The Prompt You Say! - 2. Prompt 84 - The Call

"Look, I know you weren't really ready to talk to me, but I have to tell you what has been going on. Just listen to me ..." the voice on the phone said.

Chris was so upset it took a moment for him to realize who the hell it was that was talking on the phone.

“Mom, look I really …” his voice cracked. He took a deep breath and pushed on, “I just don’t want to talk about it.”

“Damn it Christopher, would you shut up for a moment and listen to me!”

He’d just let his son go on his first trip alone, and to someone he feared didn’t love him. For the first time in his life Chris wanted to slam the phone down and tell his mother to just butt the hell out of his life, but before he could say a word, her next words chilled him to the core.

“If you haven’t been paying attention to the news, Dylan’s plane was in an accident. They aren’t sure about much right now. The news keeps saying it went down over the water and they aren’t sure about survivors yet.”

“Mom, you have to be wrong. I just left him at the airport. He wants to go see Jeanette, told me he might want to move in with her.”

Christopher sat there gripping the phone like it was a life preserver. He’d barely left the airport and gotten home. How could something have happened already?

“You knew he was going to see his mother. He has been telling you he wanted a chance to get to know her now that she has a place. Dylan told me the flight number himself, and how he hoped it would be a good visit with her. It has been all over the news for the past five minutes and I checked to see if it was his flight. I mean I know it was this morning and that is why I called. Not to listen to you complain about him going again but because …”

“Mom, I’ll have to call you back. I need to find out what I can.” Christopher’s voice was soft and strained as he hung up.

He walked over to where he had written down all the information about Dylan’s trip, including Jeanette’s phone number. God, it had taken forever to make his heart realize Dylan was curious about his mother and not that his son didn’t love him. For the past ten years it had been just the two of them. What kind of person can turn to their husband and three year old child and say, “Sorry, this isn’t what I want right now? I need to find out who I am.”

He stared for a moment at the flight information before calling the airport. It took a while before he was put on with someone who took his information, Dylan’s name and age, and promised to get back to him within a half an hour.

He realized he would have to call Jeanette. Other than the occasional Christmas or birthday card, she hadn’t contacted either of them. Then that damn letter to Dylan last March. I should have read it first.

“Hello? Chris is that you? Chris?”

“Jeanette, I had to call.” I’m not even sure what the hell to say to her! “Dylan’s plane … it went down. They don’t have any details for me yet. It is all over the news. I … I.” Chris’ voice cracked as he realized he might have lost his son.

“Chris? What do you mean his plane went down? What the hell happened?”

“I don’t know. All I know is the plane went down. I just called so you wouldn’t find out waiting for him.”

“Listen, this better not,” Jeanette’s voice began to gain volume, “be some sort of game, because I’m telling you…”

“Look, our son’s plane went down. You know the boy I’ve been raising by myself for ten years. The one I have taken care of every scratch, cold, and fever with. Remember, DYLAN!”

There was silence between them when Chris’ phone beeped.

“I have someone on the other line,” Chris mumbled as he clicked to take the new call.

“Mr. Lester?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Greg Hennessy. I work for General Travels. You called about Dylan Lester being on our flight from McArthur to Ronald Regan National.”

“Yes,” Chris said dully. He noticed how the phone stuck to his hand.

“We don’t have all the details yet sir. The plane did make a water landing. If you would like. we are setting up a waiting area for family members here at the airport. As soon as we know of survivors we will call you or you can come down.”

“I’ll be down there shortly, thank you!”

There was a click as Mr. Hennessy hung up. Automatically his phone clicked back over to Jeanette.

“Did you … did you hear anything?”

“They made a water landing but not anything about survivors. I’m heading back to the airport. They are going to let us know as soon as they do.”

“Chris, are you going to be able to drive?”

“It’s for Dylan.” Chris grabbed his keys and headed toward the door. “I don’t have a choice.”

The bright sunshine and warm day did little to alter what Christopher already knew, today was going to be a very long hard day.