The e-mails circulated in the family for days. Mom was not tolerating dialysis. She needed a kidney.
She was fifty five years old and had five children and all five of them agreed that whoever was the most compatible should donate a kidney with the full support of all the others.
``We owe her,'' Darryl said.
They had a get together one Sunday. They brought KFC to Dale's house.
The tests were back.
Lucille found out she had hepatitis C. They didn't want Brandon's kidney. No one said why. That left Darryl, Dale and Angela.
``She doesn't look good,'' said Angela.
True. Mom was all puffy and pale. Skin a muddy yellow. She didn't look good.
``We owe her,'' said Darryl.
``All she did for us -'' said Angela.
``Like when she stole the running shoes so I could be in track,'' said Brandon.
``But they were the wrong size. They would of fit me but I wouldn't wear them because they were boys,'' said Lucille.
``Got busted for bad checks at Safeways,'' said Dale.
Silence.
Lucille and Dale were smoking by the open window.
Then Darryl said it.
``She wouldn't have had to write bad checks if she hadn't drunk so much beer.''
``And that time she ran off with the truck driver when Angela was still a baby -''
``Left us alone with no money - ''
``She did the best she could - ''
Brandon went over to the TV and changed the channel to 60 Minutes. Lucille collected the paper plates and chicken bones in a plastic bag and went into the kitchen.
Brandon sat back down on the sofa. He was remembering his part in the Drama Club play. A courageous but unfortunate attack on Hamlet. Brandon played the ghost. A freshman in high school. He thought he was good. People said he was good. But she had laughed. God how she'd laughed. At first all he'd felt was shame. Now only anger remained.
``Remember when I was in the play - ''
It was Lucille who giggled. It was Dale who laughed out loud. Then they were all laughing.
``Damn she was a bitch!''
Even Brandon was laughing.
``She ruined the whole play!''
``Mrs Eden could have killed her!''
``She didn't give a damn.''
``She never did.''
``So why should we give a damn for her? Let her find her own kidney. She's not getting mine.''
``Or mine.''
``Or mine.''
``Is there beer?''
They settled down to watch 60 Minutes.