Tammi's brother is dead >>dont worry guys this is just a monologue
Tammi's little brother is dead. Billy. I cant believe it! How can Billy be dead when he's only 9 years old?
Tammi's family went on vacation, a camping trip in the mountains. Billy apparently tried to wade across te river and tripped and fell and hit his head on the rock. They aren't sure if the rock killed him or if he drowned. It doesn't matter. Dead is dead, no matter how it happened.
Billy was the same age as my brother, Mark. Tammi and I used to complain to each other about what pests they were, always tagging around after us and listening to our conversation.
They were always asking us to take them over to the shopping mall for a hot fudge sundae because they werent allowed to go alone. A couple of times when Tammi and i went to the movies on Saturday afternoons, we had to take Billy and MArk with us, and we always made them sit on the side of the theatre, away from us.
Tammi called me this morning and told me. WHen i answered the phone, I was surprised to hear from her becuase she was supposed to get back from the camping trip until next Sunday. Then she told me Bill is dead and i didnt know what to say. I was too shocked to respond. Tammi sounded scared, as if everything had happened too fast and she didnt know yet how she was going to deal with it.
This afternoon i bought some flowers and took them to Tammi's house and we sat in her rtoom for a long time and talked anbout Billy and how, even though we said our brothers were a pain in the butt, we really didn't mean it.
I could tell Tammi was feeling guilty about every unkind thing she'd ever said or done to Billy so i tried tro remember some of the times when she was really nice to him. I reminded her of how she stood outside the supermarket with him one whole Saturday becuase Billy had to sell tikets to the Cub Scout car wash and he was too timid to do it alone. I talked about the time BIlly wanted to build a snowfort in the backyard and we helped him do it even though our ahnds were half frozen by the time we finished.
Tammi didn't cry. I could tell from her red eyes that she'd been crying before i came, but she just sat on her bed and talked about Billy, as if he might walk in at any moment, the way he used to, and ask to borrow her bicycle.
When i got back home, i shut myself in my room for a long time. I buried my head in my pillow and wept. I cried for Billy, who would not get to be and Eagle Scout like he planned. I cried for Tammi because her brother was gone and would never return. And i cried for myself becuase i knew the kind of tragedy which struck Tammi's family could happen to anyone. Even to me. For the first time in my life, i felt vulnerable.
Eventually, the tears stopped and i washed my face and combed my hair. Then i went downstairs and looked for Mark. When i found him, I asked him he'd like to get a hot fudge sundae. My treat.
Tammi's family went on vacation, a camping trip in the mountains. Billy apparently tried to wade across te river and tripped and fell and hit his head on the rock. They aren't sure if the rock killed him or if he drowned. It doesn't matter. Dead is dead, no matter how it happened.
Billy was the same age as my brother, Mark. Tammi and I used to complain to each other about what pests they were, always tagging around after us and listening to our conversation.
They were always asking us to take them over to the shopping mall for a hot fudge sundae because they werent allowed to go alone. A couple of times when Tammi and i went to the movies on Saturday afternoons, we had to take Billy and MArk with us, and we always made them sit on the side of the theatre, away from us.
Tammi called me this morning and told me. WHen i answered the phone, I was surprised to hear from her becuase she was supposed to get back from the camping trip until next Sunday. Then she told me Bill is dead and i didnt know what to say. I was too shocked to respond. Tammi sounded scared, as if everything had happened too fast and she didnt know yet how she was going to deal with it.
This afternoon i bought some flowers and took them to Tammi's house and we sat in her rtoom for a long time and talked anbout Billy and how, even though we said our brothers were a pain in the butt, we really didn't mean it.
I could tell Tammi was feeling guilty about every unkind thing she'd ever said or done to Billy so i tried tro remember some of the times when she was really nice to him. I reminded her of how she stood outside the supermarket with him one whole Saturday becuase Billy had to sell tikets to the Cub Scout car wash and he was too timid to do it alone. I talked about the time BIlly wanted to build a snowfort in the backyard and we helped him do it even though our ahnds were half frozen by the time we finished.
Tammi didn't cry. I could tell from her red eyes that she'd been crying before i came, but she just sat on her bed and talked about Billy, as if he might walk in at any moment, the way he used to, and ask to borrow her bicycle.
When i got back home, i shut myself in my room for a long time. I buried my head in my pillow and wept. I cried for Billy, who would not get to be and Eagle Scout like he planned. I cried for Tammi because her brother was gone and would never return. And i cried for myself becuase i knew the kind of tragedy which struck Tammi's family could happen to anyone. Even to me. For the first time in my life, i felt vulnerable.
Eventually, the tears stopped and i washed my face and combed my hair. Then i went downstairs and looked for Mark. When i found him, I asked him he'd like to get a hot fudge sundae. My treat.