Getting back to work

As February snows into March, we are beginning to get back to normality. Let me explain what has happened since last month.

On the night 21st to the 22nd of January, my younger brother, Andy, was attacked in an underground train by two youths. He died of his injuries the following Monday.

That's two sentences. Two sentences which tell you what happened, but which cannot explain how this deed has touched a lot of people who knew Andy and many more who didn't.

Andy suffered ill health, mainly brought about by his being an alcoholic. Somehow, sometime during his life, he got onto this road and experienced the typical alcoholic career. Despite many tries to pursuade him to get off the bandwagon, we never really managed to convince him that he had a problem with booze.

Over the last 10 years he was in hospital on a regular basis, with the periods between becoming shorter from one stay to another. His general health became worse as the years went on.

On top which he succesivly lost his job, apartment and any money he had over the last 5 years or so. He had been living in various men's homes since then.

His life revolved around the "Königsstrasse", the King's street in Stuttgart. The main shopping center in the city. I never knew what he did there, but I know that he had regular contact to other alcoholics.

Last December he was taken to hospital by the Men's Home staff as he was in a desolate condition. As was usually the case, we were notified about a week later that he was in hospital again. My other brother, Joe, visited him together with my mother the next day.

Joe called me that evening and said we should visit him as soon as possible, because it looked as though he was not going to survive much longer.

My wife and I visited him and found him wandering around the hospital café. He looked really bad. His steps were more of a shuffle. He moved very slowly with stooped shoulders and his head jutting forward. On top of this, it took him time to formulate answers or to say anything.

We spent about an hour and a half with him. For the first time ever, he told us that he wanted to change his life. "The seed was planted" he said. This was a monumental statement!

How monumental this was and how it contributed to his demise I will tell you in the next installment.