That can’t be good.
3:31 am. Dad. Missed Call.
I’m struggling to think of any reason, that isn’t serious and bad, for my dad to have called me at 3:30 am. I was asleep and missed the call. I’ve been up for 45 minutes (it’s about 5:30 now) wondering about that call. There was no message, no follow up text from my stepmom (I don’t think my dad has a texting plan). It probably warrants a call back, no? When is an appropriate time to return a missed call from 3:30 in the morning?
There are those families, where this might be one of those infuriatingly dumb scenarios – an aging parent worried about something as mundane as the gutters being clogged with a storm on the way who decides 3:30 am is the time to talk about it. That’s not my family. We’re also not the type of family who would call about a distant relative… Your uncle Jack, the one who needed help off the horse (dirty grammar joke) passed.
On the one hand, I hope it’s something as dumb as he was up and saw that the water bill here at the house was higher than normal and wanted to make sure the toilet wasn’t leaking…. But, of course, a whole bunch of other scenarios have been running through my head. The call came from their landline, not his cell. Why haven’t they called back? If it was really serious, I’d have gotten a a call back, right? Maybe it’s “trip to the hospital” serious, but also “then we got stuck there waiting and forgot to call… turns out everything’s fine” not serious.
This would be a shitty time for my phone to delay delivering a voice message to me. Sometimes that happens. I keep checking the phone as if new information will magically or mysteriously appear – like waking up to a missed call at 3:30 in the morning. Christmas in reverse. I sleep with the phone on the nightstand next to the bed. I’m not sure how I missed the call. I keep my phone next to me precisely in case of an emergency (and to check the time when I can’t sleep). I suppose now I know I will likely sleep through the emergency call.
But seriously, how long do I wait? I’d hate for something bad to be happening and I’m “not there” because I didn’t think it was a decent time to call… I didn’t want to be rude and wake people up. Of course, I can’t actually be there or of much use – this is about access to information and putting my mind at ease. It’s always about the self.
There’s no way it could have been an accidental call. It’s not like he can butt dial from a landline.
If it was really bad, someone would’ve been in touch, right? Are there scenarios that are so bad that getting in touch takes a back seat? Scenarios too serious to leave a message? Those are the type of things when afterwards someone can be heard saying, “it all happened so quickly.” If someone is able to call back, they’d probably do it. I can’t imaging my calling will get me any answers – unless of course the missed call was about the gutters or the toilet.
I’m too distracted to do anything else. I really don’t want to explore all of the possibilities. I suppose I’ll wait a little while longer. How long, I’m not sure. For what, I’m not sure.
I waited….anxiously. Eventually I called. He answered. Everything is fine – he didn’t call – wasn’t sure what I was talking about. They were asleep at 3:30. Not sure I have anything more to say other than FTW…