Waiting is just a game life plays

“I will pick you up in 20 minutes.” The text from my sister, Kim, beeped into the silence of my office, waking me out of my daydream. I shook my head, and picked up the phone sitting next to my keyboard.

The thing about Kim and her plans are that her promises of 20 minutes usually meant about 45 minutes to an hour.

So, I didn’t immediately get up to change out of my pajamas. Instead, I stared at the blank page staring back at me from my screen.

I was supposed to be writing a short story for Reedsy Prompts(c) – they send out writing prompts out once a week to subscribers, and you pick one and submit a story within seven days to be entered in a contest, but also, you get a chance to get feedback from other writers.

After years of being in print journalism as a newspaper editor, I had ventured into a new career – trying to actually write fiction. So, I took any extra help I could find.

The topics they sent were well-thought-out and caused my 50-year-old brain to really get into creative mode. But today, I was stuck.

So, I sat, in my comfy, over-sized yoga pants and an even more over-sized t-shirt with Whataburger(c)’s symbol on it. Oh, Whataburger … Whataburger was or is this restaurant chain in Texas that has the best kind of burgers, fries and their brand of ketchup is off the chain. I miss Whataburger …

Yeah, now you probably know why I was stuck … I am one of those people who gets distracted very easily … You say squirrel and I am not going to just look out the window … I am going outside and look for the squirrel.

Who am I? I am Devona Kelly – my family calls me DeDe. Imagine a slightly overweight woman with pretty good skin, medium-length mousy brown hair that never holds a style, a pair of black-framed glasses that resembled Sally Jessy Raphael’s red ones … you remember her right – the talk show host from the 1980s …, three earrings in each ear, and a hearing aid in one and well, that is me.

For 23 years of my life, I was a general reporter then features editor of a daily newspaper close to Garland, Texas … but then three years ago, I came back home to North Carolina to hang out with my parents as they get older. (I am the only one of my siblings who never married – so it just made sense that I come home.)

I am a part of the gig economy – I work at home remotely for clients who need marketing done through social media, and then I do freelance writing. It is not a lot, but it provides, and I can hang out and help my dad with the family apple orchard.

It is a simple life, and I am pretty content. Kim is my best friend – always has been. She is just six years older than me – married with two kids, and four grandkids – who adore their Auntie DeDe. My other sister is much older- we are not that close. She has four children, and is married, and lives in Texas where I was born. My oldest and only brother lives in Boston with his wife. His daughter – my favorite niece – is in New York City living her dream of being in the theater business.

I leaned back in my chair. The blank screen was still staring at me.

My phone beeped again. “Make that 15 minutes. Get dressed. The boys are with me by the way.”

Kim also knows that I have that issue of getting sidetracked. We make a good pair, I guess. The boys are her grandsons – Levi, Chandler, and Mason. They are my buddies – ages 12 to 4. Mischievous little turds but they are good for laughs and company.

I got up from my chair, and opened my closet door. Grabbing a pair of my favorite Chic jeans – Amazon I love by the way – order these there, and a pullover Gildan t-shirt in Carolina Blue – my favorite color, and head to the bathroom to change.

While in the bathroom, I try to do something with my hair, but I just shake my head. I have on my Plover Orchard shirt, so I grab a ponytail holder, pull my hair back, and put on the denim hat with our logo on it, and there you go.

I put on my Garmin watch that my other sister gave me for Christmas – her hint that I needed to get into shape. The boys liked to play with it – find out their steps, and listen to music. I push my cell phone into my back pocket after putting on my Sketchers’ tennis shoes.

Now, where did I put my wallet? Turning around in my room, my eyes land on the black wallet on top of my dresser, next to my keys, and Franklin. Franklin is a stuffed money, about 6 inches tall, maybe a little taller, with a heart sewn on one foot. He is brown, smiley, and has a dysfunction or two – his ears are not sewn on correctly – one is up higher than the other. I bought him for myself at Valentine’s Day because I felt sorry for him – I was sure the store would toss him in the trashbin with all the other things that were damaged. When I brought him home, I cleaned him up, sewed some holes, and started writing some stories about him – kind of children’s stuff, but then turned into a story for adults. I have not finished them – not sure where I am going with the story.

Which is why I joined Reedsy Prompts – to figure it all out.

The blank screen seemed to call me from across the room.

The back door of the house opened, and the screen slammed shut. “Aunt DeDe!” I heard Chandler holler. “Mama Kay said come on.” His little self sure made a lot of noise as he hollered from the bottom of the stairs.

I heard my mom. “Chandler, shut the door, don’t let the flies come in.” She was in the kitchen.

Chandler shut the door. “Aunt DeDe, are you coming?”

I appeared at the top of the stairs, “Dude, you have got a big mouth for a four-year-old, you know that, right?” I ran down the stairs, hand on the railing.

He grinned. “Aunt DeDe.” Chandler sighed. That boy had the prettiest blue eyes. He was going to be a heart breaker for sure when he got older.

I stopped at the step right above him. “Hey!” I hit the bill of his baseball cap.

“Hey. You ready? She is antsy.” Chandler pointed toward the outside.

“Yup. Want a piggyback ride?” I leaned down, and he crawled on my back, squeezing my neck hard. “Dude, gotta breathe.”

Chandler laughed, “Oops, sorry.”

I smiled, and turned my head, “That is OK. Ready?” I stood up and walked down the last step. I leaned over the banister a little, holding on to Chandler with my hands. “Ma, we are going to Walmart then Dairy Queen.”

My mom stuck her head out the kitchen door, “OK, have fun. Be careful.”

“Bye, Nana.” Chandler waved. My mom gave him a wave with her dishtowel. That woman lived for washing dishes.

“Let’s hit the road, dude.” I opened the door, and we walked outside. Kim hollered from her truck. “Girl, would you guys come on? Don’t have all day.” Kim was grinning.

I looked at my watch. Minus the eight minutes it took me to get outside with Chandler, her 20 minutes had actually been 40 minutes.

“Who is been waiting on who?” I hollered walking to the car.

Chandler said with a giggle, “Mama Kay is always the one who keeps us waiting.”

I laughed. "Waiting is just a game life plays with us."

Upstairs, my blank screen waited for me to return.