The last call.

A Story by Brenden

My grandmother died and this was the story that was begging to come out. Rushed through it, no editing, wanted it to be as raw and real as possible.

13 hundred miles away she was dying. How many hours left in her lifespan was unknown. The only fact certain was she was living for another hour, not another day. Ill for sometime this shouldn't have been a surprise, however when you’re living in that moment it tends to feel like you suddenly lost the boat you were sailing on in the ocean and now are now struggling for breath in the water.

Jacob sat in his bedroom playing a videogame during one of the final days. He knew his grandma was deathly ill. He knew he would most likely never see her again. However, there was much comfort in going about his life as usual. Not thinking about, not succumbing to the sadness surrounding him. He was young, death seemed like a distant myth to him. The idea was very accepted to him, the circle of life, everyone dies, he understood this concept. However, he also couldn’t help feeling terrible for the way he felt.

Why am i not sad? Is something wrong with me? Am I freak, a psychopath? These thoughts often pondered and lingered on his mind taking up the space that could be holding precious memories from his childhood. But still he kept them hidden behind a false acceptance. So when his mother came in to ask him if he wanted to have a conversation with his ill grandmother, he questioned his answer, and was hesitant to say yes.

What if she can tell I’m not sad? What if I accidentally laugh? What is there to talk about?

However, the gaze from his mother took away his doubt and forced his hand into picking up his phone and calling the hospital. Back at his home state he knew his family was all huddled around her deathbed and he knew this would be a publically displayed phone call which gave him some relief knowing that it wouldn’t be just his voice and hers sharing precious last minutes. He dialed the number his mother texted him and began the call.

Some part of him was hoping it would go to a voicemail, that a receptionist would say she was asleep and he’d have to try again tomorrow, some part of him felt proud he just put the effort into making this phone call. This thought process was broken apart after a women answered the phone after only the first ring.

“Hello?” Cracked a brittle and torn voice.

“Grandma? It’s me uh Jacob” He replied with a sense of shock in his voice. Taken back by the sound that was coming from the other end of the line, a voice he had never heard in his lifetime.

“Oh, lord. Jacob. I haven’t heard from you in some time. How are you dear?”

Jacob paused. It had been awhile since he made contact with her. He always put off a phone call or a dinner date to the next day. But those days the next day consisted of another excuse until the plan itself vanished from both their memories.

“I’ve, I’ve been alright. Florida weather is treating me well. Warm down here, you’d like it” He laughed to himself “Know you’ve always hated the cold.”

“It’s cold down there you say?”
“No.. Grandma I….Whose all there with you right now? Bet the rooms a party huh?”
“Oh no one. It’s lunch time I told them to get some food, I don't need care 24 hours you know. I am very happy you called though.”

“Oh. Yeah of course. Hey, do you remember how we use to play that old nintendo back at your house, and papa would always be mad I beat him?” Jacob responded with trying to ease the mood.

She let out a broken chuckle filled with pain. “How could I forget. Seeing you once a week always made me happy. I always missed seeing you more often when you started to age”.

Memories started creeping back into Jacob’s mind about the times they had, the times they shared. Memories of being a kid, being youthful. Not having anything to worry about except how much fun a day could hold. About going over to Grandma’s knowing you’d get a full cooked meal and were encouraged to sit on a couch and watch shows for an entire day. The realization of this almost brought tears to his eyes. He fought hard to keep them from consuming his vision.

“I’m, I’m sorry Grandma. I should have been over more often. What I would do for a homemade dinner these days” he said with a chuckle that now forced a few tears to roll down his cheeks.

“Yes, yes, when I get out of here you will have to stop by next time you come here for a visit.”

“I’m going to have to hold you to that grandma.”

…………..

“Grandma? You there?”

…………..

“She’s coding, for the love of god someone grab the doctor, some grab the doctor NOW!”

………….

“Clear……...Clear……… F**K, F**K, F**K”

………....

An eerie and incomparable nothing filled the telephone line. Jacob held the phone to his ear still. Now with shaking hands.

“Grandma?”

He knew he wasn’t going to get an answer. But the words felt comforting to come out. He sat for the next hour with the phone pressed to his ear. Praying that a voice would answer. Finally, the realization that he was the last words his grandma heard before her death stabbed like a needle, and he finally broke. Tears flooded his face as the hard exterior holding all his memories prisoner broke and Jacob was left alone in his room with a far greater respect and fear of the angel of death.