Yesterday's Happiness ( Growing Up )

Call Waiting

The drive back had been one of silence.Naana hadn't asked her granddaughter how the meeting with Harriet had gone because she could sense that all wasn't well.

No sooner had she parked the car than Kayla jumped out and ran into the house.Watching the girl's retreating back broke her heart.But she understood.

Kayla needed sometime alone

But when it was past dinner time and Kayla still hadn't come out from the room she locked herself in five hours ago,Naana became worried.

She had to do something.

She stood outside the door undecided fir a few heartbeats,then finally,she knocked.

There was no response.

"Honey",Naana called out with a trace of concern in her voice.

There was no response.

For a moment,she panicked as she fumbled through her keys.She finally found the one she wanted and inserted it into the keyhole,turned the lock three times and the door was opened.

The first thing she realized was how dark the room was.Kayla had turned out all the lights and had drawn all the curtains.

Naana walked to the bed depending on her mental view of the room and sat down.She turned on the bedside lamp and the light illuminated showing the sprawled body of Kayla on the bed,her back to Naana.

"Your old man called",Naana said,softly stroking Kayla's hair.

Kayla said nothing.

"Wanna talk about it?",Naana persuaded.

Kayla said nothing.

"Kayla,say something pumpkin ".Naana coaxed.

There was nothing.

"Look baby,I know it might have been hard,but I just wanna help",Naana said calmly

Kayla turned to face Naana with tears in her eyes.

It broke Naana's heart.

"I know Naana,I'm sorry",Kayla whispered.

Naana said nothing.

Kayla sighed heavily.

"But I don't wanna talk about it; at least not now ",Kayla pleaded.

Naana looked at her heartbroken granddaughter  knowing there was nothing more she could do,wishing she could.

Without a word,Naana got up from the bed and walked to the door.

"Well when you decide to let it all out,I'll be downstairs with dinner,a big bowl of ice cream and two spoons ",Naana said as she walked out of the room gently shutting the door.

"Thanks Naana",Kayla called after her,managing to smile through the pain.She couldn't believe Naana wad going to be waiting with two spoons.How come she was sad and Naana not only wanted to share her problems,she wanted her ice cream too.

Typical Naana.

Kayla sat up on her bed popping the pillow to support her back.She blew her nose into a tissue and picked up her phone from the bedside table.She had a call she needed to make.

A long distance call

Three rings and there was no answer.She wanted to kick herself in the butt.She tried again and on the second ring,the familiar voice came on the line.

"Hey",he said sleepily.

"Hey yourself ",she shot back a little to sharply.

"Whoa,watch the tone Missey",he warned.

"Why?",she asked suddenly loosing her temper for only God knows what reason.

"Well if not for the fact that I'm an hour older than you,then maybe because I'm the one you decided to call at 2am in the morning",he retorted not bothered by her outburst.

"I did u a favor. I'm sure whoever you were dreaming of,was probably blond and hooking up with someone on the basketball team even as we speak",she said dryly,knowing she was right,daring him to deny it.

"Hah hah"

"Not funny",she reminded.

"Whatever. So tell me,to what do I owe the honors of hearing your miserable voice at this hour",he asked,yawning.

Just then,she heard a beep that notified her that someone was trying to reach her.She turned on the screen to discover an unknown number.

"Jay,hold on one sec",she said,and before he could protest or give her any silly comment,she switched to the incoming call.

She was about to say something when whoever was on the other side of the line spoke

"Uhm,hey,it's Harriet.I was trying to get to you,but your line's busy.Anyways,I just wanted to say I'm sorry; not just for earlier, but for everything ".

There was a second's pause in which Kayla wanted to say something,but stopped  herself when she  realized Harriet thought she'd gotten through to the answering  machine.

"The  moment I saw you,I had recognized you,I did.But things have changed Kayla.I'm not trynna justify what I did,but try to understand.When you left,I found it hard to make new friends.You didn't even try to get in touch Kay,and I'd waited for your call for four good years,but it never came,and Sasha had been there to help me through it",Harriet said,choking with emotion.

Kayla's heart broke.

"That call I was always waiting for did come,and it came at a point in my life when I'd moved on and left you behind.I guess I'm just trynna say that I'm sorry,we can be friends,but then,what we had is gone.I just can't trust you to stay again because if there's one thing I know about you,it's the fact that you'll end up leaving again,and I'm done waiting. I'm sorry",Harriet said,letting go of a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Kayla had been her best friend,but she'd left without as much as a goodbye.Growing up,Harriet had had problems trusting people and Kayla had been the one friend she'd had.

The only one.

But then she left and that was that.

Click.

A lone tear slid down Kayla's face.She hadn't come here hoping to rekindle their friendship.She'd wanted to explain.

To apologize.

Now,that wasn't going to happen;and it was all because of her.She taken too long.She just had to agree with Harriet;

Nine years was a long time to call.