Sierra Port

PART TWO

WELCOME HOME
PART TWO

THERE ARE TWO MANDATORY THINGS you need to know before attempting to be friends with me: 1) Don't ever talk shit about Léah LeBeau in front of my face and expect to get away from it. Not only is your opinion wrong, but a sign of disrespect towards the golden age French film industry; and 2) Never disturb me whenever I am comfortably in my bed, blissfully unconscious and unaware of my surroundings. Waking me up is a heinous crime, even if you do it unintentionally as you're calling me through the phone. Unless you're my parents, and you're calling because I forgot to call back last night as soon as I arrived home safely.

     I could hear my phone blaring Britney Spears' infamous oh baby, baby next to my ear, with that specific line looping over and over again. (It was for a bet I made with a college friend, and I was supposed to use it for two weeks. Don't ask me why I haven't change it.) My eyelids refused to cooperate and remained shut as I tardily use my hand to grab my phone and immediately answered it. I didn't check the caller ID so I just begrudgingly muttered "hello" as I couldn't give two shits about who's calling me — until I heard a voice with a thick Chinese accent through the line.

     "Marie, where are you?" the caller asked. I immediately opened my tired eyes and looked back at the caller ID, only to realize who was calling me.

     "Hey, Ma," I answered as I straight away sat up from my sleeping posture. "Uh, I'm already at the house now."

     She started to implore me with abundance of questions. "My god, why didn't you call me last night? Your father and I were very worried, you know? No one touch you or anything, right?"

     I tried to calm her down by telling her that I arrived at the transit center around 1 AM or so and had to take a 45 minute walk to our house because there were no public buses operating at that hour. (And don't get me started with the luggage I had to carry along as well.) I was very tired last night and decided to hit the hay, forgetting to check up on them. Of course, Ma didn't buy that excuse one bit and kept nagging me that I should've at least texted back or something.

     As she was about to nag more about me waking up at noon (it was already 12:47 PM when I checked my phone), I can hear Dad's muffled voice in the background. Ma's voice was also muffled for few seconds before she said, "Your father wants to talk to you."

     "Mornin', sleeping beauty," I heard Dad's voice through the line. "Did you sleep well last night?" I told him yes, and he continued, "Good. Have you run the generator yet?"

     "Not yet, but I am gonna run it later after this," I assured him.

     "Alright, then. You still remember what I told you about how to run it, right?"

     "Yeah." I lied. I honestly forgot what he told me before.

     He told me just in case I forgot, I can see the instruction manual inside our shed at our backyard. I was relieved to hear that, since I was already considering to just beat the generator with a stick until it turns on. Beating something with a stick always works, I figured. "I almost forgot," Dad continued, "you need to check in with the water company later. They usually cut our water supply off since we're always away for so long."

     "Can't you call them for me?" I wasn't a big fan of calling strangers on the phone, especially strangers who work at companies.