just muse me 16.2.4 Do you have a best friend? How did you meet and how does your friendship last?
His name is Teddy Bland. We met at Dartmouth Naval College where we were the only two doctors in the class, so we became friends on that basis. After that, though, we discovered we had lots in common and we spent long hours drinking, discussing our life in the Navy so far, and telling each other about our lives.
For a while we had the same assignments and although I made friends on the Ark Royal, it was good to have someone there to start with on the long voyage. He spent time telling me about his sister and I enjoyed the his stories of what they got up to growing up together, which was something I didn't have much experience of. Apparently that information had been two-way, as he showed me some of her letters where she mentioned how much she wanted to meet me.
After the Ark Royal we served on different bases and I happened to be sent to one near where Teddy's sister lived. Esther and I became close and Teddy was happy about that. I have to admit that having him as a brother-in-law had its appeal. But it didn't work out and Teddy was annoyed with me for a while, mostly because he thought I'd upset his sister, but she was made of sterner stuff.
We worked together again in Weapons Research. It was an area I didn't want to go into, but knowing I'd be working with Teddy and be back in a part of the world I loved helped. That only lasted a few months and since then we've seen a lot less of each other. Teddy managed to get himself back on ships and I found myself involved with secret government projects that I couldn't tell him about.
I was his best man at his wedding and his kids called me 'Uncle Harry', not that I saw them very often. I wish his marriage hadn't ended up so badly, but when it did end I went up to Scotland to get very drunk with him. I think it helped a little.
No matter what's happened in the past, we're still friends. In the Navy you get used to conducting your relationships by letter and mine with Teddy was no exception. We see each other from time to time and I don't think anything has changed since we first became friends.
For a while we had the same assignments and although I made friends on the Ark Royal, it was good to have someone there to start with on the long voyage. He spent time telling me about his sister and I enjoyed the his stories of what they got up to growing up together, which was something I didn't have much experience of. Apparently that information had been two-way, as he showed me some of her letters where she mentioned how much she wanted to meet me.
After the Ark Royal we served on different bases and I happened to be sent to one near where Teddy's sister lived. Esther and I became close and Teddy was happy about that. I have to admit that having him as a brother-in-law had its appeal. But it didn't work out and Teddy was annoyed with me for a while, mostly because he thought I'd upset his sister, but she was made of sterner stuff.
We worked together again in Weapons Research. It was an area I didn't want to go into, but knowing I'd be working with Teddy and be back in a part of the world I loved helped. That only lasted a few months and since then we've seen a lot less of each other. Teddy managed to get himself back on ships and I found myself involved with secret government projects that I couldn't tell him about.
I was his best man at his wedding and his kids called me 'Uncle Harry', not that I saw them very often. I wish his marriage hadn't ended up so badly, but when it did end I went up to Scotland to get very drunk with him. I think it helped a little.
No matter what's happened in the past, we're still friends. In the Navy you get used to conducting your relationships by letter and mine with Teddy was no exception. We see each other from time to time and I don't think anything has changed since we first became friends.