Best Friend

Matthew is coming into town this weekend from his home in New York. Matthew's visits are always a welcome distraction. Matthew Carmichael has been Steven's best friend since college.

When his mother passed away and Steven needed to get away from the constant chaos at home and the dark mood that his father would bring Steven turned to school. He focused on learning everything he could about business and economics. His efforts paid off getting a full scholarship to the London School of Economics.

On Steven's first day as a freshman five minute into the ECON 101 professor's lecture the door opened and in walked the most average looking person you would meet. Medium build, medium height, disheveled hair. The only thing he lacked for room he was walking into to was the fearful hesitancy that most freshman have, especially walking in late on a professor with a reputation of being a hard ass, legend has it he threw a student out that did not know who John Maynard Keynes was. The look in Matthew's eye said that he already knew what you knew and he wanted to see if you change his opinion. As Steven would learn, he never changed his opinion.

Matthew sat down next to Steven. After class Matthew introduced himself by saying "Let play a little game, Let's get to know Steven." A bit taken back by the use of his name, Matthew with a knowing look, pointed to the schedule on the desk with Steven's name at the top. Steven shrugged his shoulders and said okay. With a gleam in his eye, Matthew said let's start personal! What is your opinion on Marxism? Caught a little off guard, Steven started mentally filing through his thoughts on Karl Marx and how his ideologies explain some of the behaviors we observer between business owners and their employees. Just as he was getting his thoughts lined up and starting to speak Matthew cut him off and said "too personal? I agree. Sorry. I will back off a little." and in complete seriousness he asks, "Is your mom single." Steven's minds shifts from economics to utter confusion and said the first thing that came to his mind "what the bloody hell, man." Matthew's dead pan response was "I take that as a no."

After their first chat Matthew and Steven became best of friends, debating everything from the efficiencies of convex piston heads to the long term economic prospects of the EU. Every once in a while Matthew would question Steven's choice on not being more active with women and Steven would question Matthews choice on preferring women older than he was. Steven could always count on Matthew to always give him a new perspective on the world he experienced.