".......please call......"

The answering machine was flashing. The message was not good. I called. My sister said he died at 11:00 AM on that Friday. I didn't say anything. I just told her I would be there soon. I left about two hours later. Five hours after that I was at my mother's house in Jersey.

The funeral home had already taken him away. My mother was glad to see me. She cried and I held her for a few minutes. Her husband of fifty eight years, my father, was finally at peace. He fought hard. He fought to the end. His stubborn refusal is to be admired. His last lesson to his children and grandchildren was never give up. Never give in. Never let the bastards, or death make the rules.

Hey Tommy. Yeah, almost three months since I've written a damn thing. My wife is okay. She's doing better than she was. She's in North Carolina with the girls. Our friends have a place on the Outer Banks. I couldn't go. Couldn't get this week off. Besides, it's better this way. Just Momma and the girls. It's good for all of them. I have to take care of the dogs and the birds. I'm going to write in some detail later today.