Day Twelve

Written by in Celebrations

To this day Charla’s family does not know how
I have survived the risky endeavor of waking
her up in the morning and having some kind
of conversation

Honestly I’m not quite sure myself. Which didn’t
stop me when I outdid myself and sent her
twelve – twelve! – texts in a row at 5am with
such annoying lines as “wakey wakey!” and
“happy happy day”

It was quite easy, since it was 5am for her – in Italy –
and 8pm for me, just after a light dinner and enjoying
a nice glass of wine while the puppy tried to bite
my fingers off the computer keyboard because
he wanted to play

And Charla? As I saw on Facetime she was laying
in darkness barely holding the phone
Her eyes didn’t exactly open. She murmured something,
maybe. Then the phone image was sideways,
on top of her sheets and in front of her closing eyes

“You just laid the phone down on the bed!” I said.

“No I didn’t.”

With Charla and two girls in the house, and having
grown up with two sisters, I have spent many
years perfecting my skills at being annoying.
I just can’t help it. And yet – it is just
a cover-up because I annoy the most those
who I love the most, which is why

I am constantly bugging all three women in our house
and I got the biggest smile when Charla picked
up her phone and I saw her sleepy self just as if
she were right here at home

“Why are you smiling?” she may have asked.
Sometimes I just have to smile

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