The Dreamer

Chapter 24

Her phone rang. Sarah looked at the screen and saw an unknown number. She usually never picked up a call from a strange number, but she felt called to do so.

"Hello?" She said. She was boiling water for her tea and removed the teapot from the water before the whistle distracted her.

"Hi," A shy voice said in the other side.

"Who is this?" Sarah said while pulling a mug from the cabinet.

"Um," the voice on the other side hesitated.

Sarah hung up. "I don't have time for this." After last night's dream, sleeping didn't come easy and now she was aware of an absurd level of grumpiness.

As she poured the water in the mug, the phone rang again. She ignored it. Then she heard a text message notification. Please answer.

The next time the phone rang, she answered. "Who are you?"

"It's Andrew."

She recognized the voice instantly. Taken aback, she could only stammer. "Andrew? Like Martha's son?"

"Yes," his voice was a whisper.

She took a deep breath; she could feel the uneasiness in his voice, nothing compared to the confidence he exhibited by defending his mom at the park. He was just a boy after all, Sarah decided to be as kind as possible.

"Hi Andrew. What can I do for you?" She didn't like him much, so she struggled to keep the tone she was aiming for. "And how did you get my number?" She looked at the time. It was close to midnight, and considering the previous night, the last thing she wanted was to be on the phone right now.

"I am sorry. I am just," he struggled. "I know you are my sister."

Sarah was silent, unsure of how to best handle the situation. "Your mother spoke to you."

"She eventually told me," he smiled shyly. "I am happy to have a sister."

Sarah felt unusual tenderness lighting up her heart. After all, the boy saw her as his sister. She smiled.

"Well. I don't know what to say. Meeting was a surprise to me as much as it is to you," she admitted.

"After you saw my mom, she hasn't been the same. I don't know what happens to her. So I asked her who are you, and she said you are her daughter from another man."

Another man! Sarah could sense there was more he wanted to say. "How did you get my number?" she tried to encourage a more open conversation.

"Internet," he said flatly.

"What? No way! Are you serious?"

"Well, I got help from your job. I though you maybe had mom's last name, and I knew your name was Sarah. I found few people with the same name online, but eventually I saw your photo in a job search page."

"Damn it. I guess I have to take care of that."

"Wait, you said my job?"

"Yes, I called the place where you work and told them your mom had an emergency and that I needed your number."

And they didn't even call me?

"I can't believe they released information without asking for my consent," she said. Although in a way she was relieved she didn't have to have any awkward conversations with anybody.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I just didn't know how to reach you," his voice suggested regret.

"No, no, you are fine," she said while sipping from her mug. "Doesn't matter how you got my number. But you said you need my help? You said your mom is not okay?" Just then she realized she hadn't called Martha her mom too. "Our mom, what does she need?"

"Well, she hasn't been the same, and I feel it's because of your meeting with her, can you talk to her please?"

"Um," she hesitated, unsure of whether she even wanted to see Martha.

"Please. She is barely eating, and seems sad all the time. She doesn't take care of herself, and drinks a lot and I just don't know what to do."

He was despairing, and Sarah felt guilty for putting him through that. Martha had ruined her life, but if she could do anything to make sure this boy didn't face the same, she would. She is drinking. The memories threatened to creep in.

"I will talk to her," she said with a trembling voice. She absolutely didn't want to talk to her drunkard mother, not again. But he needed help and surely didn't have any family.

"Thank you," he sighed. "Thank you, thank you."

"It's alright. Andrew," she kept quiet. "I am glad you called."

"Thank you for answering. I am sending you the address over text right now. Please save my number, big sister."

She smiled. "I will," she took a quick glance at the screen; it showed an address different to her childhood home. "I will go tomorrow."

"Really?" his voice turned into an excited pitch.

"Yes. And, Andrew, don't hesitate to call. You are not alone."