Yesenia - "The Phone Call"

The Phone Call


My dad passed away when I was five. The same night my mom remembers feeling something weird. She knew something was wrong. It was like someone was dying. I don’t know how she knew, but she was right. Someone was dying, and that someone was my dad.

My dad was in New York City while the rest of us were in Tlaxcala, Mexico. Every night after work he would call us. The telephone reminded me nightly that my dad cared about me and my family, loved me, and was still alive. It was our only connection to him.

That night, however, was different. The phone didn’t ring. My mom started to worry about my dad. Once she had returned from market, she kept asking us over and over if my dad had already called. She called over to my aunt and uncle’s house to see if he had called there. He hadn’t. She started to panic, but reassuringly she said, “He’s OK.” Everyone except Perla went to bed.
After a few minutes my uncle called our house. My sister Perla was studying for a test she had the next day. The phone wouldn’t stop until we answered it. It was like it was screaming, “Answer me! Answer me! I have something that is going to change your life forever.”
My mom woke up and yelled, “Who died? Who died?” She was pounding on the wall.
“Daddy died, Mom,” Perla yelled, crying. She was screaming into the night, “Daaaddddyyy!”
It was like the sky was falling. Laura, my other sister, and my brother Gonzalo ran to Perla’s room. “Who died?” Laura asked.
“Your daddy,” mom answered. My mom ran like the wind to my uncle’s house, no one could stop her.

My dad was died in New York City. He had came home from work, his last night on earth. After dinner, my dad went to bed. His sleeping had gotten really weird. My uncle went to dad’s room, and my dad had the blanket over his head. My uncle uncovered his head and there were bubbles pouring out of his mouth. No one knows why there were bubbles coming out of his mouth, not even the doctor. My dad had died.
Before my dad left Mexico, he told my mom, “When I die, I’m not going to be sick. I’m going to die because God wants me to. ” That is what happened. My dad predicted his own death. By the time my mom came back, the whole house was full of people. After a few hours, a limo was at the front door. That limo had dad’s coffin inside. They took the coffin inside the house.
My dad wasn’t too tall, and he was a little fat, but the best thing about him was that he was nice to everyone. He wasn’t just nice to me or my sisters, he was nice to everyone. Whenever any family member needed something, they would ask my dad. If he could give them what they needed he would give it. Every one liked him no one would say bad things about him because he was loved by so many people.
When he died, everyone gave something to my mom as a symbol that they were sorry for us and they missed him very much. Perla, Laura, Gonzalo, and my mom gave my dad a kiss. My mom told me to give my dad a kiss, but I didn’t want to. Laura ask me, “Why won’t you kiss dad?” I didn’t know. Gonzalo, my brother, tell me, “You were to little. You were scared.” I think he is right. I was to little, I wish I could go back to the night and give my dad a kiss. Now, I’m 11 years old and I’m not scared to give a kiss to someone. That is because I learned that people who are dead are not in this world anymore. If you gave them a kiss they’re not going to come to life but if you do they will always have a special place in your heart.


By~ Yesenia Rodriguez