Hell's Kitchen

Saturday, June 7, 2008. The phone rings. 7:45 a.m. Pacific time.
"Hello?"
"Wormy...?"
"Is mom dead? What's happened? What's wrong?!"
"Your brother is dead!"

And thus began the final chapter of "In a Nutshell: A Southern Gothic Tale."

Like all good Southern tales, this one is full of sick humor, like the title of this post. It refers to the fact that our brother's body was found by Jeckle and her husband in his kitchen, approximately three weeks after his actual death. And it refers to the fact that the kitchen was in our parents' house, and the mess he left behind will lead to floor boards, base boards, linoleum, and cabinets being ripped out and furniture and drapes being thrown away.