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and waited to provide the number.
Bonnie started to return the receiver to its place, changing her mind, then pulled it back to her ear.
    She heard the operator come on the line, and she gave her the number. The phone rang and
Bonnie began to lose her nerve. She heard a click and an electric crackle over the line.
“Hello?”
“Mama? It’s Bonnie.”
“Bonnie? Bonnie Blue?” There was a long pause. “It’s been so long…how are you, baby?”
Bonnie found herself choking back tears. She hadn’t heard her mother call her Bonnie Blue in
years. As a southerner, her mother had told Bonnie her eyes were as blue as the Confederate Bonnie
Blue flag. It had always been used as a term of endearment. Hearing that now touched her in an
unexpected way.
“I’m fine, Mama. It’s good to hear your voice.”
“Yours too, baby. Are you well?”
“Sure, fine. How are you? You sound tired.”
Bonnie heard a faint sigh on the other end of the line. “I’m fine. I didn’t sleep well last night.
That’s all.”
She wanted to ask why, but was too afraid of the answer. “Are you still feeding that stray dog?
What was it you called him—Hobo?”
“No. He stopped coming around about a month ago. I don’t know what happened to him. Just
as well, though…you know how your father feels about animals.”
Bonnie winced. She remembered when he’d swerved the truck on purpose to hit a cat crossing
the road. The sound of his laughter still sent a chill down her spine. “Mama, I’m in Omaha now,”
she said. “I have a job and it’s really good here.”
“I’m glad for you.”
“Listen, Mama, I want you to come live with me. I have plenty of money for a bus ticket or, a
train ticket. Ican wire the money to you . . .”
There was no response on the other end. Bonnie held the receiver closer to her mouth. “Mama?
Did you hear me? I want you to come to Omaha.”
Another thick pause fell between them, the hum of the long-distance cable filling the silence. “I
can’t do that, baby. You know I can’t.”
“But you can ,” she urged, her emotions beginning to overpower her. “It’s easy, Mama. Just
throw a few things together and leave when he isn’t home.”
More silence and Bonnie knew there was no coaxing her mother to leave, nothing she could say
to convince her otherwise. She held her breath a moment and collected her feelings. She cursed her
damnable dream, the thing that had dredged up so many ugly memories, so much unfinished
business.
“Listen,” she said. “At least come for a visit then. He’ll let you do that, won’t he?” The sound of
her voice surprised her. It was the sound of a child’s, a small, wounded child.
“No, baby, I’d better not. But it was sure good to hear from you. I’m glad you’re doing all right.
Call again sometime.”
“Mama, wait, don’t hang up. Mama—”
The hissing crackle of the line went dead, and the tender feelings resurrected by a dream went
dead as well.
///////
Bonnie clocked out for lunch and took the elevator to the fifth floor of the Rose Building. When
the doors parted she stepped onto the polished marble floor of the hallway leading to the offices of
Johnson, Peck and Sutter. Everything gleamed, from the frosted glass doors leading to the offices, to
the crystal chandelier in the reception area. A receptionist sat behind a glass-topped desk, her pad
and pencil lined up in precise order before her, the telephone directly to her right. Bonnie gave her a
smile. “Can I go back?”
The young receptionist returned the smile. “You’re looking for Christine, right?” Bonnie
nodded. “Sure, go on back.”
Bonnie located the office where Christine worked and gave her a friendly smile as she
approached her desk. “Hi there, Christine.”
“Bonnie!” she exclaimed. “How’s the newest operator in the Rose Building?”
Bonnie tucked her purse beneath her arm and slipped on her gloves. “Great. I just stopped by to
see if you could come to lunch.”
Christine