Chapter 34.2: 1967, Georgina

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Chapter 34.2: 1967, Georgina

 

"Hello, is Mrs Florini home?" 

"There's no 'Mrs Florini' here."

"Oh...hello."

The line was silent, and I half feared it was dead. But squeaking sounds of the phone came through on her end, and I knew she must be settling down. Her next words made my heart feel like grating, wet sand. 

"What do you want, George?"

They were bland, like tasteless church wafers.

I breathed out, knowing I was breathing into the phone but it didn't matter. I curled the phone cord around my finger and uncurled it. I was so nervous.

"I just- I just wanted to say Merry Christmas."

"Fine, then. I have to go."

"What- what are you doing? Who's over there?" I tried to smile, but it was very hard. But then I realized that there was nobody to be smiling for. My mouth went slack.

"Just some people. My sister. Rebecca. Julia. Julia's daughter is opening presents."

My eyes closed, then opened again. Shameful tears were welling. She hadn't said 'your aunt. Your cousin. Your second cousin'. She never did. I looked up towards the white ceiling to drain the tears away. I studied the waves with silver glitter in them, designed to keep the noise inside my apartment but so pretty to look at anyway.

She was silent now. The pause was defeaning to me. 

"I have to go now."

"O- oka-"

The sound of the phone slapping into the cradle cut me off. She hadn't cared to hear me say good-bye. She hadn't said good-bye herself. After a second of reflection, I realized she hadn't wished me a Merry Christmas either. 

She didn't care.

I sighed deeply, sniffling in the quiet. I wiped my cheeks of the tears that had escaped. After a while, I went back to bed, where Frankie was waiting for me. My only present on this Christmas morning.

 

"Are you going to Carl's later?" 

I was on the phone now with Paulie, who seemed much more put together than I ever thought he could be given last night. 

"No, what's to celebrate?" he asked. It sounded like he was eating something. Something crunchy.

"What are you eating?" 

"An ice cream cone."

"Oh. What kind of ice cream is it?"

"None. Its just an ice cream cone."

"What? Why?"

"Because I wanted an ice cream cone."

I found myself laughing at this, even though it was ridiculous. After the phone call this morning I had felt like I could never laugh again, but life surprises you. Incredibly, Paulie was causing me to feel better even though we were talking about nothing. I hadn't even told him that I had called my mother. I didn't think I would tell him.

"That's a great lunch. Just an ice cream cone," I giggled.

"I'll eat some corn, too."

"Why corn?"

"Because I want corn."

"Creamed or- or dry?"

"I'll have to check to see what's in my cabinets."

Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part IWhere stories live. Discover now