The letter said it all.

It told Luke’s brother where he’d been these past five years, it told him how great things were going, and how Luke finally understood who he was supposed to be.

It didn’t say all that at once, of course.

The letter started with them back as kids in Nutbush, driving down Tina Turner Highway. His brother would talk about her legs and her voice and her tits, and all Luke could think about was her outfits.

Then it went on to say that Luke didn’t blame his brother for not taking a side the night their father had beaten Luke worse than ever before. In fact, in the letter Luke said he was glad his brother hadn’t done anything. Their father needed someone there to take care of him with mom gone. And that Luke forgave him. Their father was from a different time, he wasn’t ready to have a gay son.

He ended the letter hoping that his brother, and yes, even his father would visit him in Memphis soon.

The letter said everything Luke had been wanting to say since the day he left.

So, why couldn’t he drop it in the mailbox?

Memphis Note:
Nutbush is a town northeast of Memphis, out past Covington. The most notable resident of the city is Tina Turner, the legendary singer, whom they renamed a stretch of Route 19 after.