CAN WE TALK?

My sister Liz was going away on vacation. Not an ordinary vacation, but one where she couldn't use her phone. Even though I was going to meet up with her in San Francisco a week later, I was still concerned that while she was away she wouldn't have any cell service. This might not sound like a big deal to some, but I talk to her every day.

“What if I need to talk to you?” I asked her during our last conversation before she left?

“I'll be seeing you in seven day.” she said trying to reassure me.

“I can do that.” I finally agreed.

Little did I know that the very next day a problem would come up that I desperately needed to discuss with her. I sat on the couch, pondering my choices of other understanding ears. That's when I looked over at my husband, Steven, sitting at the other end of the couch trying to watch television.

“Can we talk for a minute?” I asked.

He quickly turned the sound down on his show and looked at me with some concern.

It's not anything bad,” I quickly said. I guess the tone in my voice must have scared him a little. “It's just that I ran into someone at the grocery store who said something that's been bothering me all day.”

“What did they say? he asked.

“Well, maybe it wasn't exactly what was said, but how it was said. That's what's really bothering me.”

“How was it said?”

“I'll probably need to fill in some background about this person before you can truly understand why what was said and how it was said that would bother me.”

“Said what?” he asked again.

“Why do you keep asking me that?” I was beginning to get annoyed.

“Because how am I supposed to understand what you're even talking about if I don't know what was said in the first place.”

I was pretty sure I was hearing some exasperation in his voice, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt and answered his question without telling him the background of the situation. “This person looked in my cart and wanted to know why I was always buying diet soda.”

“What?”

“I know! Can you believe it!” I was waiting for him to agree with me, but instead he just stared a me.

“Big deal.” he said. “Just tell them it's because you like drink diet soda.” he said.

“Big deal? I cried. “Are you kidding me? You had to hear the way she said it and how she was standing when she said it!” Now I was losing my patience.”I knew I never should have brought it up to you. Liz would have understood exactly what I was talking about.”

“I'm sure she would and the two of you would have been on the phone for an hour discussing it.” Steven started to laugh.

“Exactly what's that suppose to mean?” The tone in my voice stopped his laughter.

He shook his head “You know I'm beginning to miss Liz myself.” he said. “Exactly how many more days until you meet her in San Francisco?”

“Whenever it is, it's not soon enough for you, huh?”

Steven just smiled as he turned the sound back up on his show.