A Simple Phone Call

"I have three missed calls from your mom," Jacob said, as I handed him a beer. It seems as if my mom always calls me when I first start drinking, it never fails. I ignored his comment and sat next to him. I threw my feet in his lap, with the hope that the conversation would end right there, and he wouldn't guilt me in to calling my mom. A foot rub is much better than talking to my mom, especially when I'm buzzed. Jacob slowly put his beer down, but left his hands at his sides. I wiggled my toes at him. He smiled, but this smile was forced. I put my feet down and sat up right, "What's wrong," I asked. "Man, we were having a great night, but I'm not going to be able to have a good time until you call your mom back, she called me three times Andrea," Jacob said.
"Give me your phone," I said. Jacob threw the phone to me as I walked past our tent. I walked about twenty feet away, but in the dark it seemed like a was a mile away from our campsite. As I dialed my mom and waited for her to answer, I was echoing what she was going to say. "Why didn't you call me when you got there." "I've been worried sick." "Quit thinking of yourself and call me back." Five rings passed and I was about to hang up and turn the phone off. This night was nearly perfect and I didn't need my mom to ruin it two hundred miles away. "Andrea," my mom yelled. "Andrea, are you there?" I put the phone back to my ear. "Mom, what's up," I asked. "Andrea, you have to call Rachelle, she's been trying so hard to get a hold of you," my mom said. "Her dad passed away last night, she found out a few hours ago." I hung up with my mom and threw the phone down. So many thoughts filled my head: How is Rachelle going to deal with this? We are too young to have our parents dying on us. This isn't fair, that's the only family Rachelle has left.
As I thought about how unfair everything was, I started to realize that I could fix one of the things that wasn't unfair; I could call my friend who has been trying to get a hold of me. I called Rachelle and I talked to her in the dark for about an hour. I stayed the same twenty feet away, but I knew I was safe because I could see Jacob's shadow by the fire. Rachelle and I talked about the past, I told her memories I had of her and dad. I told her that I'd help her through this horrible time. I told her that I loved her and I wish I could make the pain go away. I told her it wasn't fair that she had to go through this, especially only being twenty one years old. She cried and I cried. She told me that she'd be flying in from San Francisco in two days, so I promised I would meet her at the airport. When I got off the phone with her and told her that my phone would be by me no matter what, and I told her that I was sorry it was so hard to reach me. I put Jacob's phone deep in my pocket, where I knew it would be secure. I slowly walked back towards my camping chair. Jacob was reaching outward, grabbing my hand. I sat next to, he then grabbed my feet and started rubbing them. I started to say something, but he stopped me. He knew what happened, he heard me on the phone. We remained silent for what seemed forever. The only noise was the fire crackling. I decided to finally break the silence. "Baby, anytime I try and only think of myself, I end up screwing up," Jacob chuckled, "Well, quit only thinking of yourself," he said. Six words, five beers, and my best friend's dad dying is what it took to make me realize that if I help others out and I don't worry so much about myself, life will be a lot more meaningful.

A week has now passed since that night I went camping. Those six words have been echoing everyday since, and I hope it never stops.