The prospect of seeing an old friend after so many years is one of the most sublime expectations life has to offer. We anticipate such meetings with delight but also sometimes with a touch of anxiety.

Hank Murphy and Louis Simon made a pact that ten years to the day after they liberated Paris they would have a reunion in Paris to celebrate. They had been in the 13th infantry together and fought side-by-side and ten years later Louis id surprised when Hank doesn’t recognise him. Reunions rarely come off as they are planned we burden them with too many expectations. In the case of Hank Murphy and Louis Simon despite all the misunderstandings and tragic coincidences somehow what was essential was communicated before the end.

Written by: Percy Grainger