Brother: A Novel

In the present, Michael’s mother has fractured her femur but is otherwise physically fine. Michael is worried when, in the waiting room, he sees a little boy strapped to a gurney; the boy’s mother and brother are worried. The little boy explains that he and his brother were on the roof because they wanted “to see.” Michael is relieved that this family will not suffer from complicated grief.

Michael recalls himself and his mother attending Francis’s funeral. Jelly had been so distraught at Francis’s shooting that the police arrested him for resisting arrest, so he isn’t at the funeral because he is still in jail. Michael’s mother doesn’t recover from Francis’s death. Her behavior becomes increasingly erratic, giving Michael the perfect excuse to separate himself from all his social connections. By becoming his mother’s full-time caretaker, Michael doesn’t have to explain why he doesn’t want to be out in the community. Michael sits through police questioning over his brother’s death. The police prompt him to answer questions about Francis’s history of moodiness and violence. The police determine that Francis’s shooting was lawful.

In the present, further testing reveals that Michael’s mother had alcohol in her system the day the car hit her.