To Hell With Dying

To Hell With Dying Summary | To Hell With Dying Summary

This story revolves around a beloved neighbor, Mr. Sweet, and the many "revivals" a neighboring family participates in to bring him back from the brink of death. The revival consists of the whole family going to visit Mr. Sweet, who lay on his deathbed. The children's father would say, "To hell with dying, man," addressing the dying Mr. Sweet, and "These children want Mr. Sweet!" The children would take those words as their cue and would crowd around Mr. Sweet and throw themselves on the bed with him. The youngest of the children would kiss Mr. Sweet all over his face and tickle him until he laughed. Mr. Sweet would then make a swift recovery and continue to live.

Mr. Sweet was an older man, a diabetic and an alcoholic. He was a fisherman but was best known for playing the guitar. Mr. Sweet would come around to play with the children, and their mother would let them play with Mr. Sweet even though he was always very drunk and on the verge of passing out. He would also play his guitar and sing for the family. The youngest child, a girl, especially loved Mr. Sweet. She loved playing with his white kinky hair and believed him when he called her his "Princess." At six years of age, she felt pretty because of him; at eight and a half, she felt gorgeous. Others would tell her she looked like a baby monkey, but because of Mr. Sweet she felt beautiful.

Sometimes Mr. Sweet would need the "revival" when he was feeling very depressed and very drunk. Other times Mr. Sweet would need the "revival" when he was legitimately sick, such as the time he had a stroke. Whether the ailment was mental or physical, the "revival" always worked. It was always the job of the youngest child (who narrates the story) to tickle, kiss, and hug Mr. Sweet. As the years passed, and her siblings grew up, it was up to only her and her brother, along with their parents, to revive Mr. Sweet. Her brother would grab Mr. Sweet's guitar and start playing and singing, acting like Mr. Sweet. This would make Mr. Sweet happy. Sometimes Mr. Sweet would start crying around the children and they would comfort him. This never embarrassed them because they loved him.

Years passed with many successful "revivals" of Mr. Sweet. The children did not realize the finality of death, because in their experience they were always able to triumph over it. They also did not realize that they only had this power over Mr. Sweet, not over anyone else. Later, the narrator is working on her doctorate when she gets word that Mr. Sweet is dying and is asked if she could please come quickly. The narrator doesn't hesitate and rushes to Mr. Sweet's home, though she lives many miles away and has to take a plane and drive for a long distance.

Mr. Sweet is in his 90s now and lies in the same bed in which he has lain many times before when he was "on the brink of death." The narrator's parents are already there, looking old and frail themselves, which surprises the narrator. Her father bends down and tells Mr. Sweet, "To hell with dying, man! My daughter is home to see Mr. Sweet!" She is the only sibling there, for her brother is serving in the war in Asia. She caresses Mr. Sweet's face; his eyes open and he gently smiles at her. His eyes twinkle at her and she puts her head on the pillow next to his and they stare at one another for a long moment. He caresses her face and she closes her eyes as his hands cup around her face, when she opens her eyes Mr. Sweet has died. She cannot believe that their "revival" failed. Her parents give her Mr. Sweet's guitar like he wanted, for he knew this time he would not be saved. She plays one of the songs Mr. Sweet would always play and at that moment realizes that Mr. Sweet had been her first love.