In honor of April Fool's Day the DJ on my morning radio program was playing songs with 'fool' in the title. Next thing Paul McCartney is singing 'Fool on the Hill', one of my fave Beatles' songs.
It reminds me of my brother Chris. I'm blessed with a lovely sister and five amazing brothers.
Chris and I were simpatico. We got one another. We were in the same groove, on the same wavelength. We may have been considered a bit more eccentric than our siblings, which is quite a statement if you know our family.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDJ-015ojecBack in the day, Chris and some friends rented a house in College Point, location Queens, known to be the northernmost tip of the Bermuda triangle. On a moonlit night the boys decided a party was in order.
Arriving fashionably late, accompanied by my friend known affectionately as 'The Hat', I surveyed the grounds. The yard was alive with people enjoying various beverages and refreshments. Hey, it was the '70s, you get the idea. We entered the house and found ourselves in the kitchen. Someone had baked a huge, gooey fudge layer cake, decorated with tiny chocolate babies and a gazillion sprinkles. Next to the cake was a pan of brownies, still warm from the oven. The aroma was heavenly. The Hat did not resist temptation. Deftly lifting a brownie from the pan, he consumed it in three bites. Smiling, he poured some wine for us and we retired to the veranda. OK, it was the backyard. Chris spotted us and ran across the lawn.
"Glad you made it. How's everything?"
The Hat swayed a bit, then whispered..."Man, I feel weird. Was there something in those brownies?"
Today you may think, how cliche. Then, it was a legitimate question. *
"No, just regular brownies, no extras."
The Hat did not buy it.
"I better sit down." Which he did, on the grass under a sprawling oak under the moonlight.
I sat next to him. Another roommate appeared.
"You need to lie down Hat? You can use my water bed if you want."
The Hat just gave him a doleful look.
"Thanks Elliot, but I don't think I can move right now."
Chris leaned down, looking into his eyes.
"Listen, Elliot is going to get some chamomile tea for you. You'll be fine about ten minutes after you drink it. Just relax. We'll all sit here for a while and listen to Van Morrison."
That's just what we did. Miraculously, The Hat was his old self within the prescribed time.
It was a beautiful night.
Later, as we drove home, past the wrought iron factory, The Hat turned to me with a smile.
"Your bro's a cool dude. He does that mind control calm you down thing. He's my man."
Yeah, he was my man, too. Totally cool.
Chris was a wise man. I would seek his advice on many issues. He moved to California, I stayed in New York. He met Mary and her beautiful children. They married and had another amazing child. The laid back West Coast suited him. It was home.
My daughter and I were ready for a long overdue visit to Chris and the family. In our last phone call he was so excited. We would be taking another road trip together. He had the itinerary and the music all planned. Everything was groovy.
The phone rang about 1AM. It was my Mom, but she sounded so small, so far away.
"We lost Christopher. He's gone."
I screamed "No!" to the Universe. It still echoes in the stars.
Chris died suddenly from a dissected aorta. His family donated his organs.
We listened to Van Morrison at the memorial service. We laughed and we wept.
Mary said we should take the road trip, so two weeks later Christine and I flew back. We celebrated Chris, singing Hotel California as we rolled along the highway.
A few months later I received an email from Mary. It told us how his donated organs had been used all over the world. He would have been happy to help each and every recipient. He was a blessing for them the way he always was for us. Very cool.
My heart goes out to Liam Neeson and all of Natasha Richardson's family. She too was a gift in life and in death. Bless them all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojGuCttS55wFool on the Hill~The BeatlesTupelo Honey~Van Morrison
