... if you've every learned something totally surprising about a close friend?

[BSideLeeSide]

This is no biggie, just something very surprising for me.

I've a very close friend that I'd known for 10+ years, we met through work several years ago. A few weeks ago I was helping her move/unpack to a lovely new house, and staying there for the weekend.

The house had a piano. I was amazed to discover that she is an incredible pianist. Really really amazing! She says she was somewhat of a prodigy when young, but lost interest and motivation in teen years, and is just re-connecting with it as a hobby.

Sadly, if I was that good at something I'd have let everyone know :(

My bff had long poker straight black hair..
Saw her every single day for 3 years.
Rang her doorbell at 3am on morning when waters had broken with dc3..

A woman with wild black curly hair opened her door!!
Actually thought I would have ds right there and then!!
Her entire childhood and adult years had seen her wash, dry and straighten the curls she detested... As a young girl she had to iron it!! Pre GHD's!!

She weaned herself off the routine when I managed to convince her it was amazing!!

Another work/colleague related one from me. I'd worked closely with colleague who became a very good friend. We met each others families, kids had hobbies in common, went for drinks with here DH as couples several times a year and so on.

We were working on a project for a German client, and when they game to our facilities I was astonished to find out she was a fluent German speaker. She'd grown up in a military family and spent time as a child in Germany, and went to school there until age 12. It was a great help to us on this project!!

My oldest friend (40+years) surprised me. Her partner had a terminal diagnosis and I was banging on to her about power of attorney, making sure his will was up to date ect.

After a few minutes of this, she lent across the lunch table and said " we've been married for ten years". They'd gone off and done it without telling anyone, including their adult children.

It was just so him, to do it that way. He was immensely private and I (in my dubious wisdom) often wondered if he had some social anxiety.

I still ( three years later) occasionally giggle about it.

And their children took it just fine, too.

This goes back a few years, before internet days. One of my closest friends went to US for 6 months on a J1 visa. Many many years later we found out that she had got married over there during that time. Obviously it didn't work out, but was never mentioned back here in England. Of course it is not of my concern, but a strange thing not to mention at the time.

Found out my BFF voted Tory. We still speak though.

A good friend of mine was a participant (and one victim) in a very high profile court case. I had absolutely no idea what had happened, or what she was going through. She did it her way! I always though she was amazing person, but this was a whole new level. So so strong, so so determined, etc.

These are all so positive, and that's nice I guess.

My very close friend was shagging my BF for months. Good riddance to both!

@Stepinside That's really horrible. How did you find out?

My close friend told me she has a serious mental health diagnosis after I’d known her about 5 years. I’d never have realised as she’s about the sanest person I know, she just manages her condition really well.

@HollowTalk, it was not actually that horrible really. I was not in a great place with BF, and had decided ending it anyway, was just waiting for the right time. My friend was the surprise though.

I had no suspicions at all. I was away on a a business trip, but got home a day early, but late night. Decided to sleep on couch. Heard them at it the next morning, and recognized the voices.

After 11 years together and 3 years married, I discovered DHs favourite cake is black forest gateaux. We eat a lot of cake, I can't believe it had never come up!

Found out a good friend of mine has her fanny pierced.

Not a friend but a relative.

Quite suddenly emigrated to USA

Him and dm his dw appeared back soon after.
Apparently nobody was to mention the quick exit and hasty return. All a Big Secret

Until they showed up at a family do and his face was encased in plastic!!
Like an American Ken doll!!

Spent 5 days a week with a work friend. We became really close (pre kids) and went out most nights after work as well as weekends. It was years into the friendship that I found out she had an elder, severely autistic brother who had lived in care all his life. Another very close work friend, same place told me after many years of friendship that she had two children who were taken away from her when she was a teenager. They were the result of sexual abuse.

If known dh for a couple of years when I had a bit to drink at a wedding, and started chatting to some french in-laws in fluent french. He had no idea I could speak French at all.

Not my friend but a friend of my parents / aunts.

She was a tiny woman - under 5 foot and maybe 7.5 stone.

At her funeral her brother re-counted a time when she jumped into a river to save a man from drowning. I still can't picture her doing it - I was gobsmacked

I had known my friend for years. One day, I asked her if she could swim.
She mentioned that growing up, she had had a pool in her home, well actually two - one indoor and one outdoor - so yes, she was a good swimmer.
I had no idea she had grown up in such an environment.

I never knew until recently that my aunt and uncle "had to" get married during WW2. She was expecting my cousin. They were married over 70 years until she passed away recently.

I found out about about 10 years ago that mum is actually my dads second wife. He'd previously married when he was quite young and it hadn't lasted long (she had an affair with my grandad/dads dad). My dad still doesn't know that I know. Apparently he hated the thought of my sister and I knowing incase it upset us or our image of him. It's all very strange but I don't feel like I can bring it up if he doesn't want me to know.

@SnowWhitesRestingBitchFace I have almost the exact situation with my dad! I found out about 15 years ago when (with his permission) looking for some paperwork for him, i came across a divorce certificate. I didn't mention it and they (he and my mum, happily married 40+ years) never have either. It doesn't impact me at all - I wonder if I'll ask him one day!

@hensintheskirting it's such a strange situation isn't it! Doesn't make a difference to me or the way I feel about my dad at all but as a parent I guess I can understand the worry. I'm in my 30's now though and I don't think he'll ever tell me 😂 The only part that does concern me is that I'm not 100% sure I don't have another sibling/siblings out there. Children were never mentioned when I was told but I have this horrendous gut feeling about it that I've never been able to shift.

I’d known my good friend for 5+ years when he happened to mentioned that he’s a twin. He’d never mentioned it before in all that time and for some reason it really took me by surprise. He somehow doesn’t seem like a twin and even I’m not sure what I mean by that!

I didn’t realise my first boyfriend’s family were loaded (and he was the main heir) until we’d been together for about a year. The opulence of his family home took me by surprise. The longer I was with him the more I learned how rich he was. I broke up with him after about 2 years and my life is all the richer (metaphorically not literally) for having done so.

@SnowWhitesRestingBitchFace

I found out about about 10 years ago that mum is actually my dads second wife. He'd previously married when he was quite young and it hadn't lasted long (she had an affair with my grandad/dads dad). My dad still doesn't know that I know. Apparently he hated the thought of my sister and I knowing incase it upset us or our image of him. It's all very strange but I don't feel like I can bring it up if he doesn't want me to know.

She had an affair with her husband's father?!

Sorry, nothing constructive to add to the thread

His wife wants to sleep with me (I'm a man, for clarity).