he had been a friend of a former girlfriend of mine who met each other in summer camp when they were in high school.

because i met her a few years after that our paths never crossed.

he was a deep thinker, extremely successful, humble, and we respected each other.

‘how do you define a Friend,’ he asked me, turning the tables.

we were in his beautiful home and i said that i remembered being in a courtroom once and a lawyer was cross examining a witness of a violent crime.

the lawyer was trying to prove the witness was unreliable because he had called the assailant a friend. in a cruel display, he asked the witness, who was homeless, why he thought the other man was his friend.

i dont know, he said, obviously not wanting to be tricked by this educated lawyer.

had you two ever broken bread together? the lawyer asked.

broken bread?

eaten together. had you two ever had lunch or dinner together? the lawyer said indignantly.

no, the homeless man admitted.

have you ever been to each other’s house, the lawyer asked in the lowest blow ive ever seen in a courtroom.

objection, the defense lawyer said.

i’ll allow it, said the judge.

no, the homeless guy said looking down.

and ever since then i thought that was an interesting pair of tests. have you been to each other’s place is a lot higher bar than have you omg broken bread because at the workplace you eat lunch all the time with coworkers even though you wouldnt really call them friends.

the man who owned the house liked that story.

he then said, so what defines your close friends, and i dont mean girlfriends.

close friends? people who really know you?

and i said, if they know about the xbi.

xbi, he asked? did i see that on your license plate.

you certainly did.

what is it?

lol, i said, ask my close friends.

well give me a hint, he pressed further.

i said, anyone who know my relationship with the xbi knows, for example, that it’s useless to lie to me. and they’d never do it.

hmmm.

and that could be one reason they remain close to me.

afterwards i ordered a bacon egg and cheese biscuit at mcdonalds but the kid gave me two sausage mcgriddles, something i’d never had before and it wasnt bad.