Things past?

I can remember even though I feel I want to forget. Such a haunting feeling, like the memory of you, occasionally kickstarted to life through the facebook picture and the birthday email. It is pointless to try to forget, sometimes I wonder why it all happened - the bus route, living on the other side of the river together, you coming home at odd hours, my mother remarking at your ease in coming into the house.

She thought there was 'something going on', perhaps there was for you, it was certainly for me. Matters were not helped when I started getting close, but you always stood a bit further away. And on that sorry birthday, made sweet by your letter and the appearance of the two quizzing fiends (hello!), the letter you wrote, I still have it, "I sometimes take you for granted." I told you no, but of course you knew I was lying.

The world and life swung by us, and swung us by, it started to drift, but this was only natural. It was a true friendship, honest and open, kind and gentle; the biggest compliment here is that such friendships are simply not being made anymore. (Notice the emphasis on the past.)
I tried keeping my end of the bargain with visits that never fully felt complete, to be fair, you tried too. When my lady and I got together to face life with each other, the email that came in, it was straight from that shared past.

It's been my birthday come and gone, 4 years ago you called me from across the world and we spoke for half an hour. You got married, it was quite the fairy tale come to life, I feel extraordinary happiness for you. Now, we are barely a few hours bus ride away and despite all the facebooking, emailing, free phone calling on weekend...

"I owe you a phone call", full stop.
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Here's a thought to chew on: if something begins to fade between two people, since no one else is around to notice it, does it really fade?