A Call From Heaven
"Hello?"
"......"
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is a call from heaven. Are you Mrs. Rickman?"
"I'm sorry? A call from where?"
"This is a call from heaven, branch line BX011614. Are you Mrs. Rickman?"
(Silence.)
"... Hello Ma'am? Are you still there?"
"Is this kind of joke?"
(Noise: "Let me talk...Sorry we can't let you talk now, the lady didn't confirm her identity...)
"Excuse me?"
"All right, let me clarify this: it is not a joke, and we have limited time to give you this call, please confirm your identity and continue the calling."
(Trembling voice) "Well...yes, I am...I am Rima Rickman."
"Thank you for your cooperation, your identity is confirmed. The calling is putting through the No. 2201."
(Noise:"Please remember you have only five-minute calling, the call will be hung up automatically after the limit.")
(Silence.)
(A deep male voice comes over)
"Rima?"
(Sobbing)"......"
"Rima, it's me."
"...I...I'm not dreaming, am I?"
(Chuckled)"No, you are not. Unless you had a bottle of Gin last night."
(Sobbing)"I can't belie...H..how could you make this call? I mean...I never thought there would be a heaven for God's sake!"
"Calm down, Rima. Listen, I have only two minutes, so I don't have enough time to explain. Listen carefully."
"Yes...yes...(sobbing)"
"Don't cry, dear, I thought you'd never cry, at least not as I know."
(Nasal voice)"No, I'm not crying...(blowing noise) All right, what did you say?"
"See, I wonder if you found my letter in the bedroom?"
"What letter?"
"The one I left in my drawer...in the front page of the poem...Oh, you haven't clean up my things, have you?"
"No...(Noise) No, I didn't have energy to clean up things yet...(walking noise)I'm looking for it...why didn't you tell me you leave a letter?...What a mess..."
"Rima, Rima...leave the letter for a while, now, just sit down, we don't have much time left. Please save some time for our conversation."
(Noise ceases) "...All right."
"I call you just want to say a couple of words..."
"I'm listening."
"...(Silence) I'm sorry..."
"Oh...I'm fine. We knew it's...irresistible. We talked about it before, don't feel sorry to me..."
"No, no, let me finish. (Pause) I'm sorry to leave you alone. After...after I reached this place, the first time I realized that I have never said this to you: you've been a good partner to me, after all this time."
"Alan..."
"I was stubborn, impatient and made a few mistakes. Thank you, Rima, to be there with me. (Pause) Try not to feel sad for me, I will not allow you. Please continue your life. I know you will, but be happy. I don't want you to waste it anymore. Promise me."
"...(sobbing again) I will."
"(Smiled) Send my regards to our friends."
"I will, though they may think I'm going to be mad.(Chuckled)"
"(Smiled) Probably, you can tell them you had a dream."
"Am I not?"
(Both smiled)
"I love you Rima."
"Me, too. Take care of yourself."
"You, too."
"Will you call another time?"
"Oh...I don't assume I can. They may transport me to another place, I think. Well, you never know."
"What do you mean transport? Where will you go?"
"Well, it's a little complicated...I can't tell you now, perhaps you should see yourself."
"Don't be sarcastic. You know I will."
(Both smiled)
"...Honestly, I have no idea either. But..."
(Noise: Countdown thirty seconds.)
"...(Complaining)Jesus, can't they stop the time?"
"What did you say?"
"Never mind. Rima, don't forget to send my regards."
"Don't worry I will."
"I still have words to say but, now I guess there is no need. I love you, Rima."
"I love you, Alan. Thank you for calling."
"Never finished talking to you."
(Rima smiled.)
"If you...just, give me a message, anything, after you reach another place. Let me know you're in safe."
"I'll see..."
(Noise: Five seconds left...four)
"...(Voice becomes lower and lower) Maybe we'll meet in another life...I'll wait...(Voice vanished)"
"Alan? Alan?"
(Noise: your time is up. Thank you for receiving the call, please have a good life.)
(Silence)
"...(softly) you said maybe we'll meet in another life..."
(Silence)
Rima woke up in the morning. She is now sitting up in bed and staring at the photo on the bedside table, the one she took with Alan. That strange call she dreamt last night still remains clearly in her head. Alan's voice was so real that she almost believe it did happened.
She wryly smiles after for a while and shakes her head. It can't be real, she thinks.
She gets up, out of the bed, and reaches the desk next to the drawer. She notices there is one drawer opened. A poem collection lies on the top of a bunch of sundries.
"It can't be serious..."
Rima whispered surprisingly. She reaches the drawer hesitantly and grabs the poem collection and opens it. A white envelope drops out from the front page.
"Dear Rima" wrote on the cover.
Rima looks unbelievable, and her mouth remains a little open, as she attempting to reach that letter.
Suddenly, a slip coming from nowhere drops in her sight. She catches it before it arrives the floor.
"Thank you for receiving the call from heaven, branch line BX011614.
Please have a good life.
Sincerely."
(To be continue)
"Hello?"
"......"
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is a call from heaven. Are you Mrs. Rickman?"
"I'm sorry? A call from where?"
"This is a call from heaven, branch line BX011614. Are you Mrs. Rickman?"
(Silence.)
"... Hello Ma'am? Are you still there?"
"Is this kind of joke?"
(Noise: "Let me talk...Sorry we can't let you talk now, the lady didn't confirm her identity...)
"Excuse me?"
"All right, let me clarify this: it is not a joke, and we have limited time to give you this call, please confirm your identity and continue the calling."
(Trembling voice) "Well...yes, I am...I am Rima Rickman."
"Thank you for your cooperation, your identity is confirmed. The calling is putting through the No. 2201."
(Noise:"Please remember you have only five-minute calling, the call will be hung up automatically after the limit.")
(Silence.)
(A deep male voice comes over)
"Rima?"
(Sobbing)"......"
"Rima, it's me."
"...I...I'm not dreaming, am I?"
(Chuckled)"No, you are not. Unless you had a bottle of Gin last night."
(Sobbing)"I can't belie...H..how could you make this call? I mean...I never thought there would be a heaven for God's sake!"
"Calm down, Rima. Listen, I have only two minutes, so I don't have enough time to explain. Listen carefully."
"Yes...yes...(sobbing)"
"Don't cry, dear, I thought you'd never cry, at least not as I know."
(Nasal voice)"No, I'm not crying...(blowing noise) All right, what did you say?"
"See, I wonder if you found my letter in the bedroom?"
"What letter?"
"The one I left in my drawer...in the front page of the poem...Oh, you haven't clean up my things, have you?"
"No...(Noise) No, I didn't have energy to clean up things yet...(walking noise)I'm looking for it...why didn't you tell me you leave a letter?...What a mess..."
"Rima, Rima...leave the letter for a while, now, just sit down, we don't have much time left. Please save some time for our conversation."
(Noise ceases) "...All right."
"I call you just want to say a couple of words..."
"I'm listening."
"...(Silence) I'm sorry..."
"Oh...I'm fine. We knew it's...irresistible. We talked about it before, don't feel sorry to me..."
"No, no, let me finish. (Pause) I'm sorry to leave you alone. After...after I reached this place, the first time I realized that I have never said this to you: you've been a good partner to me, after all this time."
"Alan..."
"I was stubborn, impatient and made a few mistakes. Thank you, Rima, to be there with me. (Pause) Try not to feel sad for me, I will not allow you. Please continue your life. I know you will, but be happy. I don't want you to waste it anymore. Promise me."
"...(sobbing again) I will."
"(Smiled) Send my regards to our friends."
"I will, though they may think I'm going to be mad.(Chuckled)"
"(Smiled) Probably, you can tell them you had a dream."
"Am I not?"
(Both smiled)
"I love you Rima."
"Me, too. Take care of yourself."
"You, too."
"Will you call another time?"
"Oh...I don't assume I can. They may transport me to another place, I think. Well, you never know."
"What do you mean transport? Where will you go?"
"Well, it's a little complicated...I can't tell you now, perhaps you should see yourself."
"Don't be sarcastic. You know I will."
(Both smiled)
"...Honestly, I have no idea either. But..."
(Noise: Countdown thirty seconds.)
"...(Complaining)Jesus, can't they stop the time?"
"What did you say?"
"Never mind. Rima, don't forget to send my regards."
"Don't worry I will."
"I still have words to say but, now I guess there is no need. I love you, Rima."
"I love you, Alan. Thank you for calling."
"Never finished talking to you."
(Rima smiled.)
"If you...just, give me a message, anything, after you reach another place. Let me know you're in safe."
"I'll see..."
(Noise: Five seconds left...four)
"...(Voice becomes lower and lower) Maybe we'll meet in another life...I'll wait...(Voice vanished)"
"Alan? Alan?"
(Noise: your time is up. Thank you for receiving the call, please have a good life.)
(Silence)
"...(softly) you said maybe we'll meet in another life..."
(Silence)
Rima woke up in the morning. She is now sitting up in bed and staring at the photo on the bedside table, the one she took with Alan. That strange call she dreamt last night still remains clearly in her head. Alan's voice was so real that she almost believe it did happened.
She wryly smiles after for a while and shakes her head. It can't be real, she thinks.
She gets up, out of the bed, and reaches the desk next to the drawer. She notices there is one drawer opened. A poem collection lies on the top of a bunch of sundries.
"It can't be serious..."
Rima whispered surprisingly. She reaches the drawer hesitantly and grabs the poem collection and opens it. A white envelope drops out from the front page.
"Dear Rima" wrote on the cover.
Rima looks unbelievable, and her mouth remains a little open, as she attempting to reach that letter.
Suddenly, a slip coming from nowhere drops in her sight. She catches it before it arrives the floor.
"Thank you for receiving the call from heaven, branch line BX011614.
Please have a good life.
Sincerely."
(To be continue)
月非暮
