Death of An Uncle, and the Melted Lego Man

I had only just begun to understand the meaning of death when my uncle died. Before him, death was something that happened to family members of which I had never seen nor spoken to. Sometimes they were brought back to us during dinner time, Dad would down his beer and speak of their yesteryears. The day my uncle died my mothers face changed it sagged like a wet flannel stuck to a bathroom wall. She grew large sacks under her eyes these were where here tears gathered I remember thinking. And her face, her face reminded me of my little lego mans, he had fallen from his turret into the hungry coal fire two years before, Father rescued him from the flames, carried him like a newborn bird in the soft folds of his palm. When father returned him to me, his face was suspended, frozen yellow droplets ran down his yellow smiling face. After the funeral and after those unknown well wishers had drunk themselves sad I fetched my little Lego man, and replaced his head with the smiling pirates one I gave it to my mother, and she like the Pirate smiled.