Late night phone calls

Simple interpretation

Kat barely made it in her apartment. Shoes off as she stumbled to her bedroom, dropping her purse and jacket along the way. She didn't even bother to get in bed, she just flopped on top of it, her head hit the pillow and she was out.

A noise outside woke her from her deep slumber. It sounded like a car door slamming, several doors actually. She slowly opened one eye to look at her clock. It was 11:42. She did not know if it was day or night. Then she remembered going to bed as soon as she got home and since it was dark outside she assumed it was night.

Kat got up and headed to the bathroom. Some water would be good, she was so thirsty. Since she missed dinner, she felt a little hungry to. That's not good, she thought. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. She also changed into some comfy sweat pants and a t-shirt. She was now officially ready for bed. She slipped under the covers and laid her head on the pillow pretending she was just going to bed. She closed hers and tried to fall asleep, again.

She lasted about 5 minutes before she opened her eyes. She had been unable to convince herself to back to sleep, a task that normally took two minutes. Five more minutes and then she would tell herself to get up.

She tried counting sheep. She tried thinking about work and policies that were boring so her mind could not be distracted enough for her to go to sleep. She opened her eyes to look at the clock. It was 12:08, at least it's Saturday and I don't have be up in to work in 6 hours. It would be ok if she couldn't get back to sleep.

Kat sat up in bed and reached for the phone that was usually on her nightstand. It wasn't there. Then she realized it was probably in her purse that she dropped somewhere out there. She looked out into the darkness, lit ever so slightly by a beam of moon light coming into the living room from the kitchen window.  

Now fully awake, she decided to get up and heat some water for instant ramen as well as some water for tea. She located the purse, tossed on the floor in an uncaring manner. She was able to retrieve the phone and as she did she noticed she had a missed call at 10:31 pm. It was the guard, her guard she thought as she smiled and walked over to the kitchen table. She listened to the message.

**Hello Kitty kat…..how are you? I hope you are home safe and sleeping. Sung Lee and some other friends and I are still at the bar. I am not drinking too much, I promise. We all agree you are cute and kit-kat, don't be angry because I may have let slip your age. Sung Lee kept asking when you might forget at work and call me Oppa now that we are dating so I had to say something. I reminded him we dated, there was no proof you would go out with me again once you find out how stupid my friends are….shhhhhh I'm on the phone. They all say hi kitty kat. Prrrrrr…kitty kaaaaat? are you home yet? I will have one more drink and call a taxi for a ride home. calllllllll meeeeee, if you want. This is silly, please erase this message before you listen, click**

Kat had enjoyed every second of that call and she put her phone on speaker and pushed play on that message, again. She listened and laughed as she made her ramen and tea. She wanted to call him but it was so late. Now, she pictured the phone waking everyone in his house. What would his mother think of a grown woman calling this late at night. She didn't want to send out any negative vibes before she actually met her. Kat decided to send a text.

(Kat) *meow, hope you made it home safe…silly. Nobody better call me Noona at work, are you awake?*

She waited for a reply. Nothing. He must be sleeping. Beeeeep….new message. She checked it.

(Sojin) *I am awake now. How silly was I on the phone? Sorry. R U going to pretend to not know me? I would*

(Kat) *I would never. Will I save it for just the right time to tease you…yes and play it over and over…yes.. Kitty-Kat??? really?*

(Sojin)  *how come U R awake? *

(Kat)  * I took a 6 hour nap, I am very well rested *

(Sojin)  *should I quit texting and call U??*

(Kat)  *sure, don't wake your mother!!*

(Sojin) *I am sleeping at Sung Lee's place. Calling now*

The phone rang and she picked it up, still on speaker.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi, how are feeling after your long nap? Rested?" he said.

Kat replied as she was stirring her ramen, "I am hungry actually. I was making some tea and ramen. I hope you had dinner with your beer."

"I did. Lots of food, it was a good time. I don't make a habit of going out with friends. It was fun, I don't know why I stopped." Said Sojin.

"Well, if it's fun, you should do it. I mean, life is to be lived, and enjoyed. Why waste your time breathing if not?" Kat asked him.

Sojin replied, "okay, I see your point. I promise to have fun. Starting right now. I mean usually I would be at home and not sleeping over at a friends house. Not sleeping 2 feet away from a guy who snores so loud that small animals are afraid to make a noise for fear that the bear might get them. I mean this is fun. Talking to you, late at night is fun. Do you have me on speaker? Do you have a roommate?

Trying not to laugh too loud, Kat answered, "no roommate, just me. I never could get used to sleeping on the floor, I have a western style bed. I know, such a waste huh? It's comfy and usually I could sleep non-stop, but tonight after waking up…I just couldn't go back to sleep. I thought I would have some ramen, drink some tea and maybe read a book or watch a drama or something."

Sojin was quiet for a moment. He was awake now, as well. He wanted to see her again, but he didn't know how to ask her. It was really too late or early rather, in the morning. Kids meet up at 1:00 am, not adults. None that he knew of anyway. His car was at the hospital, so he didn't even have a way over to her apartment if she invited him. Then he remembered he didn't even really know where she lived exactly.

"Hellooooo." Kat said in the direction of her phone as she slurped in some noodles, haaaa haaaa hot.

Sojin replied, "I am here, I was just thinking. I was wondering if you would like to go out?"

"Right now," she said. "It's kind of late. But I guess we could meet tomorrow..or later today actually."

"Exactly what I was thinking. Maybe later today. What would you like to do?" Sojin questioned.

"I have the whole weekend free, so whatever you want." She said.

"We could go for a drive. Maybe to the coast. Have you ever been to Busan? It's about 300 kilometers or so. It would only take a couple hours." He said.

"A couple hours huh. So would we spend all day and then just drive back?" Kat said with a hint of confusion in her voice.

Sojin was slow with his reply, "I am still a bit drunk and maybe we should continue this conversation a little later. I will set the alarm on my phone and call you at about 7am. I will have to take the bus in the morning, back to the hospital to get my car."
 
"Okay, so you will sleep it off, kitty Kat will finish burning her tongue with the hot ramen and maybe read a book. Hopefully I can get back to sleep sometime before 7am. You can call even if you wake me…okay?" she said.

"You're not going to let me forget the Kitty Kat thing, are you?" Sojin said almost pleading.

Kat's reply, "nooooo, not for a while, not if I can help it. Good night Sojin."

"Good night," he said.

Kat actually had a hard time relaxing or reading. She kept replaying the phone conversation in her head. When exactly did we decide to go on an out of town trip, she wondered. She was almost arguing with herself, we have only started dating. He wants me to meet his family. He wants to go to the coast. Am I being stupid????? she thought. I am not a kid for goodness sakes. Why am I thinking about this so much. I need some advise she said aloud, as she convinced herself to pick up her phone and call her little sister, Kelly.

Kat didn't even check to see what time it was back in the states, she just dialed. Just then Kelly answered the phone.

"Hello, what's happened?" Kelly Said.

"Is that anyway to talk to your older sibling? I mean maybe I am just calling to chat, did you ever think of that?" Kat snipped.

"It's almost 1 am your time. You don't usually chat at 1 am, not to me anyway." Kelly said.

Kat was slow to reply, "I just wanted to talk, okay? I had a long day that started rather early on Friday and I fell asleep as soon as I got home. I took a 6 hour nap, now I am wide awake."

Kelly Said, "what kind of emergency sent you to work early…a tour bus hit a heard of goats or something?"

"I am not even going to dignify that with a reply, no wait, I will. I don't work in the country and buses don't usually hit an entire heard of goats here in the city. They will however hit a flock of people crossing the street if your is too slow. They can sometime run over a delivery boy on a scooter, but no goats. Look, I…I…I… have a question but first just hear me out. I will just say it, like ripping off a band-aid, okay?" Kat replied.  

"Okay, fire away," Kelly replied.

"I met this guy, well I didn't recently meet him, I met him a few years ago. We work together. He is a security guard at the big, fancy non-goat treating hospital that we work at. He is very nice, very shy, I thought, and so we have gone out a couple of times. We had coffee, we had a lunch, we went to dinner. We talk on the phone and text each other. You know like first date stuff. Well, the thing is, he…well…it's Saturday and we are both off for the weekend and he asked me if I wanted to go to the coast with him. It's a couple hours away. I actually replied….would we be driving there and back all in the same day?" Kat said with a little girl whine at the end of her sentence.

Kat added, "I'm so stupid, right? I don't know what I am doing. I have no business going out with men. I should just read my books, watch some dramas and work. I have fun…don't even go there! I am having a great time living here and moving here was the best decision. HE WANTS ME TO MEET HIS FAMILY. That is a big deal here. I am too old for thiiiiiiiiiis. What is wrong with me?"

Kat could only hear some faint laughter and her sisters distinctive snort and the end of it. She closed her eyes and laid the phone down on the couch. She knew it was wrong to call her. To call her for advise no less. Now she would have to endure the punishment and ridicule. Kat really wanted to put her foot down. She was the older sibling, where was her respect? Kat finally could keep silent no more. Then a voice from the phone was speaking to her.

"Kit Kat….listen to me. You are so wonderful. I am so happy for you, but to hear my courageous and confident big sister calling me with guy stuff questions, it was a little funny and very sweet. Please don't be mad at me for laughing. I LOVE YOU! Now, listen carefully, I am about to share with you the best advice any women could give to another. Forget we are sisters, okay?" she said.

"Sometimes love only comes around once. Don't be afraid. Don't miss it. You have been the confident, independent women for a while now. I was beginning to wonder why you didn't have any cats. You should take a chance. If you like this guy…and you have great instincts about people, you should just go for it. Meet his family, hold hands in public, go to the coast…pack your good underwear and forget about everything else. If he likes you he must be smart. I approve." Kelly stated.

"Pack my good underwear?" Kat mumbled.

"Is that all you heard? For crying out loud Katherine Louise! You know what I mean. If I know you, you have been seeing him for a while and you are dragging your feet or trying to think of how you can get out of this because it's wrong or it's getting too serious and you can't handle it. Am I right? How long have you been going out?" Kelly questioned.

Silence. Neither sister was talking.

"Hello…..Kat? Did you hang up?" Kelly asked.

Kat decided to reply since there was no way out of it, "about a week. I know I said we had known each other for a couple years…but we have only been dating for a week…or less…maybe. I am foolishly calling you for help because, I really do like him and it's been a while and I just wore him down by smiling at him. Then something happened that caused him to react. Without too many boring details, we just started…you know…really seeing each other. I mean, noticing each other. So I am nervous because I think it could be serious. At the same time, I feel too old to be starting now. I mean, isn't a little late?"

"Oh my god, I didn't even think about that. I am sure he is even older than you are! You're right, why bother dating. Just go get a couple of canes, maybe a walker and go sit in the park all day. Well, at least until 4 pm…then scoot right off to have dinner. Then you better find the nearest pet store and get those cats. Old people love cats, right?" Kelly added with a hint of smart .

Kat replied slowly….."He's younger. A couple years."

Silence.

Kat finally spoke again, "are you there? Did you hang up?"

"HE'S YOUNGER!!! Oh my god, hang up right now and call him or text him, whatever you two have been doing and say you'll be packed and ready to go by breakfast time. Then missy, you be ready to go. You have an awesome smile! He's totally smitten. WAIT! Does he know how old you are?" the younger sibling said.

"Yes." Kat replied.

"Good underwear, y t-shirts, whatever you have….go now! Text him and go have fun. Whatever you do….make sure you call me when you get home. LOVE YOU KIT KAT!" said Kelly.

"Okay, I understand. Thank you, and Kelly….you're great. I love you too." Kat said as she hung up the phone.

Kat sat there for a few minutes and then picked up her phone to send a text.  



 

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