My Friend My Friend,..My Precious Enemy…!

For one to be amply prepared when one’s enemy eventually attacks, we are told to “keep our friends close and our enemies closer”. This might prove to be a tough one given that most of our enemies are not just sitting by waiting for our embrace.

This means that you always want to keep your friends close to you because they are people you can trust and rely on. 

Also that, if you know your enemy then watch them closely so that you can see when they go for an assault and be prepared to defend yourself.

But there is another saying that is related to the one above that also includes “friend” and “enemy”. “Your worst enemy could be your best friend”.

The most sense that one come up with after blending the two is that your enemy is never that far. That is frightening because it could imply that we are totally defenceless from our enemies; in case they are our best friends.

Judas Kiss

Two of history’s most famous characters, Jesus Christ and Julius Caesar fell by the act of betrayal from people very close to them, Judas and Brutus respectively.

In the case of Jesus, Judas was one of his closest disciples. Jesus knowing his fate and it’s adjunction with Judas’s is said to have forewarned that “one of you will betray me”.

And so the famous “Judas kiss” was dished out. “And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him”. After which Jesus was arrested. Meanwhile, Peter unsheathed his sword and cut off one of the soldiers’ ear. However Jesus quickly ordered him not to put up a fight.

Judas, unable to face his guilt hanged himself.

Beware of the ides of March.


Julius Caesar was not luckier. Brutus, his most trusted colleague in politics went into a conspiracy with other members of the senate to assassinate Caesar after the latter was made “a lifetime dictator”.

Both Caesar and Jesus were prevised of their eminent threats of death but both chose to ignore them and proceeded to take the risks that eventually cast them into the hands of their enemies.

“Beware of the ides of March” was what a soothsayer shouted to Caesar after which he asked what was said. Brutus standing not far from him repeated the cry. But though Caesar was wise enough to interpret the message, he proceeded.

And when he came into the senate he was attacked. But he defended himself from the first blow and turned around to fight.

“However, upon seeing Brutus was with the conspirators, he covered his face with his toga and resigned himself to his fate. The conspirators attacked in such numbers that they even wounded one another. Brutus is said to have been wounded in the hand and in the legs.”

Sadly, this goes on for as long as we preserve the act of making friends. We make enemies along the way. The people you esteem the highest, might ultimately be the ones to cast the first stone. If your friend falls into that kind of a temptation, bare in mind that you are neither the first nor the last.

Be not, demoralized. Someone else said that “it’s better to have a friend than to need one”. True friends are hard to find, the ones you have do not necessarily conspire against you. They could be your blessing.

But “Who the cup fits, let them wear it” to those who do.

This sounds much better, "Know your enemy and know yourself and you will always be victorious" Sun Tzu.

 Njoro.