I am stepping out of the shower
when the phone rings
I grab a towel and run down the hallway,
soaking the wooden floors with my feet
letting my hair flick water all over the walls
I pick up the phone right before it stops ringing and pant hello.
Only silence answers
So I climb back into the shower
I am jumping on my bed
when the phone rings
I launch off and sprint down the hallway
It is my mother checking on me
I’m fine, I say and hang up
I am trying on new shoes
When I hear the phone again
Feeling tall and awkward, I struggle to walk down the hall
This is Verizon Wireless calling. Would you…
I hang up
I have just settled down comfortably in front of the television
A new episode, I think, as the phone rings
I decide not to answer
It rings endlessly
When it becomes disturbing, I run down the hallway and lift the receiver
“Charlotte!”
It is my grandpa and all he wants is to hear the sound of my voice.
I sit down and we chat.