42: Ben (Part 2)

CHRISTY:

It took a few rings before Ben picked up the call. Then, his face flashed in. His once neat face already looked like a lawn with tall grass. His eyes told me he had not experienced a life full of luxury. It was tiring as if he was barely hanging. But the most important part was that he was well.

Before, I was already imagining what our meeting would be like after he ran away. I imagined I would hate him for leaving me, but maybe it was only because of my emotions. Now…I felt relief that he was well and alive. Still…there was an ounce of some emotions which I could not pinpoint.

“Hey,” Ben declared, hesitating.

I did not know what I would say to him. Whether I would scold him for leaving me alone or scream at the top of my lungs until he realized what he had done.

My hands trembled and forced my hands to steady.

A long silence filled it. It was awkward and I did not know how to break it. There were a lot of things I wanted to ask, but I did not know where to start.

“Hey,