. . talk to you.”
The silence continued, and Willem could only guess what was happening. Elliott was probably shaking his head no to Beth, not wanting to engage in a conversation with him. And then he heard Elliott’s voice.
“Hello?” Elliott’s voice sounded tired.
“It’s Willem, Elliott. How are you?”
“Good,” he said with a slow inhale. “It’s been a long time. Ten years?”
“Something like that.” Willem grew increasingly concerned. Ten years was a long time, but not so long that his brother would sound so… aged . “Is everything alright? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“It’s been a long time,” Elliott said again, as if that answered the question. He coughed.
“You still working in tech?”
“Nah. Got out of that years ago.” He heard Elliott cover the mouthpiece and another cough. “It was a dead end job, no real career path. I started working as a consultant and never looked back. What about you? Still saving lives?”
“Trying. Elliott—”
“I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately,” Elliott interrupted. “You and Sam, actually.”
“Sam?” He found it interesting that they both were thinking of their brother in recent days.
“Yeah.” Willem sensed some hesitation on his brother’s part. “Whatever the reason for our fight, I think we should let bygones be bygones.”
Willem was taken aback. He expected some resistance to making amends—Elliott was always a stubborn one. Maybe ten years had mellowed him out a little. “I agree. In fact, I don’t even remember what the fight was about.”
A phlegmy laugh came through the phone. “Really? Funny how that works.”
“You said you’ve been thinking about Sam lately. So have I.”
“Well isn’t that interesting. You dying, too?”
That caught Willem off guard. “Dying?”
“Cancer. Docs say I don’t have much time left. So that’s my excuse, what’s yours?”
“In all honesty, I’m not sure. Just… memories coming back.” If Willem felt uncomfortable before now he was distressed. “How are Beth and the kids handling it?”
“Kids are adults now and are fine. They’ve all accepted the inevitable. In all honesty, I’d like this to be over with so that they could move on.” Another cough through the phone. “Did you ever marry?”
“No.”
“Well then you probably won’t understand, but the pain I see in their eyes every time I look into them, it breaks my heart. They say the eyes are the gateway to the soul, and you know what? It’s true. I never realized it, not until I saw how they look at me now.”
It pained him to admit it, but Willem was jealous of his brother and what he had, for what he was losing. He’d never known love, the longing one feels for their wife or children, the smile received when returning home from work or a trip. The unequivocal joy on a loved one’s face. That had eluded Willem into his adult life.
As if reading his mind, Elliott said, “It’s never too late, Willem. Never.” Elliott cleared his throat. “So why the call after all these years? Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I would have picked up the phone myself if I wasn’t so damn scared you’d hang up or wouldn’t answer.”
“I’ve never known you to be scared.”
“Eh.” Willem could sense the shrug through the phone. “I put on a good show.”
“How long do you have?” Silence on the other end. “Elliott?”
“A week. Two at most.” The defeat in Elliott’s voice was heartbreaking.
Willem needed to see his brother before the end, needed to talk to him, to make amends. He wanted to be there right now. It was a five hour drive, so if he could get on the road in the next hour or two he could be there before nightfall. “I’ll be there tonight.”
He’d expected an argument, but Elliott surprised him. “Okay. I’ll let Beth know. But now I’ve got to go, Willem. I’m tired.”
Willem understood. Elliott was his only remaining family and to set things right
The silence continued, and Willem could only guess what was happening. Elliott was probably shaking his head no to Beth, not wanting to engage in a conversation with him. And then he heard Elliott’s voice.
“Hello?” Elliott’s voice sounded tired.
“It’s Willem, Elliott. How are you?”
“Good,” he said with a slow inhale. “It’s been a long time. Ten years?”
“Something like that.” Willem grew increasingly concerned. Ten years was a long time, but not so long that his brother would sound so… aged . “Is everything alright? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“It’s been a long time,” Elliott said again, as if that answered the question. He coughed.
“You still working in tech?”
“Nah. Got out of that years ago.” He heard Elliott cover the mouthpiece and another cough. “It was a dead end job, no real career path. I started working as a consultant and never looked back. What about you? Still saving lives?”
“Trying. Elliott—”
“I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately,” Elliott interrupted. “You and Sam, actually.”
“Sam?” He found it interesting that they both were thinking of their brother in recent days.
“Yeah.” Willem sensed some hesitation on his brother’s part. “Whatever the reason for our fight, I think we should let bygones be bygones.”
Willem was taken aback. He expected some resistance to making amends—Elliott was always a stubborn one. Maybe ten years had mellowed him out a little. “I agree. In fact, I don’t even remember what the fight was about.”
A phlegmy laugh came through the phone. “Really? Funny how that works.”
“You said you’ve been thinking about Sam lately. So have I.”
“Well isn’t that interesting. You dying, too?”
That caught Willem off guard. “Dying?”
“Cancer. Docs say I don’t have much time left. So that’s my excuse, what’s yours?”
“In all honesty, I’m not sure. Just… memories coming back.” If Willem felt uncomfortable before now he was distressed. “How are Beth and the kids handling it?”
“Kids are adults now and are fine. They’ve all accepted the inevitable. In all honesty, I’d like this to be over with so that they could move on.” Another cough through the phone. “Did you ever marry?”
“No.”
“Well then you probably won’t understand, but the pain I see in their eyes every time I look into them, it breaks my heart. They say the eyes are the gateway to the soul, and you know what? It’s true. I never realized it, not until I saw how they look at me now.”
It pained him to admit it, but Willem was jealous of his brother and what he had, for what he was losing. He’d never known love, the longing one feels for their wife or children, the smile received when returning home from work or a trip. The unequivocal joy on a loved one’s face. That had eluded Willem into his adult life.
As if reading his mind, Elliott said, “It’s never too late, Willem. Never.” Elliott cleared his throat. “So why the call after all these years? Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I would have picked up the phone myself if I wasn’t so damn scared you’d hang up or wouldn’t answer.”
“I’ve never known you to be scared.”
“Eh.” Willem could sense the shrug through the phone. “I put on a good show.”
“How long do you have?” Silence on the other end. “Elliott?”
“A week. Two at most.” The defeat in Elliott’s voice was heartbreaking.
Willem needed to see his brother before the end, needed to talk to him, to make amends. He wanted to be there right now. It was a five hour drive, so if he could get on the road in the next hour or two he could be there before nightfall. “I’ll be there tonight.”
He’d expected an argument, but Elliott surprised him. “Okay. I’ll let Beth know. But now I’ve got to go, Willem. I’m tired.”
Willem understood. Elliott was his only remaining family and to set things right
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