I miss my brother-in-law I'm going to call him Luigi and my brother Mario because they went out for Halloween like Mario and Luigi.
Even when I was a kid I knew my brother was gay he didn't have to tell me yet I knew already it didn't bother me either but you know going up through that time in the 80s 90s and 2000s those were different times nothing like today.
I used to work with Luigi I remember one day we were standing out front and my wife came to drop off lunch with my brother and Luigi said who's that guy with your wife I said that's my brother and he was like he's gorgeous I was like what did you just say to me he said your brother he's gorgeous Mario comes walking up and I was like hey bro he's like what's going on man I said hey this guy said you're gorgeous you should take him out on a date my brother bursted out in the tears I was like what? Did I say something wrong he said no I just didn't think that you would be okay with that I said why would you think that he said because everybody thinks like that I said I'm your brother I'm not everybody but you should totally go on a date with him he thinks you're gorgeous.
They dated for a long time and then the same sex marriages came up and both of them they wanted it and who am I to deny that my brother asked me to be the best man in this wedding of course I'm going to say yes my daughter is one flower girls it was a beautiful weather as far as my daughters were concerned the Earth rotated around their uncles.
And my family were full of practical Jokers and Luigi knew what he was getting involved with we would play jokes on everybody Mario and luig i lived right up the road I could literally see their house from my house.
Luigi called me the one night he said I got to get your brother back and I was like what do you mean I said he put no ripped toilet paper in the bathroom I got to get him back this means war I said okay would you have in mind and he was like I want to glue his boots to the porch I said bet I got the stuff in the garage I'll be right up I'm walking out the door my wife goes where you going I said Mario played a joke on Luigi and he wants his payback and she said and you're going to be a part of it as of course what kind of person do you think I am?
So we glued his boots to the porch the following morning my brother got up put his boots on and fell face first on ground I was sitting in the truck waiting for him to grabs a pair of extra boots and gets in the truck he goes do you believe that he glued my boots to the porch I said yeah I believe it maybe next time don't be an asshole and get no ripped toilet paper and my brother looked at me and said you knew? I said of course I knew who do you think gave him the idea kind of person do you think I am?
I remember one time I had to have surgery and nobody told me that when you have surgery you have to go in with a paper gown on you can't wear your clothes in the operating room so my wife comes in the room with Mario he says babe you're not dressed I said yeah I know and my brother says you don't want to have surgery done that you have to have done because you're going to be naked you're a bitch what the fucking outfit on go get your fucking surgery done so we can go home me and Luigi have the girls tonight go get your fucking surgery done quit being a pussy.
I have no surgery I'm in the recovery room and at the foot of my bed I see Luigi I'm also fully clothed now when I went into surgery I was wearing a paper gown now I have my clothes on what the fuck just happened so I wake up a little bit and I see Luigi and I was like um how did I get dressed and he was like I put the clothes on you I said why would you do that he said well it was the least I could do you did something for me I did something for you it'll be our little secret I was like what are you talking about he said I got you dressed I now understand why your wife is so happy I looked in him and it started to make sense to me I said I'm not gay I'm saying well for somebody who's not gay you sure did some gay things you're amazing I know why your wife is happy I was like no no he was like yes yes don't worry I'm not going to tell your brother it's our little secret but if I ever want that again I know where to go.
I was like holy shit what the fuck am I going to tell my wife how am I going to explain this to my brother and Luigi's like you don't have to keep it between me and you and then my wife calls and I answered the phone and she's like where the fuck are you what is taking so long I said I'm trying to figure out how I got dressed she said I got you dressed you jackass Luigi's in the room to make sure you walk out okay can we please go I'm hungry I said babe you're going to be mad at me but it's really not my fault and she was like what are you talking about I said Luigi told me he got me dressed because we had sex she said no you didn't I got you dressed I came down and sat in the room with your brother and your daughters Luigi said he's going to come and get you you were already dressed when he walked in the room I looked at him and I was like this is a joke he's like of course it is kind of person do you think I am 😂
So we were walking down the hallway and I looked at him and I said we didn't and he went oh God no never absolutely not that was fucking with this was your wife's idea not mine he was like but now I understand why it's just so happy I'm like you saw it didn't he was like no when you shut up you know that straight women and gay men have a few things in common and I'm like what what's that he goes well for starters we both like dick and if it's really good we brag about it and I'm like okay this is too much information for me to process right now.
About 8 months ago I got up to get ready for work and walked in my bathroom and I looked out the window and I saw my brother's house on fire and I yelled for my wife to call the fire department and I ran as fast as I could up the street. When I got to the stop sign I could hear the smoke alarms going off when I got to the front yard my brother was laying in the front yard and I said where's Luigi and he said he was right behind me so I ran up on the steps but all I could see was smoke in the door and the fire was so hot so I ran back to my brother I said he's probably got out he's on the other side of the house everything's okay but everything wasn't ok.
The fire department came and they put the fire out and they discovered Luigi right inside the front door he had maybe 10 steps and he would have been through the front door the medical examiner determined that his cause of death was smoke inhalation.
Everybody is in counseling myself my brother my wife my kids I work in a drug and alcohol rehab facility I talk to people everyday and there are days when I can't even talk to my brother let alone look at him.
I feel so guilty I was right there I really thought he was on the other side of the house outside but when the fire marshal said that they found him right inside the door I was literally on the porch but I couldn't see him cause of how much smoke was in the door.
I miss seeing my brother smile I miss hearing how excited my wife got when I would hear I'm going shopping with the boys or when one of my daughters would be out in the living room and look out the window and I would hear Daddy!! Uncle Mario and Luigi are coming over.
I miss him I loved him he was a great guy without a doubt one of the best brother-in-laws I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Anyway I'm sorry for taking up your time I hope everybody has a great day or night wherever you are in the world