Member-only story
THE WIND PHONE
What Happens When You Die?
My brother wanted to know
I watched my brother take his last breath on Friday past. His eyes held mine. There was no fear, just wonder. The look in them reminded me of a photo of him when he was a child. The same gaze. Bright blue eyes that held the promise of an adventure, the sense of excitement that a new day brings.
And yet he knew he was about to die.
I never knew my brother as a child. He was ten years older. We walked different paths, and he was gone from the house by the time I was nine. He came home from university for visits, but his first real job took him to a community far away, and our relationship would be distant for many years.
He had a stroke a few years ago, and his health never really recovered. Kidney failure, heart problems, and diabetes all began to take their toll. My brother never married and had no children of his own. So he shared mine.
He was the uncle who brought strange but memorable presents for Christmas and birthdays. Sometimes, they were discounted dollar store items from the previous season. Other times, he was more observant and creative and brought along just the right thing.
When it was clear his housing situation would not work for him after the stroke, my son and…
