She played with the idea of not picking up.

“Hello?”  The phone sputtered and spat and released the call back into the abyss of the space that is the heavens.  It was gone.

“Whew!”

“That was a close one.”

She sighed another big sigh.  This time with relief.

Joe meant well.  He cared for her.  He did genuinely miss her.  A third sigh.  How, she wondered, could she feel so happily disconnected to such a wonderful person?  She had everything she needed handed to her, practically upon a silver platter.  And here, the provider of that silver platter calls and she hopes she’ll be disconnected.  Man, she was in a weird place.

**                  **                  **

The phone buzzed and no one’s beloved voice came on.  Disconnected again.  It was as if she was purposely hiding in a thick cement bunker to avoid him.  Oh ya- that’s how he had felt while she was standing right in front of him.

How had he thought this Belgium trip would be any different?  He let out a long sigh of relief.  Maybe now she’d realize it.  Maybe now she would see that all her demands were just poppycock – made up in her head – crazy talking.  Maybe she would finally let him take her to get checked.  He sighed again.

Oh, the journey.