Difficult phone calls

I would think that most folks have phone calls that they will always remember.

It was late at night and I was awakened by the phone ringing. My mom was very upset - I cannot believe it - she said. My first thought was of her mom who at that time was a good age. No - it was my dad who had died very suddenly when on a fishing trip.

My first phone calls after hearing this news were to 2 close friends. They both offered to come over to be with me but I told them that I was o.k. I was certainly in a daze.

I was picked up a few hours later and brought back to Lachute.

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Then early one morning I was awakened by the phone ringing. It was from the nursing home where my mom was. She had died very peacefully during the night. This was not unexpected.

My first call was to my sister in a time zone three hours earlier. She did not get much sleep that night. Then I phoned the funeral home and when I told the director my name, he asked whether I was related to Kathi. I told him I was and he said they had been in the same class at school.

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I was dealing with Bishop’s serious illness when on a planned trip to Kathi’s. I was already expecting the bad news. Bishop really was very sick. It was almost a relief to get the phone call that there was nothing else that could be done for him.