[narrative] Clearing a hurdle...
Angela sits at the table in the Bashirs' kitchen, looking at her cellphone. I don't want
to do this, she thinks. She doesn't want to hear this, she doesn't want to listen, but it's been enough time and there are things that must be said.
So she presses her grandmother's number into the phone.
"Angela?" says an anxious voice.
"Yes."
"Oh, Angela love, I'm so sorry."
"Don't call me that," she says in a wavering voice. "I just called to ask if Dad's called yet."
"No...no, he hasn't called, but Angela, you should come home now, honey." Claire's voice is honey-sweet, repentant, just what Angela wants so desperately to hear. "I promise, I promise I won't ever do anything like that again. I'm so sorry I hurt you sweetheart, so sorry I've hurt you..."
"Stop," she says, before she can give in, her voice cracking and breaking. "I'm not coming back. I can't trust you."
"Angela, your Daddy is going to be so worried, sweetheart, you don't want to worry him..."
"Shut up," Angela says in a small voice. "Don't you talk to me about my father."
"Angela..."
"I just called to give you my cell phone number. So that Dad can call me. Just...give him the number, when he calls." Angela gives it to her twice, to make sure Claire has it.
"Angela, please come home," she says in a desperate whisper.
Angela hangs up, then buries her head in her arms to cry.
to do this, she thinks. She doesn't want to hear this, she doesn't want to listen, but it's been enough time and there are things that must be said.
So she presses her grandmother's number into the phone.
"Angela?" says an anxious voice.
"Yes."
"Oh, Angela love, I'm so sorry."
"Don't call me that," she says in a wavering voice. "I just called to ask if Dad's called yet."
"No...no, he hasn't called, but Angela, you should come home now, honey." Claire's voice is honey-sweet, repentant, just what Angela wants so desperately to hear. "I promise, I promise I won't ever do anything like that again. I'm so sorry I hurt you sweetheart, so sorry I've hurt you..."
"Stop," she says, before she can give in, her voice cracking and breaking. "I'm not coming back. I can't trust you."
"Angela, your Daddy is going to be so worried, sweetheart, you don't want to worry him..."
"Shut up," Angela says in a small voice. "Don't you talk to me about my father."
"Angela..."
"I just called to give you my cell phone number. So that Dad can call me. Just...give him the number, when he calls." Angela gives it to her twice, to make sure Claire has it.
"Angela, please come home," she says in a desperate whisper.
Angela hangs up, then buries her head in her arms to cry.