The Wake-Up Call.

By Mary McLoughlin.

Angela made her way home from work feeling extremely low. Her job now was not very satisfying, she was doing so well as a junior reporter and getting her reports published for the local newspaper where she worked. However, her colleagues were very petty and jealous of her success and constantly tried to belittle her and raise irrelevant points about her work. She really missed her best friend June, who had been killed tragically in a car accident two years ago today. She thought that was why I was so depressed. She was also lonely and had not made any real friends.    

She looked out of the train window at her reflection, thinking of June, when her mobile phone rang. She answered the call, which was from her own number. She thought, “That is strange, how can this be?” “Hello, who is there?” She asked, no response at all, then suddenly one of her favourite songs began to play, it was One Moment in Time by Whitney Houston, she loved the vocals and the music and just listened to it, when it finished, her phone went dead. “Hello, hello, she said there was no answer.

She arrived home still very puzzled about the phone call; she lived in a top-floor flat in a big house that had been converted into eight apartments. Her landlady, Mrs. Jones, who lived on the ground floor, asked her if she was all right as she entered the hallway, “You look a little pale, dear” she said. “I am okay, thank you, Mrs. Jones, I have just had a long day and feel a little tired, she replied. Mrs. Jones said, “I wanted to try and catch you; a package arrived for you this morning, hope it is something nice. "She gave her the package. Angela thanked her and made her way to her flat.

After letting herself in she went and put the kettle on to make herself a cup of coffee and then she opened the package, it had been posted in her hometown which was in Scotland, she now lived in Essex and was working for the local town newspaper, she thought it would be from her Mum who was always sending her stuff, however it was not it was from June’s mother and it had a photograph in a frame of her and June when they both graduated from University together, they had both got first class honours, June in Business studies and herself in English Literature.

 Another photo was also included of them both when they were in primary school, they had been friends since they started school. Mrs. Kerr who was June's mother had written a note telling her she wanted her to have the photos and some jewellery as well as June's diary as Angela was mentioned in it, she said it was time to let them go and knew that Angela would appreciate them, she then told her to keep in touch and perhaps come and visit her when she came home for a holiday.

After her dinner she sat on the couch and began to read June’s diary, she saw the entry when they had both gone to watch June’s brother who played in a local band in their hometown and how much they had enjoyed the evening dancing and having a good time, She then read a footnote written by June, "I think Angela fancies my brother James, that would be cool we could become sisters.” Angela thought how had June known, she had liked James from being fourteen she was now twenty-eight and still had not met anyone who she liked as much as James. The phone rang again, it was from her own number, Hello! Then another of her favourite songs came on it was “A hundred thousand Angels” by Bliss, when it finished, she again said Hello who is this? The phone was dead.

She was confused how could her phone ring her and play her some of her favourite songs, this was very strange. She opened the Jewellery box and found a lovely pendant witch had a pair of Angels wings, that June liked to wear, she tried it on and felt comforted. She fell asleep on the couch and had a dream that June was trying to contact her and tell her to go home and get a job with the local paper where she would be happier and not so lonely. Her phone rang, which woke her up again. It was from her own number, she answered it saying Hello who is this? Again “A hundred thousand Angels” started to play, she listened and then felt comforted, she then knew it was June trying to comfort her, the songs, the dream it all made sense she was right she was unhappy and lonely down here, she would hand in her notice tomorrow and go back home and hopefully get a Job with a local newspaper. She could find a flat and live with her parents until she did, she would visit Mrs. Kerr and thank her for the photos and the jewellery, she might also renew her friendship with James, and see how that would work out, she still had a soft spot for him and she thought he did like her, He was now a solicitor, but he still played in a group at weekends, she would go and watch him, she began to feel a whole lot happier than she had done for some time, yes she had made her mind up and it felt right.  She stood up from the couch and two white feathers dropped onto the floor.

She picked up her mobile phone and looked for June’s contact number which she had not deleted she rang it waiting to get the signal that it was not connected, however it rang and then again “A hundred thousand Angels began to play.” She waited until it finished and said, “Thank You June, you have given me what I needed a Wake-up Call.”