Excellent A brief story about my brother-in-law. Charlie by Terry Broxson Charlie writing prompt entry

The last time I saw Charlie was Christmas 1999. He had come to our house for his usual Christmas visit. The conversation that Christmas was all about Y2K. Was the new century going to stop all of our electronics? It didn't.  Charlie was my wife Zoe's oldest brother. He was sixteen years older. Charlie died unexpectedly four months later. But what a life he had. The first time I saw Charlie, in 1973, he was wearing a bathrobe and getting the newspaper from the front porch of this apartment across from mine in Houston, Texas. I knew he did not live there. A good-looking blonde did. It was a one-bedroom apartment. I thought, well, good for him! I had hoped to meet this attractive blonde, but he sure looked like an occasional visiting sugar daddy. I did meet her, and I asked about the old guy. She said, "He is my brother. He is a merchant marine and sometimes sleeps on my couch when he is not at sea." That was her story, and she stuck to it. Turns out it was true. In 1944, Charlie lied about his age and joined the Merchant Marines. For the next twenty years, he served mainly as a drunk. Not so much on the ships, but sometimes and always on land. Drinking almost killed him when he was thirty-five. But he became a friend of  Bill's and joined AA. For the next thirty-eight years, he was a proud member. He sponsored lots of folks. Because he traveled worldwide, he helped establish AA chapters in many countries. This high school dropout went on a rigorous educational path that culminated in earning his Captain's license in the Merchants Marines. That is not easy. He was extremely well-read. He was the best trivia player that I ever knew. He died from a heart attack after working out in a gym. His celebration of life was held in a grand ballroom of a hotel in Houston. There were about twenty-five family members; some told stories. There were six hundred drunks...all sober. Some told stories. It was a grand send-off. I did wish I had one more chance to see Charlie. I would have asked him. "If you knew you were going to die that night, would you have gone to the gym or a bar?"      Writing Prompt Write a story that begins with the line: The last time I saw Charlie ... (continue the sentence and story) Recognized Author Notes I am not disrespecting AA members by referring to them as drunks. That is what Charlie called himself and the members. He said, "You got to own it." The reference to a friend of Bill's is about how everyone in AA goes by the first names only. A friend of Bill's is a tribute to Bill W. who founded AA.

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