THE PHONE CALL

The day began badly. Saturday, July 27th, 2016. I awoke to hear my mother Angela talking quietly on
the phone. She is never quiet on the phone unless she is receiving bad news. I pulled apart the
curtains near the living room to reveal a sky full of grey with crying clouds. I always hated rainy
mornings. My mother came off the phone and released a loud sigh, rubbing the sides of her head
where her dark hair was ever so slightly greying, in circular motions. Her usually smooth brown face
wrinkled like an old towel, obviously stressed about the phone call she received a few minutes ago. I
glanced at her concerned and our matching hazel eyes made four. She gave me an unreadable smile.
I was slightly worried about what was said on the phone call, but I just ignored it and had my
breakfast as usual.

It came time for lunch and my family, and I sat around the table. They all had worried looks
plastered on their faces. “Is everything okay?” I asked my mom. I could see in her eyes that
something was terribly wrong but knowing her she would not tell me the problem. “Yes Gia,
everything is okay dear,” she replied with a reassuring smile. I looked at my sister Marie hoping she
would be honest with me, but she just looked away, shielding her face behind her numerous long
plaits. I was as mad as a paper cut. Why would no one be honest with me?

I placed my dishes in the sink and asked my mom to go outside to play with my friends. She
hesitated to say yes, but she did. Usually when I go outside all the kids from the Villa Vale
neighbourhood would be running around but today was different. Everyone was gathered around
my best-friend’s cousin, Anna. She was one of my closest friends at the time. As I walked towards
them, I could see her almond shaped eyes gleaming in the afternoon sun. “Is everyone okay? Why
aren’t you guys playing with each other like yesterday?” I asked. There was a worried knot that
formed in my stomach. They all looked at me with blank, lifeless expressions.

My barrel shaped neighbour Suzanne hugged me tightly. “Patrice passed away,” she blurted out,
with tears at the brim of her eyes. There was no way my best friend had passed away. She was fine
the last time I saw her. I awkwardly chuckled hoping it was just a joke but silenced prevailed. Hurt
injected into my heart. I had never felt this pain before. Is it really true? Did I just lose the only friend
I ever had? My eyes began to feel heavy, tears uncontrollably spilled down my cheeks.

I walked back home unsure of how to react to this news. I pushed open the door slowly and ran into
my mother’s warm comforting arms. Tears thundered down my face while she patted my head
trying to calm me. She apologized for not telling me earlier as she heard the terrible news while on
the phone that morning. All I could think about while rocking in my mother’s arms would be if I
would ever meet my best friend again, and if I do, when will that be?