Living Obituary
Johnny Reyes
Called Johnny · Born June 4, 1999 · Denver, Colorado
Johnny Reyes, called Johnny. Born June 4, 1999, in Denver, Colorado. He is twenty-seven. He is writing this himself. Months, not years. He wants it finished while he can still argue about the order.
Elena Reyes raised him. Luis is the brother who already stole the map. The porch with his mother is home as much as any trail on the Front Range.
He served one tour in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army. He came home and led a warehouse crew during the week. Weekends he is on the dirt. He showed up. That is the whole thing. Cheap tacos. The red jacket. Tess at the warehouse gets the Saturday shift. Luis gets the trail pack if he actually wears the jacket.
Doctors and the VA have their files. He has heard people talk about burn pits. This story does not settle that. He does not want a hospital in this. No machines. The porch is enough. The trail is enough. Tell Mom he was not scared the whole time. Just some of the time. The rest he was looking at the mountains.
Keep the porch light on. The film is enough.
Written while they were still here. Not a death notice.