4.13.2006

Lost in Existence


"Hello, how may I direct your call?"
"You." a women's voice says.
"I just want to talk to someone, would you talk to me?"
The voice on the other end was hard to hear with all the background noise surrounding my station.
" Excuse me but did you say you just want to talk to anyone?
I am not sure I heard you correctly."
"Yes, I am alone and I need to talk to someone. I don't have anyone and I am scared." I slump forward pushing my butt out away from my chair motioning for the others to soften their tones of conversation. Hurried whispers spread down the row of my co workers.
I wasn't sure what to do with this caller, I just knew I needed to hear more from her.
"Honey, how old are you?" I thought I was hearing a women's voice but I couldn't picture this in my mind.
"I am 42 " she says in a childlike voice as if it was of no relevance.
"Are you in any trouble? " my eyes wide open as I stumble for questions. I couldn't help but feeling impulsive motherly instincts. Not quite convinced, I was confused.
" I don't think so, I am cold though."
"Do you need help? Can I get ahold of someone for you? "
Thinking to myself in my distrusting and often vicious manner," Who the hell is this women?
Something deep inside her voice told me this wasn't a joke.
"Tell me where you live and I will call someone to help you."
" I don't remember."My heart pounding, my ears quicken to catch these words she softly spoke.
"Can you hold on just one second honey?
My mind was jumping from reality to television, I was sure I had seen something much like this played out in a movie.
I gave Lori my headset and demanded "Talk to her!" as I push the button for an outside line to 911.
Lori stared at me inconvenienced while stumbling for words of introduction.
"Hi I am Lori. Ann is trying to call someone for you, don't hang up okay?"
"Okay Lori ""Lori?"she asks." I am here."
Lori stares straight into Ann's eyes questioning with hand gestures.
"I hear someone. I think they are in this house." her voice was sounding as if she was retreating.
Lori reaches quickly for the headset extending her arm out to Ann "Take it! Someone is in the house!"
Managing to make her voice calm Ann firmly coaches her stranger.
"Help is on the way, stay on the line 911 is tracing your call."
Ann was unknowing and fearful of what the situation was at that given moment.
" Talk to me! You need to talk to me."
A man's voice asked "Who am I talking to?"
Ann felt the blood run cold in her veins, unsure of what had just happened in these past few moments she gathered her emotions.
Pushing the words Ann replies to the other stranger"I am a switch board operator for Huggins and Williams Collection Company."
"I am sorry for any inconvenience, my wife has alzheimer's and my daughter must have stepped out to run a chore. We normally never leave her alone, she gets so confused. "
His voice was carried with a loving and worried tone like the notes of a sad song.
"Thank you for your kindness."he replied as his wife sat huddled with fear on the floor of the room she remembered no more.
I once again was reminded of what someone said "The mystery of life's existence is the connection between our faults and our misfortunes.”

TJ
Fiction for photo #4

3 comments:

High Power Rocketry said...

: )

Tammy Brierly said...

TJ that was a riviting short story! I'm amazed as always at the depth of your creative well :)

Chris said...

TJ, that gave me goose bumps and not from a "suspense/thriller" sort of way. Instead it as an aching for the caller.


Great job!
Chris