The Man Who Doesn’t Want To Die Alone: And Other Stories

By Batuta Ribeiro

There are people who are afraid of dying. But there's a man who isn't afraid to die, as long as there's someone around to know he's dead. Read on and find out how this man died.

• Language: English
• Publisher: 101 Seleções
• Release date: Feb 10, 2023

Book preview

The News

The newscaster is a young man who looks more like a seminarian. He wears round glasses. The hair is short and well-combed. His face is shaved. He inspires respect and the purity of a man that every mother would like to see married to her daughter.

Properly dressed in a dark-colored suit, the newscaster says good afternoon to start the lunchtime newscast. It’s exactly 12:45. Soon after, Robert McCauley reads the call on the teleprompter, A sad fact happened at Hollister. Mr. Gerald Breedan, a 72-year-old man, was found dead inside his residence in the Flock neighborhood. More details with our reporter, William Zant.

The image changes to a man with gray hair and a red face. William holds a microphone with the emblem of the TV station that pays his salary. I’m here on Hummingbird Street, Flock neighborhood, says the reporter. In the background, there is a patrol car parked on top of the sidewalk. Several residents stare at the house with its moldy walls, mostly children curious to see a dead body.

William lets Chief Kevin Traylor enter the camera’s focus.

Chief Kevin Traylor will talk about the case.

William places the microphone close to the chief’s mouth. The officer begins, The police received a call from the neighbor complaining about the putrid odor that was coming from Mr. Breedan’s residence. The police arrived and, as no one answered the door and as no neighbor knew about any of the resident’s relatives, the police broke down the door and entered the house. Even though the body was in a state of decomposition, one neighbor recognized Mr. Breedan, a resident of the house. Now we’ll continue the investigation. But, by all indications, Mr. Breedan must have died of natural causes. As he lived alone, no one noticed his death.

William comments, According to the information I gathered here in the neighborhood, Mr. Breedan was a reserved man.

Yes, Mr. Breedan was not very fond of interpersonal relationships. In addition, we still could locate none of his relatives.

If it weren’t for the stench, would anyone notice Mr. Breedan’s death? asks William.

The Chief laughs. Yeah, it’s a good thing we stink after we die. The officer realizes that this is no time to be joking, and he adopts a serious posture again. He clears his throat and continues, We will take the body to the morgue. If no one claims the body within a month, we will donate it for academic purposes as he died of natural causes. The police chief looks back at the house with moldy walls where Mr. Breedan lived. Then he turns his attention forward and says, as if thinking aloud, In the end, no one is more than that, whether rich or poor, white or black, woman or man. No one is more than a body that stinks after he dies.

The Vegetarian

The wife roasted chicken for dinner. Nick arrived early from school. He