The Evening I Learned About My Old Friend’s Tragic Murder

Friendships, Death, and Reflections

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I greeted my three childhood friends, a rather pungent “mixed salad” of jailbirds and ex-drug dealers, with the customary handshakes and hugs. I hadn’t seen them in years. One friend, the bearish one, embraced me with his forelimbs, squeezing me extra hard. We go way back — wading through the piss, grit, and…