Creative Writing: A phone call

Words: loneliness, trees, conservation, future of the world as you see it, a phone call, trouble

A phone call

The telephone rang at midnight  SA, Ad

Why is it when the telephone rings late at night, it is dreadful news?

I also don’t know why a hospital has to ring you as late as possible to ask you to come instantly because of bad news!

I had three late calls, I can recall.

The first was in 1993 when the Johannesburg General Hospital called 11 pm and urged me to come straight away. On arrival, I had to decide on maintaining my husband on life support and if I could donate his organs.

Couldn’t they delay until the morning?

The next call was in 2006, while my mother was in Pretoria East Hospital. She had been there for about three weeks. The nurse explained they expected my mother wouldn’t last the night. I drove the 150 km from Naboomspruit to Pretoria late at night. I arrived at the hospital after twelve. It was the last time my Mum communicated with me that night. She asked: Where is Pappa?

“You are going to see him soon, Mamma.”

“Why is Kobie not here?” (Kobie is my older sister)

“She is still in England.” She had a smile on her face, closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep from which she never woke up. 

 She still hung in there for another two weeks before passing away. My sister and I took turns sitting at her bedside.

Two weeks on, I told my Mum that I loved her, and I drove back home to Naboomspruit. Late that night, just before midnight, the call came. My mom had passed away.

Midnight phone calls, I believe, are most of the time bad news!