The Phone Call ......

I was asked if I would like to do overtime, as someone had rang in sick I said “Yes” and as I don’t usually do this amount of hours in one day I had prepared my mind for it mentally. Work had phoned me the evening before, so it would be from 08.00am until 10.00pm!! That’s OK this would definitely be a one-off! And we needed the money, that’s why we go to work, it pays the bills! So I got up the following morning, put the dogs out and fed the cats and put them out and brought the dogs back in, made myself a cupper, read the Word wrote in my diary what had happened the day before, prayed, ran Meghan’s bath, got the kids up, Meghan had a bath as planned from the night before but she would have to be out the bathroom by seven! That was crucial!! I did her cereal, and I did an egg and a whole tin of spaghetti for Daniel, and his toast lightly done how he likes it, gave him a glass of orange squash as he doesn’t drink much, Meghan’s on a mobile, and not eating her breakfast, so I say, “Meghan eat your breakfast,” I ironed both their shirts, did Meghan’s sandwich and put the kid’s drinks by the front door so they wouldn’t forget them, remind them to have their bus pass and key for school made sure Daniel had a pen with him  .....  and get myself ready for work, had a five minute bath, Anais Anais to my neck one spray so it will last, I had treated myself for my Birthday, my unemployed Husband slept on in bed..... he gets upset if I wake him and ask him to help, I have to give him many hours notice, or it will be, “You should have told me last night!”

I rushed out the house, no time for breakfast and made it to work just in time! I get on with my very busy shift. My Cousin and a lovely work colleague who were both in different hospitals both had been in for a week, both had been waiting to have a scans both had the same Christian name!  One is pregnant and the other is having their womb out but both have ‘stones’ and in pain. I was texting them both on Whatsapt! So I was in the process of introducing them to each other, when my phone rang, it was my other Cousin, she never rings me! I answered, she said, “Your Mum is in hospital!!!!!!!!!!”  I said, “Oh no, what’s happened!” she said, “She was taken to hospital midnight with chest pains, but she has not had a heart attack” My heart leapt into mouth! My poor Mummy! She had emigrated many years ago when she had retired, and moved to the other side of the world, she moved abroad with her Sister, two Widows living together. I was worried sick!!! My Cousin did something she had never done before; she gave me my Aunties mobile number and said I could phone her if I needed to. But we all knew that my Auntie never used her mobile phone, to phone anyone she only used it for incoming calls only, for she didn’t know how to sent text or read text. It was like a joke in the family, as my Mum was older and sent and read texts. My Cousin in hospital texted me to tell me, “Lois is going to ring you” I replied, “She just did.” Lois asked me to ring my other siblings to let them know, I said I would. I put the phone down, I was shaking. I then sent the texts to the rest of my family and to one friend. I didn’t sent my Husband Paul a text yet as I knew he would still be asleep in bed as it was just after 10am. I wanted to go somewhere quite on my own to cry and pray for Mum but I was at work, all day I couldn’t allow myself to be in a tearful mood, I needed to be strong and keep going.  I had prepared my mind mentally to cope with the length of the day and all that comes with it, but I hadn’t expected this! So half my mind did my work and the other thought of Mum! All day! It was a weird shift, I hadn’t told anyone who I had worked with, for the less that knew the better, for having to repeat myself, which would not help to calm my fears, talking about it over and over again, just for a bit of gossip for them!

We the other side of the world were starved of information. My imagination ran wild. If Mum fell asleep would she wake up again? I had survived the longest shift ever, and had been grateful that the phone call had not said Mum had passed away, for then there is no point praying, for its too late so at least I was able to lift Mum up in Prayer. The next day 8.00am I was again at work but it was just a normal shift and not all day, I text one of my Brother to ask if he had heard any news he said he had spoken to Mum! I was thrilled, then he rang me and he said Mum was never in pain, hear heart was beating very fast and she was taken to hospital and given injections and her blood pressure was high; the Doctors didn’t know why her heart was beating so fast, but it had gone back to normal and there was a possibility she was going home tomorrow, as they wanted to keep an eye on her! I was sad that she would not have had any visitors as all of us are here in this Country that we couldn’t give her any hugs or flowers and reassure her and us that all would be well. My Brother Luke, went on to say she was “Alright, she was still the same and was moaning that none of her children had bothered to phone her to see how she was! But her Sister’s kids had all phoned!” I said that from the impression that Lois gave me, it was like Mum was too ill to talk to us, and that she had given me Auntie Alice’s mobile number. He said, “Mum was fine.”  Only then did I feel OK. My Cousin in hospital text me to say her Mum was on the way to the hospital to pick up my Mum, she was going home!

I thanked God for the joy of text!

I sent a text when I knew Mum would be awake and explained, why I hadn’t rang her yesterday, that It was a bit like Chinese Whispers, the information that we were given was not clear and wrong! And asked her to phone me later, for that’s what we did. It was cheaper for her to phone me, I was only able to text her. So after work Mum rang me, it was GOOD to hear her lovely voice. As usual the line was crystal clear and she told me when I had asked about her lack of visitors she said she had loads of visitors, too many in fact. I was glad. I didn’t like to think of her alone and maybe afraid. We chatted for about three minutes then she told me she was going to have some Lunch.

I was happy. I love you Mum. x