from university for a long time. Those were good times, weren't they? It was clear that Carl was pleased to see me, but at first he wasn't sure what to say to me. He looked so different from the young, happy student I used to know. We were the same age but he looked a lot older than me. His hair was going grey and his face had a worried look. He was also much thinner than I remembered him. Carl pointed at the seat he had just left. "Let's sit down, he said. "I'll get you a drink." I had to go back to work, but Carl was an old friend, a good friend we'd had a lot of fun together at university. I couldn't say no. 'Yes,' I said, 'OK.' I told my friends from work that I would come back to the office soon. They left and I waited while Carl bought two drinks. It was hard to believe this was the same man I had been to university with. He looked so white and thin. Had something happened to him? Maybe he's just been in hospital, l thought. Because I'm a journalist I always ask questions, but when Carl came back with the drinks, I didn't say anything about the way he looked "So, Carl,' I said, just been trying to remember the last time we met. I think it was at your wedding. That was quite a day, wasn't it?' Carl just nodded his head and smiled in a sad way. I didn't know what else say, so I kept talking. Isn't it terrible that we haven't seen each other since then?' I said. "How's Linda? Have you got any kids yet? Carl stopped smiling and looked at me strangely. knew I'd said the wrong thing, but I had to ask about his wife Linda. Linda went to the same university as us and she was