The house next door

My childhood friend Arun visited today after nearly four years. We stood awkwardly at the doorway exchanging updates about jobs and family before running out of things to say. Then he mentioned the time we accidentally broke out neighbour's flowerpot and blamed a stray cat. We laughed until my mother came out to ask what was wrong . Suddenly, the years between us felt smaller. He has changed and so have I , hut some jokes apparently survive anything. After he felt, I felt both happy and sad. I had missed him without fully admitting it and one afternoon had reminded me why