A CELL
PHONE ?
JOHNNIE AND
I WERE SITTING AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE WHEN SHE SAID,
“LOREN I THINK I NEED A CELL PHONE.” I PUT THE PIECE OF
BACON I HAD BEEN ABOUT TO TAKE A BITE OF BACK ON MY
PLATE AND ASKED “WHAT FOR?”
“WELL NOW
THAT YOU DON’T LEAVE THE HOUSE ANY MORE AND I HAVE TO DO
ALL THE DRIVING TO THE GROCERY STORE AND OTHER PLACES BY
MYSELF, I JUST THOUGHT I SHOULD HAVE ONE. WHAT IF I
BREAK DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD?”
I PICKED MY
PIECE OF BACON BACK UP AND TOOK A BITE OF IT. “WELL?”
JOHNNIE ASKED. I POINTED TO MY MOUTH AS I CHEWED. I
WAS STALLING WHILE I TRIED TO THINK OF AN ANSWER. I
PICKED UP MY GLASS OF MILK AND STARTED TO TAKE A DRINK.
“LOREN PUT
THAT GLASS DOWN AND ANSWER ME!” “JOHNNIE I DON’T CARE
IF YOU GET A CELL PHONE, BUT YOU GOING TO HAVE TO PAY
FOR IT OUT OF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK. I ALREADY PAY
ALL THE BILLS AND GROCERY MONEY OUT OF MINE.”
SO JOHNNIE
GOT HERSELF A CELL PHONE. SHE HAD TO SIGN A TWELVE
MONTH CONTRACT TO GET IT ACTIVATED. SHE CARRIED IT WITH
HER EVERY WHERE SHE WENT. BUT OUR CAR NEVER BROKE DOWN
ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SO SHE HAD NOT USED IT IN THE
FIRST TWO WEEKS SHE HAD IT.
SO SHE GAVE
A FEW OF HER FRIENDS HER CELL PHONE NUMBER AND SOME OF
THEM WOULD CALL HER ON IT. THEN ONE DAY JOHNNIE AND HER
FRIEND NITA WENT TO A MOVIE.
WHEN THE
LIGHTS WENT DOWN AND THE FILM STARTED RUNNING THE FIRST
THING SHE SAW ON THE SCREEN WAS A REQUEST FOR EVERY ONE
TO TURN OFF THEIR CELL PHONES. THIS WAS TO KEEP THE
RINGING OF THE PHONES FROM DISTURBING THE PEOPLE TRYING
TO HEAR THE MOVIE.
JOHNNIE HAD
WORN SLACKS THAT HAD TWO SLASH POCKETS IN THE FRONT.
SHE HAD HER BILLFOLD IN HER RIGHT POCKET AND HER CAR
KEYS AND CELL PHONE IN HER LEFT POCKET. JOHNNIE REACHED
INTO HER POCKET AND TOOK OUT HER CELL PHONE. BUT
INSTEAD OF TURNING IT OFF SHE PUT IT ON VIBRATE. THEN
PUT IT BACK INTO HER POCKET.
THEN THE
MOVIE STARTED. IT WAS A MOVIE ABOUT THIS GHOST THAT
KEPT POPPING OUT OF THE WALLS SCARING THESE TWO KIDS.
JUST AS ONE SCENE OPENED AND THE GHOST POPPED OUT,
SOMEONE DIALED JOHNNIE’S CELL PHONE NUMBER. THE CELL
PHONE STARTED VIBRATING AND JOHNNIE JUMP UP OUT OF HER
SET AND SCREAMED. YYYEEEIIIOOOooo. EVERYONE IN THE
THEATER HEARD HER.
JOHNNIE
STARTED DIGGING AT HER POCKET AND FINALLY GOT HER CELL
PHONE OUT OF HER POCKET AND THREW IT AS FAR AS SHE COULD
TOWARD THE SCREEN. NITA REACHED UP AND GRABBED HER BY
THE ARM AND PULLED HER BACK DOWN INTO HER SEAT.
“JOHNNIE WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?” “NITA I THINK I JUST
THREW MY CELL PHONE AWAY.” THE PEOPLE BEHIND THEM WERE
GOING “SHEEEE, BE QUITE UP THERE.”
JOHNNIE
STOOD UP AND TOLD NITA SHE COULDN’T WATCH ANYMORE OF
THIS MOVIE AND SHE WANTED TO GO HOME. THEY DROVE HOME
AND JOHNNIE DRANK FOUR CUPS OF COFFEE, ONE RIGHT AFTER
ANOTHER. NITA SAID SHE WAS GOING HOME AND EAT
SOMETHING, SHE WAS HUNGRY.
AND I SAID
TO BOTH OF THEM, OH BUT THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR
A DIFFERRENT TIME.
COPYRIGHT
2004
