Old Friend
Side 2, Track 3
This is another in a series of stories drawn from the 1975 Chris de Burgh album, Spanish Train And Other Stories. I have endeavoured to be faithful to the spirit of the stories and in some cases include lyrics relevant to tell the tale. As with any fiction, there will also be cases where some license is taken to create and complete a story line.
Old friend you seem to be having troubles again.
In our early days whenever you called and said it was time for a glass of wine you knew I would be there. I was never a wine drinker but it was your way of saying this was a chance to spend some time together and you would tell me so many stories. When you shared the troubles you were having making it through a day, I did my best to comfort you when you needed someone to share your aches, your pains, and to be a friend.
You were old and I was young, but when you needed to get out, I was there to keep you company and help you along. Our favourite outings were fishing. We walked for miles! You taught me so much on those adventures. I learned to swim in the lake and you would throw sticks which we would watch drift away, and skip stones which sank out of sight.
When you didn't feel like going out, there was always time to join you in quiet moments where our thoughts and dreams went unsaid. After so many years enjoying our company together, there was often little need to talk. When you were away I had lots of others to spend time with, to walk with, and to talk about things I did not always understand as I did with you. Never fear old friend; I always waited eagerly for your return.
But I was growing older too — and like you — not always ready for another adventure. On one of our last fishing trips I sat by your side and simply relaxed while you talked to me. It is so clear in my mind even now what you asked of me.
"When the years are heavy and my heart is growing cold my little friend, I wish that when the evening comes, there'll always be an old friend who'll miss me too."
There is no doubt I will miss you, so when you called to me and said time for a glass of wine, I came. I needed some help getting on the bed because I am almost eighteen and for me it is a difficult jump. I curled up by your side and felt those familiar hands stroke my fur and ruffle my ears. Your breathing was heavier than I remember but it is now late in the day for both of us.
We'll close our eyes knowing that to the very end we remained old friends.
