Merritt died at eighty-nine.
Pneumonia after a long decline.
Oren attended the funeral.
He spoke.
Not about the dinner.
About chess.
Fishing.
How Merritt taught him to leave a negotiation rather than threaten.
People are more than worst failures.
That does not erase the failures.
After the service Oren told me:
“I loved him.”
“Yes.”
“I was mad at him.”
“Yes.”
“Both annoying.”
Very.
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