Pistachio #19, "Meditation/prayer"
“Hello?”
David sucked in a breath and opened his mouth to speak but nothing would come out.
“Hello? Look, if you’re just another idiot prank caller, I will track this call, find out where you are and fucking kill you.” The woman’s soft voice was as cold as ice but David heard the strain of irritability and shivered.
“M-Mrs…” he stammered before clearing his throat and determinedly plowing on, “Mrs. Irring? This is David Blue speaking? You know, the officer-”
“In charge of Barrick right now, yes. I’m aware of who you are. Why are you calling so early in the morning?” There was a pause before a hint of panicked worry entered her voice. “It isn’t Barrick, is it? I haven’t been able to find him since late last night and I’ve been going out of my mind with worry. No one’s seen him.”
Running a hand through his hair, David bit his lip. “Don’t worry Mrs. Irring, he’s perfectly fine.”
“How do you know?”
“Barrick… He well…”
“Out with it!”
“He got drunk and broke into my apartment last night,” David said in a rush.
“….My son did what now?”
“He broke into my apartment late last night. I put him to bed and didn’t call you because it was three in the morning.” Pacing the kitchen nervously, the young officer could only pray his mother wouldn’t hurt him too badly. And God knew that he was praying with every fiber of his being that she wouldn’t figure out that he had unintentionally slept with her son. If she knew… David shuddered to think what would happen to him.
“I would have been awake. I have been awake all night trying to figure out where Barrick went.” Was that anger he heard in her voice?
David flinched and sighed. “I’m sorry Mrs. Irring,” he murmured, “I don’t think coherently when I’ve been abruptly awakened. My only thought was to get Barrick to sleep the alcohol off and keep him safe from hurting himself. I didn’t mean to cause you worry.”
There was a moment of silence. Finally, he heard her sigh. “Barrick is responsible for my worry, not you. Though I cannot imagine why he chose to break into your apartment. Thank you for caring for my son all the same. Will you be dropping him off shortly?”
“I will be, yes, once he’s up.”
“Good.” David couldn’t mistake the tired relief he heard in the young mother’s voice.
“Mrs. Irring?” David began hesitantly.
“Yes?”
“He’s been having a rough time lately. And Barrick… Barrick really is trying his hardest to figure out what the right thing to do is. But he’s still learning. Please…. Please don’t be too hard on him?”
The officer heard her inhale sharply, perhaps out of silent indignation or in preparation to rip into him for having the cheek to suggest how to handle her son.
He never found out. Instead, he heard the sharp hiss of her exhaling, as if deflating after a nerve-wracking moment.
“I won't be too harsh. Thank you for your help.”
David sucked in a breath and opened his mouth to speak but nothing would come out.
“Hello? Look, if you’re just another idiot prank caller, I will track this call, find out where you are and fucking kill you.” The woman’s soft voice was as cold as ice but David heard the strain of irritability and shivered.
“M-Mrs…” he stammered before clearing his throat and determinedly plowing on, “Mrs. Irring? This is David Blue speaking? You know, the officer-”
“In charge of Barrick right now, yes. I’m aware of who you are. Why are you calling so early in the morning?” There was a pause before a hint of panicked worry entered her voice. “It isn’t Barrick, is it? I haven’t been able to find him since late last night and I’ve been going out of my mind with worry. No one’s seen him.”
Running a hand through his hair, David bit his lip. “Don’t worry Mrs. Irring, he’s perfectly fine.”
“How do you know?”
“Barrick… He well…”
“Out with it!”
“He got drunk and broke into my apartment last night,” David said in a rush.
“….My son did what now?”
“He broke into my apartment late last night. I put him to bed and didn’t call you because it was three in the morning.” Pacing the kitchen nervously, the young officer could only pray his mother wouldn’t hurt him too badly. And God knew that he was praying with every fiber of his being that she wouldn’t figure out that he had unintentionally slept with her son. If she knew… David shuddered to think what would happen to him.
“I would have been awake. I have been awake all night trying to figure out where Barrick went.” Was that anger he heard in her voice?
David flinched and sighed. “I’m sorry Mrs. Irring,” he murmured, “I don’t think coherently when I’ve been abruptly awakened. My only thought was to get Barrick to sleep the alcohol off and keep him safe from hurting himself. I didn’t mean to cause you worry.”
There was a moment of silence. Finally, he heard her sigh. “Barrick is responsible for my worry, not you. Though I cannot imagine why he chose to break into your apartment. Thank you for caring for my son all the same. Will you be dropping him off shortly?”
“I will be, yes, once he’s up.”
“Good.” David couldn’t mistake the tired relief he heard in the young mother’s voice.
“Mrs. Irring?” David began hesitantly.
“Yes?”
“He’s been having a rough time lately. And Barrick… Barrick really is trying his hardest to figure out what the right thing to do is. But he’s still learning. Please…. Please don’t be too hard on him?”
The officer heard her inhale sharply, perhaps out of silent indignation or in preparation to rip into him for having the cheek to suggest how to handle her son.
He never found out. Instead, he heard the sharp hiss of her exhaling, as if deflating after a nerve-wracking moment.
“I won't be too harsh. Thank you for your help.”