A test of true friendship will hurt when this feeling occurs.
In the following novel excerpt I surmised how King Solomon may have answered the Queen of Sheba’s friendship question. The novel is a contemporary application story form to promote understanding of proverbs and ancient wise sayings in relation to our modern times.
Excerpt
Bilqis contemplated my words for a while and then asked. “How do you assess a person’s true nature of friendship?”
“Bilqis, you do the same as you would do to differentiate the wise from fools. A wise man learns to listen and be perceptive over time. He acquires the skill of discernment. However, there is also an intrinsic test to determine a true friend.”
I purposely paused to make a point.
“Tell me this intrinsic test of yours Solomon.” Bilqis finally asked in a curious tone.
“What is most important about a friend is what is genuine in their hearts. Consider this feeling within your own heart to assess a friend with this statement. Friends are two hearts that come together. When true friends part, there is a shared feeling of pain within them as if one heart is being torn apart into two.”
Bilqis was silent as she contemplated my answers. After a while, she asked in a demure tone as she looked directly into my eyes.
“Solomon, our relationship began as one of teacher and student. Would you also now consider me as your friend? If so, what category of a friend would you classify me to be? Am I a friend with similar interests, or a different type of friend?”
As a Lily among Thorns – A Story of King Solomon, the Queen of Sheba, and the Goddess of Wisdom by Rudy U Martinka 
Now available as an e-Book at all sellers.   View beginning excerpts @