PHONE CALLS

     Faith sat in the dining eating her jambalaya quietly, Charlotte and Ethan came out of the kitchen still laughing and talking. She had finally succeeded in leaving the kitchen, ignoring them. They were carrying bowls and plates. When Charlotte saw Faith in the dining, she hesitated before she kept the food in the dining, because Ethan dropped the plates that he was with. 

     Faith stopped eating and looked at them for a while, then she stood up, carried her dish of jambalaya and left the dining. Charlotte and Ethan stared at her until she entered her room and shut the door. 

      "I don't know, I'm worried, is something wrong with her?" Charlotte asked. 

       "She is lonely," Ethan replied and felt his pocket. His phones were not there. He stood up. "I'm gonna head inside to get my phones." He stood up and left. 

       Charlotte glanced towards Faith's door. She was genuinely worried about Faith. She knew something was eating Faith up, but since she was bent on keeping it all to herself and it had turned her like this. 

      Ethan came out again with his phones in hand. His bumper phone started to ring again. He looked at it. It was his assistant. He looked at Charlotte who was now dishing the food and walked back into his room signalling Charlotte that he was coming back. Charlotte dished her food and started eating. 

       Ethan went into the bathroom and answered the phone. "What now Tyler?" 

         "Your mom has fired me. Why have you not been answering your phone?" Tyler asked, his voice was low. 

        "What? You are not serious right now are you?" 

        "You can call your sisters to confirm..." 

         "Tyler listen to me, you are not fired. I'll speak to my mom now." 

          "This only confirms that I speak with you. She always says I should give her your new numbers. She is always thinking you have changed lines." 

         "I'm sorry, Tyler. I was in the kitchen and I left my phone in the room. I'll call her now." 

       He hung up. He and Tyler had crossed that boss and assistant level. They were closer than employer and employee. Ethan had made sure he had treated Tyler as equals, but Tyler was always setting that boundary between them. 

    He dialled his mom's number and she answered almost immediately. Her voice was low. 

        "Ethan, I'm sick," she said once she answered the phone. 

         "What? Have you taken some medicines?" 

           "I'm worried sick about you!" 

           "Oh." Ethan rubbed his temple. "Why are you worried? I am your first child. I am older than the twin, but yet you don't worry about them as you worry about me. Why? Am I not old enough?" 

         "Ethan, you ran away from home, that's enough to worry about and their husbands are taking care of them." 

         "I didn't run away mom, I went in search of a wife. Is that not what you asked me to do?" 

         "Come back to San Francisco, there a lot of women here who could make a good wife. They are asking about you in the office." 

     Ethan heard the door. "I'll call you later mom, something came up." 

        "Wait! Wait!" his mother said, but he has already hung up.