There’s usually nothing special about Tuesdays
They come and go without any significance
And they pass without any word
Watching silently as they sludge past, their feet shuffling in incompetence
But then the phone rings
And the room becomes silent as all heads turn to look at it,
Silent looks as to who will get up to get it,
Finally an “I’ll get it” rings out
And anticipation if he’ll get there in time and then
“Hello” and a curious look at me and the a “Hold on, it’s for you”
And he points the phone at me with a question in his eyes, and my
Heart beats once and I retrieve it and hold the cool plastic
To my ears
“Hello?”
And the voice that answers me, is like… something I should know
“Hello?” I ask, not sure, not comprehending
“Don’t you know who this is?” they ask,
And I understand, and I’m angry all over again, and I want
To hang up the phone to slam the receiver into a thousand
Pieces so I never have to hear her voice again
“Hey mom” I say, making my voice happy.
Her tears travel the miles from Vegas, I hear her weep into the phone
And I want to slap her because what right does she have to cry?
She left us! She took the drugs and she was a crappy mom “Don’t cry”
I say, I pretend I care.
“We don’t have much time” she says and good, hang up now leave me alone,
I’m happy without you “I’m sorry to hear that” can she hear the sarcasm in my voice,
Does she detect the anger? “So how have you been?” she asks and she doesn’t care.
“I’m okay, going down to visit granny next weekend”
“How is she?”
“She’s okay” and can I hang up the phone, can I go? Will you release me?
“Alright well I have to go. I’ll talk to you next week” and the dial tone and she is gone,
And I’m standing there unable to put the phone down, and I want to cry
But why would I cry over her? SHE LEFT ME! She left us.
And I hang up the phone and go back to watching the movie
And it was just another Tuesday, another in- extraordinary Tuesday that meant nothing.