Dear Dad

January 16th

January 16th,

           For the past few months since I’ve moved it’s been like everyone I knew dropped off the planet.  I had friends back in Florida and when I told them all I was moving they promised that they would text and call all the time.  I have not received one text or phone call from any of them, until today.

            I was home after school doing homework when a sound I haven’t heard in a long while met my ears.  It was the custom ringtone that my best friend Andy had set for himself a while back.  I practically leapt across the room to answer it.  “Hello,” I said hesitantly and waited hoping that his voice would be on the other end.  The caller replied, “Sup pup.”  Yup, it was Andy.

            Andy was one of the smartest kids I knew, but he spoke like he never learned grammar.  He was my age, tall, thin, and Hispanic.  For as long as I had known him, so basically my whole life, he always had his hair spiked with gel.  He never styled it any differently and even wore it like that to bed whenever I slept over. 

            I was so happy that he finally called.  I sat at my desk and even with everything that had happened in the past months I was lost for words.  I finally managed to ask, “How’s Flori-da been?”

“Colder without you, but it’s k.”

“I miss you guys so much.  How is everyone?”

“They cool, they cool man.” His voice got higher.  “Dude, what new over on the west coast? You get to surf yet?”

“No, I don’t live near the beach so I haven’t had the chance to.  Nothing’s really new though.  Mom’s the same, always working.”

“Missed Thanksgiving and Christmas?”

“Yah...”

“Same as last year”

“Some things never change.  Hey I have something real important to tell you!”

“Tell me, what’s the news good sir.” He said making his voice sound like an old school news broadcaster like we did whenever we had something to tell the other.

“I met a girl,” I said like a newscaster, “Nice girl, smart girl, beautiful girl.  The name’s Anabella and I must say, what a girl!”

“Anabella…nice name.  She hot?”  His voice had switched back to normal.

“She’s gorgeous!  If you ever come to visit you have to meet her.”

“That’s actually what I was calling about.  February break’s commin and my old man and I are plannin a trip out.”

“Really!  Cool.  Can’t wait to see you.”

“Yah, can’t wait to see ya too.  Hey I gotta go, I just wanted to call ya to tell you that.  I’ll text ya later and when you see Anabella tell her that when I come we’re goin out to her fav coffee shop, my treat.  Tell her we gunna have a long talk so I can get ta know this girl my bro’s crazy for.”

“Andy, there’s something you should know about Anabella before you come.  She’s a mute.”

“What she immune to and why that so special?”

“No, no ,no.  She’s not immune, she’s mute.  It means she can’t talk.”

He laughed, “Dude, you ain’t serious right?”

“No, I’m not kidding.  She seriously can’t talk.  She uses sign language though and I’ll be able to translate for you when you come.”

“Since when do you know sign language?”

“Since I fell in love with her,” I froze.  That was the first time I’d ever said to anyone that I loved her.  I knew it was true though.  She’s amazing, and perfect, and I’d do anything for her.  I cared about her.  When she was hurt, so was I.  I loved her and I wanted everyone to know it.

 There was a long silence on the phone.  I finally unfroze and said, “I’ll see you when you come.  Text you later, bye.”

“Bye,” he said nothing else and hung up.