This post is a participation in The Weekly Six Sentence Story Challenge hosted by Denise over at GirlieOnTheEdge
This week’s word is:
Redemption
- the action of being saved from sin, error, or evil
- the action of re/gaining possession of something in exchange for payment
The Call
(Heads up; this one’s a little darker than what I usually write. No graphic imagery or anything, it’s just not a happy story.)
I stare at my adopted dad’s number as it appears on my phone’s screen just above the answer and ignore buttons; a number that has transferred from phone to phone over the past decade but not a number that has ever shown up, or been summoned.
My finger hovers over the ignore button for several seconds, then floats to the side and finally drops upon the answer button; I take a deep breath before putting the phone to my ear and speaking, barely above a whisper, “Hello?”
“Oliver,” a female voice asks- of course it wouldn’t be him, I can’t imagine he would choose to break more than a decade of silence between us; “I’m Tracy, we’ve never met but I’m married to your father; he’s never told me why you two don’t talk but this is important and I think you deserve to know; your aunt, Jill, passed away a few nights ago.”
The news hits me like an electric fence, a sudden jolt in my heart that feels like I’ve been kicked square in the chest, my breath quavers and I pull the phone away to keep her from hearing; Jill, my mother’s sister, the only person who chose to keep in touch with me after… after 1996… the only connection I still had to my family, who sent me letters with updates on my sister – aunt Jill, the only one who didn’t see me as a monster, is gone.
I can hear Tracy talking quietly through the speaker and take a moment to compose myself before lifting the phone back to my ear, catching her mid-sentence; “-other and sister will be there, I think your brother too, I know there’s something between you all but I’m sure they would understand if you showed up, it’s special circumstances.”
“Thank you,” I say quietly, then clear my throat to keep my voice from cracking, to keep the welling tears from vocalizing, “but no, I won’t be attending; they’re suffering enough right now without me coming around… some people just don’t deserve redemption,” I pull the phone away and end the call before I break down entirely.
This sounds like a funeral worth attending. I like how you described the emotional decision not to attend.
Ty, sir 😁 I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment every week!
This makes me wonder how many other lives Jill touched. This appears to be a story that could be more than a stand alone SSS with more than one character’s life to explore. Well done.
Thank you very much! And thank you for taking the time to read and comment!
Jill touched a lot of lives as she was very active in her community. The church was packed at her wake, and there were more than 1,000 viewers on the livestream!
Nice one. I like the imagery
Tha k you very much ♥
As Pat says, there’s more to this story, should you care to share. Good Six, Ollie!
Idk if I’m ready for an autobiography yet 😅😅😅 but it’s something I will consider!
Thanks Chris!
Well written, Ollie. ‘some people just don’t deserve redemption’ Truer words were never spoken.
Intensely sad, Six, Ollie. Estrangement is one of those things the longer it goes on the more damage it seems to do.
Yeah, after so many years it’s hard to make contact, especially when you know they don’t want it.
Ty for reading ♥ and taking the time to comment!
Very powerful, and this makes me want to know what it was the MC had done. And whether it was as big to all of the family as it was to MC. But of course, it speaks to the power of this work that it stands alone without need of all those pesky details. Really well crafted!
Ty so much! I greatly appreciate your words ♥ ty for reading! It seems I might have to write more…
If you wish, of course!
But know that it stands as a strong price as is, as well.
Ty ty 🙏 ♥