At a loss for words

"Things were not supposed to end this way." Kaine thought as he stumbled to his 2023 Red Jeep Cherokee. Kaine fumbled with the keys on the inside of his army fatigue jacket; dropping them to the ground. While opening up the car door, he stopped and looked up to the sky.

He saw that it was about to rain. Tears formed in his eyes as he entered the vehicle. He sat there feeling hopeless as he sat in the driver's seat, wondering why this happened.

He took a long sip of Jose Cuervo Gold tequila and sat there in truck when it began to rain. He had already overindulged in swallowing more than a hand full of pills; wishing he could speak to his little brother, one last time.

He had just saw Dominic the night before on a Labor Day. 24 hours later, Dominic was gone.

To this day, no one knows what really happened to Dominic. But, the love of his life, had taken his. The ultimate sacrifice; and now she was being held on a no-cash bond.

Two brothers. If Kaine had knew that Labor day would be the last day he would see his brother, he would have hugged Dominic; told him he was proud of him. Kaine would have told him, for the last time, that he loved him.

Now, as he sat in his car stoned and overdosing on all the pills he had taken previously that evening, he knew that he would never physically be able to touch him again. He would never hear his laugh or see his smile again.

Kaine began feeling drowsy. For a brief moment, something told him to give up.

Kaine felt himself slipping away.

"I just want to talk to him." Kaine thought. No one understood his pain like his brother. Unfortunately, the ones who did, well, Kaine had pushed them all away a long time ago. Out of nowhere, Kaine began to feel sick. He laid his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes.

Kaine,

was tired.

He knew he had somewhere to be, but he needed to take a power nap.

When he awoke, his brother Dominic was in the truck with him.

Kaine turned to him, knowing he should not be there. He stared in awe, wondering how his deceased brother was in the car, smiling at him. He was alive.

Dominic turned to look out the window of the truck as it began to rain harder. Kaine went to speak, but no words came out.

Dominic turned to Kaine once more; without saying a word they began to speak telepathically about what had happened to Dominic that night.

Kaine, wanted answers.

"How you doing big bro? Dominic asked.

"Man, what happened. Y'all was cool when I left." Kaine exclaimed

"I was leaving her. She started arguing with me because I told her I was done. You know I was tired of fighting that b****." Dominic said.

"What happened." Kaine whispered

" My back was turned because I was walking away from her a**. When I turned around she was in my face with a knife in her hand." Dominic said.

Dominic lit a cigarette and started laughing.

"I told her I was done, and she told me over her dead body." Dominic glared as he inhaled the cigarette.

Kaine grew enraged. His knew his brother and "that girl" were always fighting. But, everyone was content "minding their business." Even when Dominic came to visit with bruises and black eyes.

The notion of a man being in an abusive relationship, was not realistic to their family. Dominic had not even told his own brother, that before this incident "the girl" had pulled a gun on him. To make a long story short, she was placed on probation because he had not shown up to court.

The funny part about the whole thing is that both Kaine and Dominic had a rough childhood. They watched how hard it was on their mother in regards to making ends meet and raising two children alone; sons of a single mother in a impoverished neighborhood.

Dominic loved his brother. As a child, he watched him be the ultimate hustler. He watched him use women to help out his mother with the bills and she obliged. He watched him tote guns, sell dope, and be an all around nefarious character.

Dominic grew up with the notion that he would be "tighter" that his brother; be an even bigger hustler. He had watched Kaine overpower and bully others in the streets. He watched Kaine live double, triple, lives and played his own "brotherly" role to all the women that thought they had a slight chance with Kaine.

Dominic watched Kaine trick women out of money, cars, and whatever else he wanted; and up into this point, he thought he had gotten away with it.

But now,

At that very moment, Kaine knew his brothers' death was karma for all the things he had did wrong.

You see,

Dominic wanted so much to be like his brother, but when it came to love, he seemed to stick with this "one". And it was that one, that murdered him. It was that "one", that broke Dominic and Kaine's entire family into pieces.

"You made the news Bro." Kaine laughed as he to, lit a cigarette.

"Man, listen. I can't stay here with you long. But, I came to tell you man, its time you "right your wrongs". You have to make things right." Dominic said as he stared at Kaine.

"Man, I don't know what you mean." Kaine laughed. He knew exactly what Dominic meant.

"Man, I watched you break them bitches down blood. Watched you take them for everything they had. I knew exactly what was going on and I never went against you man, even when I should have. I think this is why I am here now." Dominic said as he stared ahead.

"I watched you verbally, physically, and mentally abuse women my whole entire life, and I ended up turning into the very thing you were causing in other women's households. I sat by idly and I should have talked you out of alot of shit you were doing." Dominic said.

Kaine stared at this brother in disbelief.

"How are you able to be here right now?" Kaine thought

"I couldn't cross over until I told you to make it right. I wish I had enough strength to tell you while I was here." Dominic said as he stared out the front window of the truck.

"How's mom?" Dominic asked.

Kaine dropped his head. Mom was not good.

"She's holding up alright." Kaine said

Dominic finished his cigarette and started laughing again.

"You know you could never lie." Dominic said with a smirk.

Kaine grabbed a cigarillo and split it with his fingers and rolled a blunt.

Telepathically they spoke; passing the "spliff" until it got half way.

"Kaine, you have to go back. You're not supposed to be here man." Dominic whispered.

Kaine frowned at Dominic, feeling the tears well up in his eyes again.

"Lil Bruh...you aren't supposed to be here either man." Kaine said as a tear rolled down his face.

"Man, I ain't going nowhere. I'm always with you Bro." Dominic said.

"Big Bro, if you continue down this road, this is exactly where you will end up."

"Listen man, you gotta make things right so you don't end up like me." Dominic said again.

"Man, ain't none of them broads gone do shit to me." Kaine howled.

"All I'm saying is man, I love you bro. But you have to go back NOW!" Dominic said as he gave him back the blunt and got out of the truck. Dominic stepped into the rain, and turned and smiled at his brother one last time and walked off; disappearing as fast as the rain had come.

It was at that moment that Kaine saw a bright light and heard voices speaking over him. He closed his eyes for brief second, but when he opened them, he saw several paramedics standing over him in a hospital room.

Kaine had overdosed in the truck; stricken with grief over his murdered brother. He had passed out. A neighbor saw him slumped over and had called 911.

Kaine was dead for over 10 minutes. For what ever reason, the emt's did not give up and resuscitated him. He had been given another chance to make things right. He had been given another shot at life, and this time around he planned to do things, how he should have did them before.

Kaine just regretted that it took for his brother to die for him to see it.