Member-only story
ANXIETY
Is My Mother Dead?
Why isn’t she answering the phone?
What if my mom is dead?
This is the thought I had this morning after trying to call her four times. We were supposed to go on a road trip for the day, a two-hour jaunt to a nearby town. Upon seeing rain in the forecast, I decided to cancel the plans since most of what we wanted to see was outdoors. There was no need for Mom to get up early. I wanted to reach her before she began getting ready and let her know that she could sleep in. After all, she’s not a morning person.
I called at 8 a.m. There was no answer. I left a message on her machine. Normally, she picks up the phone in her bedroom when she hears my voice on the answering machine, but this time she didn’t.
We were supposed to meet at my house at 9 a.m. We discussed our plans the day before, so surely she’d be getting up soon. I called again at 8:15 a.m.
There was still no answer.
At 8:30, I called again. This time I talked louder and left a lengthy message, hoping she’d pick up.
“Hello, this is your wake-up call. We’re supposed to meet at 9. I’m calling to cancel. The weather’s going to be bad. Hello? Ding dong! Ding dong! Are you there? Yoo hoo? All right, I guess I will see you soon at my…
