“This isn’t family,” he replied. “Although,” he went on, “1) it, it might just 2) have been family. Old Ed was my oldest friend. In fact, we 3) call each other ‘Old Friend’ — when we’d meet, that is. I’m not 4) hand at writing.”“I don’t think any of us keep up our 5) too well,” I said. “I know I don’t. But I 6) he’s someone you’ve known 7) ?”“All my life, practically. We were kids together, 8) we go way back.”“Went to school together?”“9) through high school. We were in the same class, in fact, through both grade and high school.”“There are not too many people who’ve had such a long 10) ,” I said.