Clandestine

nine

-diane-

I'm eating lukewarm canned soup out of a bowl when my phone lights up again. It's another unknown number, but after today, I answer it anyway. I'm not sure who it could be, but I'm not going to pass up the opportunity to gain more information. Maybe it's one of my father's friends who knows something that I wasn't able to gain through the database.

My heart leaps when my father speaks. "Diane? Can you hear me?"

"Yes, yes I can hear me."

He says, "I was worried. This jail has an ancient phone. It still has actual buttons. I think I might be able to contact dinosaurs using this."

I'm not in much mood for conversation. My father is in jail for being related to his father, "Can we talk about why you are in jail?"

"Sweetie, I'm not in jail. I'm at a really nice hotel. I had an emergency business trip and I won't be back for two days and--"

"Sorry, dad, but Marcia Quintana called me herself to tell you that you were in jail. I think she enjoyed telling me that she'd managed to throw my father into jail."

He curses, "I had thought she was bluffing. I'm sorry about lying. I didn't want you to worry."

"I would have been mad about a business trip, you know. You aren't allowed to just leave me."

"Well I'd rather that you are angry at me than worried. Which, by the way, you have no reason to be worried. I'm a little ashamed to say that I know most of the people in here. I'm considering reevaluating my friend choices."

"It's city jail. That's for the petty stuff. If all your friends are in that jail, then you know that they aren't in prison. That's something right?"

"I'd never heard you say anything so optimistic before, my darling. Say something else to make me feel better."

"Don't eat the bread. I heard it was made of sawdust." I deadpan.

He's silent for a while, and then he says, "I just really miss you, sweetie. This is different from a business trip. See, for a business trip, I choose to leave. We plan it and I know that you are taken care of and safe. I can call you anytime I want, unlike this one call per night crap. And, with business trips, I can come back at anytime I want. If there's an emergency, I know I can be at your side as quickly as the plane will carry me. But here...you're unreachable. Someone's keeping me from you and...and I don't think that should be possible."

Despite myself, a single tear fills my ear, "Dad, it's only two nights."

"I know, I know."

Something beeps on the other side of the phone, "Oops, that's my signal. I have to go. There's a big line behind me and apparently there's a limit to my minutes. I'll call you tomorrow night, okay? Don't you dare leave your phone for a moment, okay?"

"Okay."

"Goodbye. I love you."

"Love you, too."

"I'm going to hang up now and see if I can use my remaining ten seconds to call the dinosaurs. Okay?"

"Be safe, okay? Know that I love you. And don't eat the bread. And..." The phone beeps again and he's gone.