It was Halloween

It was a Tuesday evening that my phone rang and the conversation went a little something like,

“Hello?”

“Hi Kenya …"

?

“I’m calling to tell you that your Pop-Pop had a heart attack…”

“Oh no! Is he okay?”

“He didn’t make it…”

I didn’t break down on the phone because I knew that was a hard phone call. My grandfather’s wife had called me first. My parents were on a flight back from Hawaii. It’d be tomorrow before we could get in touch with them. I told her I’d take care of it.

I was 29 years old, grown and married but I still felt like my parents little girl. They were supposed to call and tell me this news, not the other way around.

This was the most grown up I ever had to be. I had to prepare for my mom to get the news, news I could not deliver in person.

Swallow.

I called and left a voicemail at her job to let them know she wouldn’t be in that week.

I called her best friend and told her what time they should be home and to please be there as soon as she could.

I called and left my dad a voicemail on his work phone because I knew he’d call and check messages. I said something like, “Daddy please call me as soon as you get this message.”

I ran some bath water, sat down in tub and cried my heart out.

That was the worst day of my young life.

It was October 31st, 2000.

This is a Stream of Consciousness Friday post. It's the Week 3, of the old school blogging, prompt for the Finish the Sentence Friday writing community where I'm co-hosting with Kristi Campbell of Finding Ninee. This week we set a timer and write for 5 minutes on the prompt "Halloween". 

Join us for next week's FTSF prompt where we will share a photo and tell the story behind it.