Outtakes 257

Waiting for the Phone To Ring

by Cait Collins

 How often do you pick up the phone and will it to ring? Maybe it’s not so bad these days as most of us carry a cell phone, but we still find ourselves checking to see if we missed a call. I can tell you that patience is not one of my virtues and I loathe waiting. So what can I do while I wait? I can see how many scenarios I can create on waiting for the telephone to ring.

A teenage girl has a crush on the captain of the football team. She’s convinced he’s going to ask her to be his date for the homecoming dance. She sits by the phone planning what she will wear. Her dress will be the shade of blue in the school colors. It will be cocktail length so that she can show off her legs. She’ll have her four-inch heel sandals dyed to match the dress and her toe nails will be painted the same shade of gray in the cheerleaders’ uniforms. The phone rings and it’s her best friend calling to tell the girl that the captain of the football team has asked her to the homecoming dance and she’s accepted. What happens to the friendship?

The minister sits at his desk dreading the telephone’s ring. A member of the congregation is seriously ill. The test results should be in at any moment. He plans to give the family some time to deal with the news before he meets them at the hospital. The phone rings, a police officer is calling to tell him his son has been injured in an automobile accident. Who will the minister call?

Two candidates for the same job, a quiet young man and an attractive girl, are sitting at different tables in a coffee shop. Her phone rings and he can see the disappointment in her face. She ends the call and his phone rings. He’s offered the job. What does he say to the girl?

I keep thinking of other situations, but I must ask you to excuse me. My phone is ringing.