Going for the Record by Julie A. Swanson

Author:Julie A. Swanson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Published: 2021-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

My hands are shaking as I punch in our number.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Leah.”

“How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

She’s not fine. She sounds mad.

“How’s Dad?”

“He didn’t have a good day today. Yesterday either.”

Now I really feel guilty. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. He’s real groggy, slipping in and out of sleep all day. He’s kind of unresponsive, doesn’t even want to wake up to eat.”

“Maybe he’s catching up on all those weeks of not sleeping.

“Maybe.”

“I had a great day today, Mom.”

“You did?”

“I scored three goals.”

“Wow, you must be in heaven.”

“I am. Can I talk to Dad?

She puts the phone down, and I hear her say something to Dad. Then nothing. What’s taking so long?

“Here he is,” Mom’s back on, whispering, “See if you can see what I mean.”

“Hello?” This feeble voice comes over the line.

“Hi, Pops. Sorry I didn’t call yesterday.”

“Who didn’t call yesterday?”

“Me, I—”

“Who is this?”

“Dad, it’s Leah.”

“Leanne? Leanne who?” His voice muffles. “Rita, do I know a Leanne?”

“No, Pops, it’s Weez. Weez.”

“Oh! Rita, it’s Weez!” He laughs. “How are you, Weez? How’s it going in Colorado?”

“Good, Pops. Real good. I’m doing well.”

“That a girl. Say, did I tell you we climbed Pike’s Peak in the Army?”

I laugh. “Only about a thousand times.”

“We hiked up there with twenty-five pound packs on our backs. The air was so thin our noses wouldn’t stop bleeding.”

“Pops, Pops, I know.”

“We camped in tents that night. It was so cold.”

“I know, Pops, and all your water froze.”

“Our water froze. My lips stuck to the canteen in the morning. But you could see for miles. Geez, it was beautiful up there.”

“Pops, I remember all about Pikes Peak. How are you feeling?”

Nothing.

“Pops?”

Still nothing.

“Pops, are you there?”

“Weez?”

“What happened? Where’d you go?”

“Weez, I …”

It’s like when you talk on the phone with someone overseas. There’s that delay and you keep talking on top of each other.

“Go ahead, Pops.” This is crazy, the two of us sputtering like this. “What were you going to say?”

“I don’t remember,” he says flatly.

“Here, Pete,” I hear Mom say. “Say goodbye. You’re getting tired.”

“Bye, Weez. Give ‘em hell, you hear me?”

“I will, Pops. Love you.”

“Me, too.”

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