BooksBarbecue
Back The Third Brother Save as PDF
Chapters (116)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by the Author
  3. The Third Brother
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. PART I
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. PART II
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67
  75. 68
  76. 69
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. 80
  88. 81
  89. 82
  90. 83
  91. 84
  92. 85
  93. 86
  94. 87
  95. 88
  96. PART III
  97. 89
  98. 90
  99. 91
  100. 92
  101. 93
  102. 94
  103. 95
  104. 96
  105. 97
  106. 98
  107. 99
  108. 100
  109. 101
  110. 102
  111. 103
  112. 104
  113. 105
  114. 106
  115. 107
  116. 108

The doctor said most post-traumatic stress patients recover. “You can’t erase the past,” he said, “but you can live with it.” He said Lyle would go back to school. He would get better.

There was one question Mike wanted to ask. He wanted to ask it every day thereafter, but at that moment it wasn’t the right question. Mike felt it would be like a child asking for a toy, bothering a parent, when there was nothing left to talk about. When?

62

Mike wants to get downtown as fast as he can. He tries to hail a cab, but there are few, and fewer still stopping. Mike usually has no problem getting cabs. Jane says this is because he has good cab karma. Not today.

Jane is downtown too, or is supposed to be because it’s Tuesday, one of the two days a week she works in a new clothing boutique in Soho. They joke about it, because it’s so trendy and Jane isn’t trendy at all. Mike remembers clearly what she looked like the day of their high school graduation. She looked comfortable and calm in her red robe and very expensive shoes, high heels, which were unusual for her. No makeup. He remembers a cool glow about her, as everyone else sat giddy and sweating in the unexpected June heat. He and Jane have been together since they were both sixteen, but it still hasn’t gotten old. And they survived being apart for a year when they were at different universities. Now Mike is at Columbia, too.

Jane has very white skin and is all bones, like a straw folded up into right angles, like she might blow away. Mike thinks about how he can trace the tendons in her arms all the way down to her fingers and how this disgusts him when he is displeased with her. She’ll be a weird old lady. Her eyes are beautiful though. I mean, come on, he would say to Lyle if he was drunk and sentimental, she’s got those eyes. She went to the funeral. One time she borrowed her parents’ car and drove to Pine Hill to see Lyle by herself before Mike got home. At other times she walked the grounds while Mike visited him. For a while she was the only person Mike could talk to. Though he never told her about Tweety.

As he continues to look for a cab, Mike tries to call Jane.

NO NETWORK.

Mike glances at the cathedral. A crowd is standing on the steps and more are approaching. People are gathering. This makes sense to him. It’s what cathedrals are for. It looks almost like a Sunday, but after the service.

Mike finally waves a cab down. “I’m going to Greenwich and Harrison,” he says, getting in. The license reads “Rossi, Joseph,” a tiny, balding guy. Mike is glad he’s Italian, no language problems, maybe.