The human factor

For that short or long (depending on how you look at it) period he was the first to see my texts and holiday snaps. He waited patiently each time I was running late. He stayed by my hospital bed. He was the first one I thought of when I needed to check the result of an important exam. Or when I had to buy a birthday cake at the very last minute. He never complained when I needed to get up in the middle of the night to travel across the country. He never protested (in fact he helped!) when I completely changed our holiday plans on a sudden whim (and due to a few glasses of port). He did not seem to understand the term ‘offended’. Even when I forgot to call in on him at Christmas. Of course, like everyone, he had his weak moments, which had recently become slightly more regular, it seemed. Then he shut me out completely. He would disappear without warning for few days. However, he always came back with his usual ‘Hello!’, ‘You c