Brother: A Novel

In the present, Aisha’s job as a freelance computer programmer has enabled her to travel, and she tells Michael and his mother about visiting Trinidad. Aisha proposes hosting a memorial for their lost loved ones, but Michael insists it would not be good for his mother. Aisha points out that his mother is not doing well mentally or emotionally. Doctors have diagnosed her with complicated grief, which keeps her stuck in the past.

The narrative shifts to the past. Francis’s absence from the home leads to more tension with their mother and a lack of food. Francis has discovered where their father lives. He brings Michael with him to meet their father, but when they show up at his door, their father refuses to meet them.

In the present, Michael is surprised and disturbed when Jelly, who was Francis’s best friend, comes over. Michael is worried that Jelly’s presence will upset his mother. Jelly has no other place to stay, so Michael’s mother invites him to sleep over at their house.