Hey Phil, It's me

INT. HOME - MORNING

Without warning, the AT&T 2 landline explodes to life with a cry, calling all around to seize its moment and free it from this uncontrollable function. It sits on the countertop gathering dust to fuel its relic gears. A nostalgic thing in a world of smartphones and supercomputers. 

A hand reaches for it, picking up the handset.

“Hey___, it’s me,” FRANK(18) says into the receiver. There’s a goofy smile on his face as he tries to formulate how to give the news. He thinks he should do it nonchalantly, like telling someone you like orange juice and milk. That it’s not a big deal, and people should get over it. He likes that approach. “I think I’m in love... Yeah. It’s the girl I was telling you about last time. I know, I know, but... You know... I just—I love her, man. Like from the way she talks to the random nonsense she brings up about mythology. Yeah, I know, right? I like flunked out of every history class in the world, but she makes it interesting.” He pauses. His hands trembling. “Hey... I know I haven’t called in a while, and it’s not really fair of me to be calling you just before the new year. But I don’t have a lot of time left before I head off to this party. We’re doing this countdown thing at Mrs. Ackerman’s house. Might drink a couple of Buds before I do this thing. But I think I might propose. It is not too early. We’ve been meeting up for six months, man. I don’t know if I’ll meet someone like her again. So if I’m ever gonna do this thing, it’s gonna be tonight. Kids? Yo, whoa, slow down. I don’t know all about that. I mean, I don’t even know if I’m gonna go to college yet. Might just spend a year working, you know. Anyway, look at the time... I gotta go, buddy. I’ll... I’ll talk to you again in the new year. Oh hey, remember it's not bye, but see you later.”

Frank gently places down the handset, letting the plastic click as the phone call ends. He lingers on the phone before rushing off.

And so it waits again, the old thing. Waiting for another moment for its gears to turn and for its mouth to scream. It gathers dust as day goes on, as the sun sets and the night bleeds out onto the sky. The fireworks exploding, sending the old year off with a Viking funeral. Letting the new day usher in hopes and dreams.

Frank reaches for the phone again, this time dialing in a number. He stands there leaning against the counter as it rings in his ears. After a while it goes to voicemail. “Hey man, I haven’t talked to you in a minute, but I just wanted to say that everything is going well. Or as well as it can be. This new job I got is really kicking my ass. Like I don’t even want to wake up some mornings, you know. But I can hear your voice in my head telling me to buck up and work through it. I’m not gonna spend my whole life there. Just another chapter in my book, right?” The click on the other side sends Frank’s eyebrows perking up. “Hey buddy, I thought you were out... Oh, you were getting dressed. Where are you going? Another one of those network meetings, huh? Sucks to be you, my guy. Well, it sucks to be me too, I guess. Alison is doing fine. She’s still completing her degree. I didn’t tell you? She’s taking some degree in cultural traditions. I think she’s got an offer or something for a historian job at some museum in the city. Pretty neat stuff.” Frank says. He rolls his wedding ring on his finger a couple of cycles before shifting his posture. “You know, what really grinds my gears... Yeah, how’d you know? Totally hate that shit, man. Like you can’t just own a company and make us do all the work as you Zoom call in from your beach house in Mexico, you know. Like—I’ve been telling Alison that I really hate this era of capitalism. Like it’s... That’s right: all money and no morals.”

“Babe, we gotta go,” Alison calls from across the room.

“Hey man, gotta run, but we’ll catch up later, okay? Nice… talk to you soon. Oh hey, remember it's not bye, but see you later.” Frank hangs up and rushes off, leaving the relic alone once again. It wonders when it’s going to be used once more. It’s the only thing it can wonder, as it’s plastic ages and its silver colour fades. The whites turning yellow.

It rings.

Frank grabs the handset, letting two of those bad boys ring out. “Hey buddy,” he says in a deep and gravel voice. “Sorry about that; I’ve been a little sick, but guess what? Oh yeah, yup, yup, yup, yup! I got that raise at the paper mill job. All those fucking years of just wasting away, doing work above my pay grade, were in a weird way worth it. I mean, I’m just getting paid for what I was doing before, but hey, that’s a step in some direction. Hey, did I tell you that Alison is pregnant? I didn’t… damn. Yeah—no, Alison is at the hospital right now, just about ready to go into labour. Just came home to grab a few things for her when I heard the phone. No, no, I got a little time. Dang man, I thought I told you about... yeah, yeah, we're pretty excited. Don't know if I'm ready for it or not, but if I didn't want a kid, I would've pulled out, you know? Yeah, yeah... anyway, I got to run. Thanks for the call, my guy." He goes to return the handset but stops and brings it back to his ear. "Oh hey, remember it's not bye, but see you later."

He hangs up and rushes off. The old phone, once again awaiting its master. Eagerly, as the seasons change and the months blend into the seconds. A pumpkin slides next to the landline, a temporary companion as Alison puts up some cobwebs and a rubber spider. The landline likes the mood, as it gets a good dust cleaning.

Frank reaches out for the handset and picks it up. He dials a number and waits. He ushers Alison over, and she gestures over their son. The three are dressed like a vampire family, with their son, fourteen, having his black hair combed over to one side. "Happy Halloween!” They scream into the phone, as it devolves into laughter. Frank shoos them away as he relaxes against the countertop.

"Did that surprise you? Hehe, yeah, we can be a bit loud during this time of year," Frank says. "It's a break from all the hustle of everyday. No, no, we're just having a simple scary movie party at a friend's house. Yeah, that's the mini me, just growing up too fast now. He's starting to say things I would say around his age. Wish you were here, but I know you're out there exploring the world. Saving us one day at a time, buddy. Hey, I saw the picture of me in Time magazine. Didn't expect to see me in there? Do I get royalties for that? I should. I'm joking, I'm joking. Sorry to cut this short, but I gotta run. Oh hey, remember it's not bye, but see you later. Alright, man."

It rings again, and Frank picks up.

"Alison, how long are you gonna keep these decorations up?” He asks ripping down the cobwebs and the rubber spider. There's something dark about him now. "Hey, buddy. Sorry about that. It's been... yeah, turbulent is the right word for it. You were always so good with words. The boys are all grown up. I think I told you that before, but little Philly is having his wedding tomorrow. Yeah, yeah... she's a lovely girl. I think they'll... be just fine. I'm kind of glad you called because, you know my dad. He passed away a couple of weeks ago. I know, and we're still having the wedding. Because right now, man... we—we just need some, you know—I just need some light right now. He was so excited for this thing, but he got worse and worse… fuck. I have to give a speech tomorrow, and I don't know if I'm gonna to be able to keep myself from falling apart. It's already hard as it is when Alison looks over to me, and she knows there’s something missing but can't fill that hole. I... I don't know how I'm gonna get through this, man. I don't know. I'm not calling for a solution or anything like that. I just needed someone else to know... I’m drowning, buddy. I’m drowning… oh hey, remember it's not bye... but see you later.”

He trembles as he hangs up the phone. He thinks he won't get through this, but he will.

The landline waits for its owner. In hopes of a time when its uses will soothe its master. But dark days follow good years, and good years always end.

The phone rings again, but this time the sound is slightly faded and glitched. Frank's hand reaches for it, older and frail now.

"Hey Buddy, how are you doing?” He asks. His voice slower. "Good, good. Happy New Year. Yeah, I just spent New Year’s Eve with Alison. She... I thought I was gonna be okay after my father, but I didn't want Alison to be next, you know. But the cancer just... We sat in the hospital room, just the two of us, waiting for the countdown. It was nice, just really... really nice. Like... we counted down. Five, four, three, two, and one. When the fireworks went off, I swore she looked just as young as the day I proposed. I kissed her forehead, and by the next morning... she was gone." Frank lets the time fill the moment. His tears trickling down his face as they go down hot. "No goodbyes, just see ya later." He hangs up.

The phone absorbing all the information it can and storing it in its mechanical mind.

It rings one more time, but no one picks up, letting it go to voicemail. It says it speech and at the tone...

"Hey Frank, it’s me. It's been a while. Some days I just look at this old thing and just can't bear to pick it up. I wish I could have been there for all your firsts and the wedding and all the lasts and funerals. I wish for the moments, moments you will never have, Frank. Moments that will forever haunt me and comfort me. I love you, buddy. If you were here, I bet you would say that old mantra of mine. I guess I'll say it since no one else will. Remember, it’s not goodbye, but see ya later."

It ends with a click. A newspaper next to the old thing, with an article reading about a sixteen-year-old boy named Frank, who drowned in a rising river.