Finality
5-29-01
Minako sat on the floor, debating whether or not to pick up the phone sitting in front of her. Finally, she reached a decision. Hastily picking up the receiver, she dialed a familiar sequence of numbers, one she had not called since before her stay in England. The time lapse made no difference, however. She still remembered it perfectly.
"Hai?"
"Hello? Jamie? It's Minako."
"Oh, hello. I haven't heard from you in a while."
"Yeah...ah...well, I decided that I want to join the volleyball team again and I wondered if you have the coach's number. Well, I guess you would, you being on the team and all, so basically I wanted to ask if you would tell me the number. You know, 'cause I don't know it yet, 'cause I'm not on the team. Well, that's obvious, but--"
"Slooow down. I thought you 'don't have time.' "
"Well. . .things changed. I'm gonna have enough time for a while now. . .I hope. . .." This last was whispered.
"Yeah. Got a pen?"
Minako readied her pen over her hand. "Yeah."
"~~~-~~~~"
"Thanks. See you at practice?"
"Yeah."
Minako hung up and sat for a minute, feeling satisfied. With her clenched right hand, she brushed a stray strand of hair back into her pollyanna. Then she slowly got up and walked over to her dresser drawer. She pulled it open with her left hand, lifted her right hand over it, and released the pen she had used to write the telephone number. Looking at the orange pen, feeling a bit of nostalgia, Minako closed the drawer.
"It's finished, for now."
5-29-01
Minako sat on the floor, debating whether or not to pick up the phone sitting in front of her. Finally, she reached a decision. Hastily picking up the receiver, she dialed a familiar sequence of numbers, one she had not called since before her stay in England. The time lapse made no difference, however. She still remembered it perfectly.
"Hai?"
"Hello? Jamie? It's Minako."
"Oh, hello. I haven't heard from you in a while."
"Yeah...ah...well, I decided that I want to join the volleyball team again and I wondered if you have the coach's number. Well, I guess you would, you being on the team and all, so basically I wanted to ask if you would tell me the number. You know, 'cause I don't know it yet, 'cause I'm not on the team. Well, that's obvious, but--"
"Slooow down. I thought you 'don't have time.' "
"Well. . .things changed. I'm gonna have enough time for a while now. . .I hope. . .." This last was whispered.
"Yeah. Got a pen?"
Minako readied her pen over her hand. "Yeah."
"~~~-~~~~"
"Thanks. See you at practice?"
"Yeah."
Minako hung up and sat for a minute, feeling satisfied. With her clenched right hand, she brushed a stray strand of hair back into her pollyanna. Then she slowly got up and walked over to her dresser drawer. She pulled it open with her left hand, lifted her right hand over it, and released the pen she had used to write the telephone number. Looking at the orange pen, feeling a bit of nostalgia, Minako closed the drawer.
"It's finished, for now."