ode to cyril

thought it was about time i mentionned my friend cyril. he could well be described as my best friend here, an excellent companion full of wit, charm, generosity and honesty. i met cyril on my first trip to oz as luke and i stayed at his house when we came over for matt's wedding. then i had the pleasure of a visit from cyril to my place in brighton a few years later, which was great, and now i am back in his vicinity so we often take little trips out gallvanting around the city. he may not appreciate me telling you, but he's 86 years old now. but its a good reminder that age can be irrelevant in a friendship - maybe it requires a little thought to avoid climbing lots of hills or generally wearing him out too much, and its a constant battle to stop him paying for everything, but other than that i just enjoy his company. its also a great reminder to me, when thinking about the possibilities for my future, that i really do love older people. maybe its something to do with the urgency it instills in me to make the most of the time you have with them as you know it is running out. sadly for cyril 'skin cancer will be on his death certificate' as his doctor has told him. realistically he is unlikely to make it over to the UK again and i may not make it back here again in time to enjoy his company like this again, so its a case of enjoy it while we can.
i am beginning to get moments of sadness thinking about saying goodbye to him, probably for the last time, and saying goodbye to the nieces. abigail is very sweetly telling me she is going to miss me. they have all become such a big part of my life that i will certainly notice their absence. its that thing with the old and the young that you know it will never be the same again, you only have this short window of opportunity to enjoy them like they are now before everything changes. so here's to making the most of it.