A Call from Abroad

Silas wakes up early every Saturday morning. He makes a cup of coffee and sits by the window. The street outside is calm and quiet. He reads the news on his tablet.

This Saturday feels just like any other. Silas finishes his coffee and starts to make breakfast. He cracks two eggs into a pan. The kitchen smells like toast and coffee.

Then his phone rings with a number he doesn't know. Silas almost doesn't answer it. At the last second, he picks it up.

"Hello?" he says, a little confused.

"Silas! It's Rhea! Can you believe it's really me?" a voice says.

Silas nearly drops his phone in surprise. "Rhea? I can't believe it's you!"

Rhea moved abroad after college to study medicine. They sent messages sometimes at first, but that slowly stopped. Silas never expected a call like this.

"I'm at a small café near the hospital," Rhea says. "I just finished a long night shift, and I thought of you."

"I can't believe you still remember my number," Silas says, laughing.

"Of course I do. You were my closest friend here," Rhea says warmly.

They talk for almost an hour about their new lives. Rhea describes the hospital and her tiny apartment. Silas tells her about his new job and his garden.

His eggs get cold in the pan. But he doesn't care.

"I'm going to visit next spring," Rhea finally says. "I promise this time."

Silas hangs up, smiling, and finally eats his cold eggs.