Ugh.
There must be some kind of accident.
Figures.
Just my luck.
I stare at the time on my phone. It’s 8:00 pm. I’m still a good two and a half hours away from home. Switching my phone off airplane mode, after a minute I’m bombarded with texts and missed calls.
Two texts from Ella.
Where you at sweet bottom?
No seriously. Text me back I’m getting worried.
Three missed calls from my mother.
And three voicemails.
The funny thing about my mother is that she leaves me the same voicemail every time she calls. “Oh…” her light, feathery voice trails off. “It’s me. Call me back.”
She sent me a text, too. My mother never texts. It seriously takes her ten minutes to type out one word.
Sadie Marie! Call me back! I’m worried sick.
I call her first so she doesn’t panic.
The phone rings once.
Twice.
“Sadie,” she gasps. “Where are you? Are you okay? Why didn’t you call me back?” She rants for five more minutes and I pull the phone away from my ear, wincing as her voice becomes more shrill and high-pitched.
“Mom,” I say first, in a normal tone. She continues and I raise my voice, “Mom!” The other end goes quiet. “Calm down. I am fine.”
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere in Pennsylvania.”
“Where at in Pennsylvania?”
I glance out the windows in search of sign. There isn’t one. “I’m not quite sure exactly.”
“What do you mean you’re not sure?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. I’m not sure. There are no signs or anything.” I check my GPS. “I just know that I’m about two and a half hours away from home.”
“Well, what’s going on?”
“Apparently there is some kind of accident and traffic is backed up.”
“How bad is it?” she inquires.
“I don’t know,” I respond. “It’s at least a mile up the road.”
My phone vibrates against my palm. The battery is at 20%. If I want to make it home and not be stranded without cellular service I need to charge it.
“Mom, I gotta go.” I release a quick breath. “My phone is gonna die.”