Amazed and Confused

A short story - Emotion Wheel (Vocabulary - Adjectives)

“Hi, can I speak to Holly, please?”

“Speaking! Who am I talking to...”

“Oh, Holly, is that’s really you? My dear Leprauchan, I’m dismayed! It seems like from your voice you have a long story to tell.”

“…What? What did you just called me? Who am I speaking to? " That nickname startled Holly, who was frightened to hear somebody use it after a long time. She felt hesitant on answering to that question, but she replied with a suspicious voice “Yes. Who am I speaking to, once again? I thought I got rid of all of the people who might know this awful nickname!” She thought she was going to sound sarcastic, or maybe sceptical at least. Or that was she wanted to believe.

The person on the other side of the phone laughed, amused by her resentful tone “Hi Holly, It’s Abby here. How you doing, my little Leprechaun? I can’t wait to hear all your little secrets.”

Holly, hesitant, repeated her name slowly ”Abby? ... Abby Goodman? Are you kidding me? It cannot be… I’ve heard you are not here…anymore” She said confused, while a shiver ran down her spine.

“Oh Holly, you are wrong, I’ve always been here for you. And I miss you so much! Too many years have passed since I heard your voice. And there we are, after all this time, my squeaky little Leprechaun!” She added, with a judgmental tone of voice. “Why did you forget about your old girlfriend, Holly? I was here when you were rejected by the choir audition, and I was here when your mother left your dad and you. Why did you do that? I mean, how can you just forget about your best friend?”

Holly was terrified beyond belief of that voice which seemed to be coming from the afterlife. She hung up, this time, scared.

These detestable calls carried on for a while, mostly after 3:00 am every Tuesday night. Holly got used to this improvised ring in the early morning, but that awful feeling of rejection turned into an insignificant one. She started to get up while the phone was still ringing, and make some green tea. Sometimes, there was a second attempt soon after the first call, and that gave her a new sense of confidence, which she believed was a feeling of wise perseverance that was making her ready to take on her death. That peaceful atmosphere was a blessing at this stage of her life. She was 89 years old now, and whatever story about this life she was going to tell to her old friend Abby, it could wait, after all.