they didnt talk frequentlyhadnt since they shared a bed a bedroom as boys in their parents home

his brother enlisted in the Marinesbeat him out of the house

he followed inside a year and aside from brief visits he did not live in his parents home again

his brother returned home four years later

since their mother died they talked more than they had in the previous thirty years

he had kids his brother had kids

                                    pretty simple math children absorbed ones time if one did it right

but they were talking now

talked when he called

that hadnt changed

he always had to make the overture

unfortunately he had the time

his children moved away as he expected them too he raised them his wife died he lived alone

when they spoke he made the caveat that they would speak honestly and unsparingly (that was code for him crying)

his brother was his best friend growing up

they befriended two others who also became best friends

                                                                   one had died

his mother-in-law told him if he could count best friends on one hand he was blessed

a year into their renewed telephone conversations his brother would tease him Are we going to be unsparing?

hed laugh

              Lets see how it goes no telling

No, I suppose not; no telling.

Not at all

0108,  ReggaeFriday,  7  1. 22

1550,  Monday,  10  1. 22