NO SIGNAL
My phone is dead.
On an ordinary day,
This would be fine.
But today was not
Ordinary.
My mom
Is in the hospital.
I need to call her.
Sir, I don’t care
About your cheap ass phone.
I need
To call
My mom.
She’s scheduled to die
In six minutes.
She might live longer,
But she might die sooner.
So mate, please
Give me the phone.
I’ll do anything.
Don’t try to play those games with
me. Just
Give me the phone.
The man
Hands it over.
I frantically type in my mother’s number.
Each ring
Sends alarm bells off in my heart.
Will I make it in time?
Will I make it in time?
A pick up...?
No.
Voicemail.
“Fuck!” The word slips past my teeth
in a rush.
I grab my phone and run to the nearest
Apple store. I hope to God that
They still carry iPhone 5
Chargers.
I need to call my mother.
Desperate, I buy
The cord I need
And I plug it into
The wall.
The low battery symbol is displayed.
I wait.
Inside, my intestines scream in agony,
My heart burns.
But outwardly,
I stare at the screen.
Three minutes.
Will I make it in time?
Two minutes, and at last
My phone begins to restart.
115
114
113
Lock screen.
I type in the numbers with
The speed of light
100 seconds left.
99
98
97
I click on the phone icon
90
89
88
87
86
85
Dialing.... dialing...
Please pick up, Mom.
79
78
77
76
75
74
73
72
71
70...
“Hi, you’ve reached Worthester Hospital.”
Blessed words.
“Hook me up with my mother. Marie Cartigen. Room 1754. Now! It’s urgent!”
“Please wait a moment...”
There is the beeping tone of being out on hold, and
I scream in frustration.
But only in my head.
All that comes out is
A small suppressed moan.
Mom, hold on,
Hold on.
I’m coming.
Stay alive a minute longer.
“Lauren?” My mother’s raspy voice
Comes over the phone perfectly.
I can hear the disease in her throat,
Her lungs.
Oh mom,
Why’d you have to smoke?
“Mama?” My voice is weak.
“Lauren, I’m still here, baby. I’m pulling through. The doctors say I might be okay. I might be okay!”
I’m crying on
The floor of an Apple store.
My mom is okay.
My mom is okay.