PINE NUTS – My Little Brother

His name was Larry, but we called him, “Louie.” Don’t ask me why. I guess it just suited him, for he seemed to like it. Three years younger than me, he was always tagging along, while keeping me busy trying to ditch him. But he was a loveable little cuss, clumsy, innocent, and quick to laugh. If he stubbed his toe, he would laugh it off, whereas, if I were to stub my toe, I would cuss like a fishmonger’s wife until it stopped hurting.

Everybody loved Louie, even four-legged and feathered friends, probably because his sympathies were so wide, and his heart was so simple and knew no guile. He was Mom’s favorite, even I knew that, and I was fine with it. Our grandmother once asked Louie what he would like to be when he grew up. Without hesitation he said, “A snowplow driver, Grandma! And I’ll give you a ride on the bumper!”

As mentioned, animals loved Louie and he loved them back. We had a pet rabbit named Thumper, who lived in a backyard patio area that was protected and comfortable. 

When Thumper died of old age it was Louie who found his limp body, and he was devastated. He wanted to bury Thumper, but also wanted our father’s advice as to where, and as father would not be home for a few hours, Louie placed our deceased Thumper temporarily in the underwear drawer of his dresser.

Well, as fate would have it, that was wash day for our mother, and she brought a load of folded clothes into our bedroom and started to put them away. I was in the kitchen enjoying some Cheerios when she opened Louie’s top drawer to deposit some clean smelling underwear,

and let out a shriek that could be heard in Carson City. She didn’t pass out, but I had to calm her nerves as she sat on the bed in stone silence.

Events like that with Thumper were almost daily occurrences with Louie. With Louie the dull times were such a rare thing as to be almost impossible. It was an adventure to grow up with him. As an adult Louie married a delightful young lady from Ireland, Goretti, and he became one of the most popular and best loved barkeepers in San Francisco. When Louie got off work at two in the morning he jumped over the bar and joined the party on the other side. Wherever Louie went from there, well, the party swung along behind, and that’s what hastened the city’s dashing barkeep to the Great Beyond.

Many of us who knew Louie have tried to use the example of his too short a life as a moderator in our personal Bacchanalian pursuits, with varying degrees of success.

Louie’s birthday is in the spring, so it’s that time of year to take a scenic hike, and lay a wildflower on my little brother’s ashes…RIP.

For audio click and scroll: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Fhv4PrH1UuwlhbnTT23zO