Death+Call

=Death Phone call =  Hayden stared out his bedroom window at the clear sky. He thought about his dad; all the fun times they had together. They would always go fishing or play tackle football or on rainy days they would play a close game of chess. But now he was out in the war. Hayden heard his little sister Halley open the door and shut it behind her. Hayden always had to help his sister with homework after school since their mom was always at work.

As he dragged himself off his bed and walked into the hall he heard the telephone ring. He picked up the phone. The voice wasn’t one he recognized. “Is your mother home?” questioned the voice.

“No, I’m sorry. She’s at work,” Hayden replied.

“I’m very sorry to have to tell this to you but…your father has perished in the war. We found his body…” said the man. There was an awkward silence and then the man continued, “Well I’m very sorry boy but when your mother gets home can you tell her to contact us?” he asked. Without even responding, Hayden hung up.

He didn’t want to believe it. He wanted to think it was a prank call or a joke but he knew it was real. Hayden started to feel light headed and dizzy. All the good times with his dad flashed before him. He started to walk towards his bedroom. “Hayden, are you all right?” asked Halley.

“Haley I’m fine okay? If you need help with your homework just wait a while, I’m just a little tired,” stammered Hayden. Before she even replied he slammed his door shut and dozed off into a mixed feeling of confusion, anger, sadness and depression.

A couple of hours later, Hayden woke up to a knock on his door.” Hayden, are you in there?” asked a small voice. Hayden opened the door to see his mom; her eyes were red and she was holding a tissue in her hand. //Oh god//, Hayden thought, //she knows too//.

“Hayden I’m so sorry!” she cried. She opened her arms out to hug him. Hayden and his mother walked downstairs; there in living room Halley and his older sister Annie were sitting down; teary-eyed and sad. For the next hour or so no one talked; instead everybody sobbed in each others’ arms and wiped their eyes with tissues.

The same pattern repeated for the next couple of days until finally one day his mom called the family together again. They all sat around the dining room table. “Kids, I know it’s been a rough month but I’ve come up with a decision that will help us,” his mom stated. We all waited. “I’ve decided that for the next couple of months you guys are going to stay with relatives. I think we all just need some alone time to get through this. It's going to be hard for me to look after all of you by myself for the next little while”

Later that night Hayden lay awake in his room. He held a picture of his dad in his hand. Hayden didn’t want to go stay with his aunt and uncle; he didn’t want to be away from the rest of his family like when his dad was at war. He didn’t want to lose anyone else. Hayden was furious about this decision his mom had made. He wasn’t going to just stay with his aunt and act like nothing was wrong. No he wasn’t. He only had one other choice; to run away. Yes that's what he wanted to do. He didn’t want to have to hide how he felt and start a life over again. His aunt and uncle would act like parents towards him. He didn’t need another set of parents; he already had his own. Without thinking twice about what this decision could do to him, he packed his bags and left. Hayden loved his family so much and didn’t want to have to run away but at that moment he didn't know what else to do.