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.