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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

Mike gets out at the statue of William Tecumseh Sherman across the street from the Plaza Hotel. He looks up Fifth Avenue as the cab turns into the park. Last year at this time, he and Jane took long walks up there, kicking the dry leaves as they went. There was very little rain that fall, and the summer, hot and brown, lasted through to the Thanksgiving dinner that Mike ate with her family. Lyle was still in the hospital.

As he had been taught, Mike walked on the street side of Jane. His mother had explained that this is what gentlemen did so that if a car or wild horse and buggy swerved from the street, the gentleman would take the blow, protecting the lady. Mike remembers walking up Fifth Avenue and brushing hands with Jane, and turning down the wide steps into the park at the zoo.

They walked through the aviary that smelled of green steam and bird shit, and watched the zookeepers throw fish to the sea lions. Mike remembered how, at Burton’s house in Bangkok, Bridget had told him about the monotony of her father’s life as a zookeeper. He didn’t mention this to Jane. Instead he talked about classes and people they knew at school. By the time they were halfway through the zoo, Mike couldn’t think of anything more to say, and only Jane spoke as they walked through the snake house.

Their walks helped Mike relax, but Jane would sometimes press him about the way you’ve been recently, and one day this provoked such a fierce demand for silence that she never raised the issue again. He had turned his shoulders to face her so suddenly that she was briefly afraid that he would hit her. Then, blocks later, he had hugged her so tightly she had to ask him to let go. That’s when he apologized, and told her that their walks were not supposed to be mental health summits.

Mike turns down Fifth Avenue and sees the smoke thickening in the sky. He sees that the city is shutting down. He notices two well-dressed men, not bums at all, passing a bottle at the foot of the Sherman statue. One of them is reading the plaque which tells that Sherman died on Valentine’s Day, 1891, and the other is looking at the sky as they take turns drinking.

71

Mike is passing the expensive shops on Fifth Avenue. The window mannequins stare out at him. Jane told him once that if women were as thin as mannequins, they’d be too thin to menstruate. Jane was that thin. So was her friend Sarah, the one she thought should be Lyle’s girlfriend.