Thank You, He Said, For Being My Friend

It has been a difficult time for me
It has also been a difficult time
for others
Yeah, I know
I longed for shoes
until I met a man with no feet
and here I am
with my foot in my mouth

Year before last
Mr. Duvall learned his brother
the oldest one
had cancer,
nearly a year later,
or actually last June
he finally succumbed to it.

I stook by Mr. D
through it all
and he is a tough guy
so it was hard
for him to deal with
and for me to watch

but there was some relief
when it was over
because then he could return
to the good memories
of a brother
with "guns of steel" biceps
who he spent his life with
over the years

His other brother
who has no family of his own
has been sickly since Mr. D and I met
He has had diabetes
and not taken care of himself
and there have been times
when Mr. D
had to take him to the hospital
because of how bad it had gotten

So when he told me in December
that his brother was sick
I thought that was what it was
but then in February
he explained it was worse
the doctors weren't sure
what was wrong
but Mr. D feared it was cancer
and when they finally had a diagnosis
it was indeed cancer
but it was on his liver
it was inoperable
and they gave him less
than 6 months to live

then last Wednesday
I called Mr. D
to inquire about his health
and his level of stress
and he told me that his brother
had almost given up the ghost that day
and he had been with him all afternoon
I told him if his brother died,
please call me and let me know
and even though I didn't tell him
it was so I could comfort him
I think it was a comfort to show I cared

I went about my evening as usual
and I fell asleep early.
Mr. Duvall woke me up sometime after 9
he had been out drinking beers
and had 17 or so in less than 3 hours
after leaving work
He was indeed, very upset
mainly grieving over the impending loss
of his brother

We have sat and had a drink
many times
and I have listened to
The Hunting Tales
of him, his brother and his cousin
on the deer lease

so I know that when he saw his brother
laying in that bed
unable to move or speak
and physically less of a man
than he ever had been
it was a hard sight for him

When he called
he wanted to talk
he wanted to talk about his brother
and I know he didn't think
there was anyone else
he could say those things to
and let his heart break
in front of
so I was glad to be there
over the phone
with him

his brother couldn't move
but Mr. D knows the hearing is the last
to go
so I asked
if he was telling great hunting stories
from their past
and drinking stories
to make him laugh
and his smile showed in his voice
when he said yes
and his brothers eyelids moved
while he was talking so
he thought he had heard him

and with that I knew
it was time to change the subject
so I said
if there is anything you need
just let me know
and I am there for you

he said he appreciated it
but he was ok
and then he paused
and he said
Thank you, Bennu, for being my friend

and I said I was the lucky one
to have him in my life as a life long friend
and that he didn't need to thank me

but it was nice to hear
it is the closest thing I will probably ever get
to what I long to hear him say

His brother passed that night
just after midnight
the funeral was today
and tomorrow we will sit
at the deer lease
and drink beers and pay tribute
to his best friend
and brother
and all their years together...