Phone Call
May 23, 2020
Welcome back, y’all. You know, things are starting to get better here. On Sunday, we took a family outing around town. This is probably well before any of your times, it definitely is before my time, but back in the day, families would all get in the car and just drive around town. They were not going anywhere in particular, just wanted to go on a Sunday drive. It felt like that. We went to pick up my mom’s medication, and then went to Dunkin (I finally got my coffee), and bought some Burger King before we headed home. It had been fifty-eight days since I was stuck at home. To say that the brief hour we spent outside was wonderful would be an understatement; it was exhilarating.
I know that this is temporary, and it is for the good of other people’s health. God forbid I go out and end up carrying the virus back home. Both my parents fall into that high risk category. They might make it out okay, or they might not. Why would I take the risk and play a game of chance? And it is not like my social life is so popping that I am missing out on much. A few more months indoors will not kill me.
Funnily enough, I was able to go out for a second time this week. My brother, Ezra, finished his classes and since this was his final year, he had to completely move out of his apartment. So we went on a siblings’ trip. Ezra came home back in early April on our parents’ insistence because of the coronavirus. During that trip home, he cleared out most of his things, but left behind some bulk items and things that would not fit. We knew there was going to be a second trip, so it was fine to leave it there.
Where he lives is pretty far from where we live. So we had a long day’s drive ahead of us. We did not stop anywhere along the way either (except for coffee before we left town), we figured it was better not to risk it. It was late in the afternoon when we finally arrived at Ezra’s place, but since the days are getting longer, it was hours before sunset. The weather was surprisingly pleasant. If this was a normal year, we would probably have gone to a park or done some sightseeing along the way. But this is no normal year, and it was the first time in two months I was away from my parents. Oh how I miss weekend trips with the cousins.
Being away from my parents for those couple of days meant I could do things I had neglected. First thing: I needed coffee. You might be thinking, “didn’t she just get coffee earlier that week?” And the answer would be yes, yes I did. I enjoy drinking my coffee, so much so that it has its own budget in my monthly finances. I was even able to grab a cup (or two) from my favorite coffee shop, Tim Hortons.
Another thing, it meant I could do something I normally do not like doing: talking to people on the phone. My disdain for phone calls stems from the fact that I cannot see the other person’s actions, mannerism, and other non-verbal cues. For instance, I talk a lot with my hands. Heck, even as I write these posts, I act out the sentence, as if there was an audience to watch me, and then I type it up. I know it does not make much sense, but it is a process I go through. Same thing with phone calls. Even though I know the other person cannot see me, I am speaking with my whole body. While I would have entertained a few phone calls back in the day, I keep it to one or two close friends now. I do not like speaking when other people (my parents) are around to hear my conversation. We could be talking about how cute baby ducks are, the topic does not matter, I do not like one-sided eavesdroppers. And the third reason I do not like calls are those awkward pauses when one topic is over and we have yet to decide on the next topic. That problem is avoided with texting because once the topic is done, it is done. You have time to come up with a new topic.
Because I already do not like phone calls, when I give a guy my number, I make sure to mention that. But funnily enough, a guy I was messaging fairly regularly accidentally called me while I was helping Ezra clean up his room. He hung up before I could pick up the call—he said it was an accident. Normally, I would have let it pass. But I had a rare opportunity that night. So I messaged him back, “I could talk if you wanted to call.”
He did call back, and we ended up talking for almost 4.5 hours. This is not typical Aemi behavior, I do not even talk on the phone with my best friends for that long. But he was interesting and easy to talk to. We moved from one topic to another without any of those awkward pauses. We talked about many things—from nicknames, to places we visited, to embarrassing stories about how awkward we are.
Am I catching feelings for this guy? Of course I am; I catch feelings like it is my second job. And then I get disappointed when things do not work out. Even still, this is the fun part of any potential relationship: getting to know each other. It is far too early to tell if this will develop into something more. But that does not deter me from hoping.
We only stopped talking because it was getting far too late for me. Ezra and I had a long drive back home and we needed to leave when it is still morning. I needed some sleep that night. I do not know when I will talk to him again. I do not know if I will get to meet him in person. Things are so uncertain this year. But that uncertainty is what makes life so enjoyable. Stay safe, stay healthy, and see y’all next week.
- Aemi
