Rhea Dasgupta

Caroline Always

            Allie stared at the grey phone, knowing what she had to do.  It was a quarter past five in Seattle and it was still dark with cold outside.  She sniffed a little and rubbed her teary red eyes.  She reached for the receiver and dialed the fourteen-digit phone number imprinted in her memory.  It seemed to ring for ages. 

            “Hello?”

            “Hi Joe, It’s me”

            “Hello?”

The line was scratchy.

            “Joe? Joe it’s me”

            “Allie, is that you? Allie? I can’t hear you baby girl.  I’ll call you back in a few minutes from the phone booth”

            She hung up the phone and waited.  A few minutes passed and the phone had yet to ring.  Large drops began to stream down from her large blue eyes down to her pale lips where wet sobs escaped her dry mouth every so often.  She looked down at her belly and thought about the past few months.  It had been a whirlwind of everyday domestic life.  Plus a little more, she thought.  She looked at the phone again, scolding herself for such selfish thoughts.

            She and Joe had been married eight months back in the local courthouse.  She was twenty and he was twenty-two and it had been a dream come true.  Marriage would ultimately make life happier.  It meant family, togetherness, and especially the joy of their very own children.  Not to mention Joe would be eligible for more benefits from the military especially because of his deployment soon after their union.  The phone rang.

            “Hello? Joe?”

            “Oh hey baby.  Sorry about that. The connection seems fine now, I think my cell reception gets worse everyday”