandson is 18, so I may be a little off on my timeline.

Anyway, the nice thing about taking somebody out for a birthday is that, no matter who’s paying, you both get a good lunch. We went to The Irish Rover on Frankfort Avenue. The Rover has great food and a wide variety of beer, stout and ale. The server recommended a Bell’s wheat beer with orange slices squeezed into it. That’s a little frou-frou for us, but we went with it, and it was very good, especially with the fish-and-chips and blue cheesecake we shared. Blue cheesecake is a savory cheesecake made out of — guess what? — now, let’s not always see the same hands — that’s right, blue cheese.

Then we staggered down to the Java Brewing Company — that’s COFFEE brewing, thank you — for coffee and to eat the flourless Guinness chocolate cake we got to go from The Rover.

One of the many things we talked about is how invaluable a gift real friendship is. It can stand the test of time, of irritation, of need, of absence, and of truth.

Happy birthday, Jane!

WRITING PROMPT: Have a character meet someone he/she knew a long time ago. Is there a friendship there? Did your character know it all along, or just realize it upon this reunion?

MA