We Don't Disable Call Waiting

 
 
 
There's a setting on your dialer.  You check or uncheck the box next to "This number has call waiting.  Dial ___ to disable it." It's truly a huge pain in the ass, but we leave it unchecked.  In case of an emergency, a call can get through.

Like today.

I was between tasks with my work and was actually updating my photo album when I got bumped off the net.  I was really irritable already; my kids had blown off naptime and were wreaking havoc about the house.

Surely it was my husband calling from work, or his friend with perpetual computer problems, to whom WE appear gurus.  As if!

It was a shock to hear my dad.

All the irritation drained out of my voice.  He told me why he was calling, as I sat there completely immobile.

Completely.  It seemed that even the neurons had stopped firing.  My thoughts lodged in place and refused to get unstuck.

Turns out later that most of my friends knew about it before I did.  It had made national news.  They just didn't know that one of the victims was my sister.

It's after 10 at night.  I am packing and the husband is cleaning the kitchen, so it won't be a biohazard when we get back.

We will leave in the morning.