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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

“Good question.” He got very serious. “The Japanese military did sell a lot of its surplus during the disarmament after the war. Some of it went to the Balkans and some into Southeast Asia, all dirt cheap. So this could have come from there. But this particular jacket was sold to me by an old man who just came in off the street. I tried to ask him about it but he only wanted to talk cash. He was asking so little for the jacket that he was thrilled when I told him what I should give him for it. He was an old Japanese guy, actually, and it makes you think he might have had the thing the whole time since the war. Great get. I was very surprised.”

I thought about this. I didn’t believe the story, but it was a good jacket and I bought it for three hundred dollars, which makes it either an overpriced fake or a monumental steal. What would a real kamikaze jacket be worth, anyway? At least a life. The logical conclusion to the proprietor’s story is that the Japanese guy was supposed to be a kamikaze, but either the war ended before he took flight, or he was a coward and bailed. Either way the jacket would be strong medicine.

I wear it all the time. People don’t seem to hassle me as much when I’m wearing it.

93

There is a man who sells newspapers in the square. He is big and black and has a wiry beard. He has a gut and wears a baseball cap and rumpled corduroy pants and a gray coat. He stands in front of the café where students sit and tries to sell them newspapers they don’t want. He is homeless, or at least says he is.

His cry has made him famous: “Have a heart, have a heart, have a heart.” It’s funny the way he says it. All the words slur together at high volume, “Havahodhavahodhavahodevahelp the hooaamless.”

I am not sure what he is really like. I gave him a dollar for a paper the other day, the Spare Change News, trying to understand him better. I had just watched a girl give him a sandwich. He kept trying to shoo her away, but she kept offering the sandwich, holding it toward him. Before, when she was about half a block away, he had said in between his have-a-heart’s that he was “so hongry, have a heart.” I suppose she heard him and considered the sandwich she was eating as she walked to class or to a piano lesson or a lover, and maybe she decided he could use it more.