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Although they had been the best of friends forever, if truth be known, they hardly knew each other and what more they really didn’t like each other.  Liking each other is not a prerequisite of friendship.  In fact, the strongest sign of a friendship is based on mutual dislike, mutual disdain, mutual disapproval.  It doesn’t matter – as long as the feeling is mutual.

 

Thora and Dulcie had been in each other’s lives since always.  Always side by side, they have never been close.   And now they could see each other every day if they wished, simply by looking out of the window into the window opposite.  Now they could see each other every day if they wished.  But they did not wish to.

 

Another sign of friendship is keeping close but at arm’s length.  In the case of Thora and Dulcie this meant keeping to their own houses across the street.

 

Both Thora and Dulcie had had families.  Both families had gone.  Their children had liked, hated, loved, befriended each other over the years but the years had passed and now they were all gone; following their own paths. 

 

Both Thora and Dulcie had had husbands who they had each liked, hated, loved and befriended over the years but the years had passed and so had they.

 

*

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The necessity to talk to each other had lessened over the years.  Where once they would have prattled for hours, now Thora and Dulcie had little to say to each other.  There was nothing to report; nothing happened in their lives to report.  Another sign of friendship is being comfortable in silence and Thora and Dulcie were.  It was just that they were comfortable in their own homes.

 

They say that often twins develop their own language which only they can understand. Thora and Dulcie were just plain speakers.  When they did speak.   They only spoke when necessary. 

 

*

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Neither of them was sure when the system started, or indeed how it started or which of them started it but it became a routine.

 

Routines are what define us.

 

Brown          -        I am in the garden

Black            -        I want to be left alone

Blue             -        I am feeling lonely

Yellow          -        I am happy with life today

Green           -        I would welcome a visit, the door is open

Red              -        I am in danger, I need help

 

.

 

This was how they let each other know how they were.  A little flag hung in the window. 

 

A sign of their friendship.

 

*

**

 

Dulcie called the ambulance as soon as she saw the red flag.  At that point she did not even venture across the road to see what was wrong.  In all the years they had never used that colour, that flag.  They had promised to themselves that it was only to be used in extreme circumstances.  So, Dulcie phoned the ambulance and then Dulcie phoned Thora’s son.

 

The ambulance arrived first.  Donald was busy and arrived late.

 

Donald was too late to see his late Mother.

 

Dulcie had crossed the line, crossed the road and was with Thora.  At least Thora did not die alone.

 

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