*Just a short story which is derived from a nightmare I had years ago.*
Come on. Answer the phone! Her mind was exploding with fear, sadness and the most ultimate type of exhaustion. The phone's dial tone continued to add to her fragile state. She gasped for breath between the sobs. The one person she needed to speak to wasn't there, the call ended with the normal no answer message that popped onto the cell phone screen.
On the other end of the phone was a man who had looked at the caller ID, seen his girlfriend's name on it, then placed it face down to silence the ringing while he continued to speak to his PA. He always spoke to her with a softness in his voice. Tenderness. There was always time for her - or so it appeared to his girlfriend.
As the PA walked out of the office the phone rang again with her name on it, "WHAT? I'm busy! I've told you to only call me if it's an emergency."
The woman's voice on the other end whispered the last words from her that he would ever hear, "I'm sorry. I love you."
He hung up the phone, shook his head and continued with his day. He arrived home that night to find the house locked up. His girlfriend was not home, there was no dinner on, no notes about when she would be back. Not even a text message since he had last hung up the call.
He swore as he opened the fridge to see no beer in it, "Typical."
Their relationship hadn't always been toxic. It started out great, and they were very much in love. Life tends to happen which puts a strain on a lot of things. After 3 years of dating they were planning to get married - despite the lack of engagement and dwindling romance. His job had increased pressure in it, and her life had continued to remain chaotic as she beat down doors looking for clients.
She had gone out that afternoon to meet with a customer and give them an evaluation. Once she had finished the necessary work-obligations, she was planning on making them a beautiful dinner. It was going to be their first Friday night together after many weeks of long hours and zero action in the bedroom. The back seat of her car was laden with his favourite beer, a nice bottle of red wine for their dinner and his favourite roast beef which she was going to prepare.
He grew more angry as the time went on with her lack of arrival, poured himself his second double brandy and coke - then picked up the phone, sent a couple more angry text messages demanding to know where she was. By the time he had to top up for the next drink, he was in a flat out rage. He picked up his phone and rang her number over and over again.
A young woman with reflective clothing heard the relentless ringing of the phone. She answered it and all that could be heard was sirens and the sound of machinery. Machinery that was opening up the wreckage of a white BMW as if it were a sardine can being peeled back.
The slurred demand to speak to his girlfriend came through to the paramedic who had answered the phone.
"Sir, what type of vehicle does your girlfriend drive?"
He described the vehicle the paramedic was standing in front of and demanded again to speak to her.
"Sir, there is a lady inside the BMW, the emergency services are on scene and are doing everything they can to help."
She gave him the location of the accident and then hung up, handing the cell phone to the police officer.
He arrived minutes later to find a white BMW that had rolled numerous times looking like an oversized squashed soft drink can. There were cracked beer bottles across the road that had been flung out of the open windows. Her red blood was dripping down the pearl white doors of what was once a vehicle. There was a truck driver that police officers were arresting who was so drunk that even in his state he could recognize was not able to walk, let alone drive a truck - the same truck that was laying on its side in front of the wreckage of his girlfriends car.
It took a single beat of his heart for his entire world to be torn to pieces. The realization set in of the calls she had tried to make to him. The realization that he had taken her for granted for so long. The guilt of the beer, the dinner - everything for him. Would she still be alive if she hadn't gone to the shops? If she had just come home?
The conversation that was being had with his PA was more important than the telephone call she was trying to make. A couple of weeks later the police presented him with additional details and it was clear that she wasn't calling him before the accident. She was calling him after the accident. Call records showed she called the ambulance for herself and then made two calls to him, one that rang out, and one that was answered and lasted 8 seconds.
8 Seconds of a goodbye that was never had, 8 seconds of an I love you that was never returned.
You never know when your last conversation with someone will be, make sure they know you love them.
Above image by Pixabay User: Bingodesigns
Lead image by Pixabay User: johnhain