Status: short story
The passion of a Son (short story)
Chapter 4
At home, in the afternoon, I dialed my dad’s number and waited for him to answer. One beep went by, two beeps went by, three beeps, and just when I was about to give up, I heard someone’s voice on the other line.
“Yes, who’s calling?” A lady answered the phone.
“I’m calling to speak with Mr. Hoffman, he’s my father, and I…” I was cut off.
“I’m sorry, you must’ve gotten the wrong number,” The lady said with confusion.
I sighed, and hung the phone up. So, his phone number was the wrong number to call, he must’ve changed it, now how was I going to find him?
I picked up the receiver, and decided to call 911; maybe this is a great time to panic.
“Hello, this Shari from the police department how may I help you today?” said the familiar voice of the clerk at the desk.
My lips were trembling as I tried not to cry, and my voice came out as a croak, “My…my dad…he…he didn’t answer, his phone number was changed, I…I don’t know what to do, please, please help me.”
“Alright, stay calm Christopher, Chief is on his way to your house, he’ll take care of everything,” Shari said before hanging up.
I sat down with a thump on the couch with my hands in my face, what was I going to do?
A tap on the door made me jump out of my thoughts about the happy memories of what my father and I had. My mother died in a car crash coming home from work when I was four, a drunk driver crashed into her from behind and she swerved out of control, crashing into a light pole, and the car burst in flames.
I walked over to the door, and sighed in relief when I saw it was only the chief, I smiled, and let him in.
“So, Shari tells me when you called this afternoon, your father didn’t answer?” The Chief asked, as he closed the door and walked into the living room.
I nodded, and sat down on the couch across from him as he continued saying, “Tell me, when you called this afternoon, did his phone message come up or did someone else answer?”
I thought for a minute, and said, “A lady answered, and said that I had the wrong number, I was thinking maybe my dad made a new number or something.”
The Chief nodded as he appeared to be deep in thought, and then said, “So, there is no reaching him is there? What is the phone number you dialed this afternoon?”
I looked at him in confusion, and asked, “Why would you want to know that?”
“So that I can trace the call to see where it came from of where it was answered,” he said still looking thoughtful.
I told him the number, and he wrote it down on a piece of paper, then he said, “I will call you later when I find out where this call was traced from, and we’ll see if that will give us a clue as to the whereabouts of your father, alright son?”
I nodded as I walked Chief to the door and watched him ride off in his police car. Then I locked the front door and went to get myself some dinner.
“Yes, who’s calling?” A lady answered the phone.
“I’m calling to speak with Mr. Hoffman, he’s my father, and I…” I was cut off.
“I’m sorry, you must’ve gotten the wrong number,” The lady said with confusion.
I sighed, and hung the phone up. So, his phone number was the wrong number to call, he must’ve changed it, now how was I going to find him?
I picked up the receiver, and decided to call 911; maybe this is a great time to panic.
“Hello, this Shari from the police department how may I help you today?” said the familiar voice of the clerk at the desk.
My lips were trembling as I tried not to cry, and my voice came out as a croak, “My…my dad…he…he didn’t answer, his phone number was changed, I…I don’t know what to do, please, please help me.”
“Alright, stay calm Christopher, Chief is on his way to your house, he’ll take care of everything,” Shari said before hanging up.
I sat down with a thump on the couch with my hands in my face, what was I going to do?
A tap on the door made me jump out of my thoughts about the happy memories of what my father and I had. My mother died in a car crash coming home from work when I was four, a drunk driver crashed into her from behind and she swerved out of control, crashing into a light pole, and the car burst in flames.
I walked over to the door, and sighed in relief when I saw it was only the chief, I smiled, and let him in.
“So, Shari tells me when you called this afternoon, your father didn’t answer?” The Chief asked, as he closed the door and walked into the living room.
I nodded, and sat down on the couch across from him as he continued saying, “Tell me, when you called this afternoon, did his phone message come up or did someone else answer?”
I thought for a minute, and said, “A lady answered, and said that I had the wrong number, I was thinking maybe my dad made a new number or something.”
The Chief nodded as he appeared to be deep in thought, and then said, “So, there is no reaching him is there? What is the phone number you dialed this afternoon?”
I looked at him in confusion, and asked, “Why would you want to know that?”
“So that I can trace the call to see where it came from of where it was answered,” he said still looking thoughtful.
I told him the number, and he wrote it down on a piece of paper, then he said, “I will call you later when I find out where this call was traced from, and we’ll see if that will give us a clue as to the whereabouts of your father, alright son?”
I nodded as I walked Chief to the door and watched him ride off in his police car. Then I locked the front door and went to get myself some dinner.