Betrayal
Has a friend ever betrayed you, or caused you to think about them in a different light?
Have you known someone for a long time who suddenly turns against you for seemingly no reason?
Although an event didn't concern me directly, I witnessed an episode last weekend which involved two of my closest friends.
Five of us were out for a few beers and a chat on our usual Saturday afternoon pub jaunt. I arrived at the given meeting place to find two friends already there at the arranged time of 1.30pm. I ordered my pint and sat down. Immediately I could sense that something wasn't quite right with one of my friends, let's call him 'H'. He then told me that a member of the band he plays in died last week and that he was very upset. 'H' can be a moody so-and-so on occasion anyway, but he was understandably not his usual jovial self that afternoon.
My other two friends rolled in - late - at 1.45pm and my friend 'H' decided enough was enough and 'why should we wait' while they drink their pints, he stood up and told them we would be in the next pub and walked out. Me and 'D' went with him and explained about 'H' and his sad loss.
All through that afternoon my other two friends who arrived late 'S' and 'I' were made to play "catch-up" as 'H' decided to remain in a sullen frame of mind with them, targeting 'S' mainly for arguing with him about why he kept storming off without he and 'I'. Me and 'D' decided on the fourth time he did this to remain behind and let him disappear on his own. We didn't see him again and the four of us carried on with our afternoon's session.
Later, 'S' received a text from 'H' saying he was very angry and called him all the names under the sun. My mate 'S' was flabbergasted when he relayed this later on to me over the phone and said 45 years of friendship had just ended. I told him things would work out and blow over. 'S' does have a tendency to be very blunt with people and want to be centre of attention and I think 'H' had had enough.
The trouble is that 'S' and 'H' and their respective wives are booked to go on a cruise together in October, along with 'D' who is tagging along with them. They go everywhere on holiday but now they are worried that it may have to be shelved or cancelled altogether, as both their wives are sticking up for their respective hubbies and not talking to one another too. They have never fallen out this badly before and it's a shame that our "gang" will break up. Me, 'D' and 'I' are basically caught in the middle, not taking sides.
The crux of this is that 'S' is extremely annoyed that 'H' has been so cowardly to insult him by text. It's out of order but I haven't contacted 'H' myself yet.
I have cautiously phoned 'S', 'D' and 'I' to meet up this coming Sunday afternoon for a local drink to talk about things, but I'm not contacting 'H' until we decide what to do about this.
Has anyone else had a problem with a long-standing friend, or a grudge which didn't heal?