Stories like this catch us up short. Your understated eloquence serves well the memory of your brother. My condolences.
Marcus was easily the smartest most gifted person I’ve ever met. Jeff Rosswurm read a essay Marcus wrote at our reading group one time. You just shook your head while hearing it, he was a high school kid and it was something that could’ve come from a successful novelist.
I remember that day too. I worked as a lifeguard at Chain O’ Lakes and although I was retired from that profession in 1978, the news flashed through the community of lifeguards. I still remember my numb disbelief at that news.
Thanks Chuck. I never realized you were a lifeguard at that time, although I do remember Anne being a lifeguard — was that a few years later? I’ll have to ask Jeff for a copy of that essay – I’d like to see it.
Marcus was the student this teacher never forgot. He understood literature better than I did.
Your absolute finest work to date.
Thank you, Chris. It only took three decades to write it.