Unexpected Encounters [B.H.M.]

25

Brian had said he wanted to call either Sunday or Monday evening, but both passed without my phone ringing. Now it was Tuesday evening already. And with anyone else that was a little rude, but with Brian it was worrying. Very worrying. I had wanted to give him a few more hours but I was getting more and more worried with each minute. I was looking through my fridge to work out what I could make for dinner, but I was having a hard time focussing on that because my mind was with Brian. There was this... looming thought at the back of my head. I had to call Brian... I had to, before I would be able to focus on anything else.

I closed the door of my fridge before I went over to my phone and dialed his number. But no one picked up. For minutes. And that only made me worry more. A lot more. Why wasn't he picking up the phone? A simple explanation could possibly be found, like he could be doing the shopping or ... be in the bathroom ... but ... that wasn't sufficient for me. I'd give him a few minutes, but then I'd call him again. And if he still didn't pick up, then I'd drive there. I had to know that he was okay. He had to be okay.

I put down the phone for now and went back into the kitchen. I couldn't focus on much but I could start the kettle. Tea was always and option. But when I had taken the kettle off the stove again and made the tea, I was back at my phone and dialed his number again. And I waited. I waited long, minutes. And then finally something happened. I could hear the phone being picked up. For a moment, that was all that happened, but then I could hear a croaky voice.

"Hello?"

That didn't sound good at all. "Brian? It's me... Frida."

"Oh," he replied and I could hear him clear his throat. "Frida..."

"Yeah. I ... I wanted to see how you're doing. I'm a little worried if I'm honest because you wanted to call, didn't you? Or am I remembering that wrong?"

Brian took a few moments before he replied. "No...," he mumbled quietly. "You're not. I-I'm sorry..." His voice was barely more than a whisper.

This wasn't good, I didn't like what I was hearing at all.. "It's alright, Brian, don't worry," I told him, trying not to make it worse than it was. "It happens to all of us." But I had to do something. "Hey, have you had dinner?" I asked even though I was pretty sure I knew the answer already.

He hesitated before he replied. "No..."

"Me neither... what do you say, I'm gonna be right over and we can cook something together?" I knew what he was going to say, but I wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I don't know, Frida," he mumbled vaguely. "You've had a long day, you should just relax..."

"I can relax at yours too, can't I? And ... if I'm honest, I miss you. It's been a while since I've seen you," I told him.

Again Brian was quiet for a moment. "Youre going to come over no matter what I say, aren't you?"

That made me smile. "You could say that, yes."

"Well... okay then..," he agreed hesitantly. "Fine... thanks," he added quietly.

"Wonderful," I told him. I was aware I was probably annoying him, but he needed someone. Someone there to take care of him, and if I was judging the situation right, he wouldn't mind having me there by the time I got there. "I'll see you in a bit," I told him.

He mumbled something vaguely in agreement before we hung up.

I got dressed before I was on my way to Brian's house, curious was exactly I could expect there. By now I knew how to get to his place easily, but because the streets were busy it still took me a little longer. When I got to Brian's house, surprisingly he had parked neatly so my car fit into the driveway next to his I got out and rang the doorbell, but then I had to wait surprisingly long, so that I wasn't sure if he had even heard me at all. I was just about to ring again, when I could hear the sound of keys on the other side of the door. He had heard me, good. What wasn't good was his reaction time.