Decades After Foster Care, I Found My Long-Lost Brother
“If I’d stayed, I could have protected him. That’s what I believed. Maybe he believed that, too.”
I run in a circle in a wooded place. Run with the others, yoked together, lumbering in darkness, moving faster and faster, circling, stumbling, and driven, flying around and around in an endless loop. A monster slithers alongside, chasing us. Body of a snake with the head of a bear, roaring and raging with remorse and loss, remembrance and longing and fear—sheer animal terror.
I move faster. Gallop away. Leave the circle behind; abandon my spot, afraid the ancient animal after us will get me, bite me, and I’ll fall down, and forget, and the circle will dissolve forever and ever.
I only want to know if you’re happy and well.
Let’s meet at noon for coffee and go from there.
I’m here in the corner. Alone.
Almost there.
I’m inside
Here I am, give me money, I need a new transmission, more gas, a co-signature on my lease
belonging
thank you for caring what happened to me.
I love you, I’m so glad I found you, take care of yourself
No, I haven’t found him yet.
We know you haveTell him to get in touch with uswe know him, we R his real sisters, we never left.
I don’t know what U R talking about. I haven’t found him yet
Enter your email address to receive notifications for author Chris J. Rice
Success!
Confirmation link sent to your email to add you to notification list for author Chris J. Rice
More in this series
Of Spanish and My Grandmother
“Alzheimer’s had been pickpocketing her of a few memories each day until finally I was just a voice she couldn’t place.”
This Is About Smoking
I’m coming apart like the first cigarette I ever rolled. Loose, slobbering, and burning too fast.
Dear Imo: A Letter from the Korean Diaspora
I made a promise, too, that I would bring her back to you.