9-1-1 Christmas

 Hello!

Happy 2nd of December! Since this Friday is filled with the first post in the 10 Days of Christmas, I thought I'd start this story now. I'll post the next part next Friday. But there will be fun posts between then. Anyway, enjoy!

P.S. This story is based on a true story.

911 Christmas

Part 1

    “We’ll just be down the street at the Carter’s if you should need us for anything, girls.” Mrs. Stephens paused on the front stoop. Multi-colored Christmas lights shone from the house roof and from the bushes and houses along the street. Even some of the evergreens growing in the Kirkpatrick’s yard next door were ablaze with color.
    Beside her, Mrs. Wilson nodded. “You know the rules, girls. You can call your friends, but you can’t invite anyone over.”
    “We know,” three voices answered at once and then burst into laughter.
    “Go have fun, Mom, Mrs. Stephens,” Angie said, waving her hand toward the fathers who where waiting on the sidewalk. “Dad’s waiting. We’ll be fine. We’ll lock the doors, eat supper, watch It’s a Wonderful Life, and talk.”
    “Yes, go, Mom,” Jenna Stephens added.
    A call from the sidewalk made the ladies turn away from the door and hurry to join their husbands.
    Angie quickly shut the door and locked it. “There, now maybe they’ll go enjoy themselves.”
    Stephanie giggled. She was Jenna’s younger sister and had just turned thirteen. “You would think that they’d be happy to get out of the house for a while to enjoy an adult party.”
    “Oh, they will,” Jenna assured, refastening a clip that held her brown perm out of her face. “Once they decide that we really will be okay without them.”
    “Come on, let’s eat,” Angie urged. She led the way to the kitchen, her straight blonde hair hanging down her back almost to her waist. She wore a headband and a red sweater which matched the red bows on the garland over the fireplace. No fire glowed in the grate, for both mothers had been afraid something might happen and the house would burn down.
    Soon the three girls were sitting around the table eating and talking. Angie and Jenna had been friends since second grade and often hung out together after school and on Saturdays. Though neither of them would have minded, Mrs. Stephens usually considered Stephanie to be too young to join them in many of their activities, but now that she was thirteen she had become a part of their group more often.
    After supper, the girls washed the dishes with a lot of laughter and then made their way to the living room. A Christmas tree stood in front of the large bay windows, its colored lights gleaming on the shiny glass ornaments.
    “Come on, let’s watch the movie,” Jenna suggested, flopping down on the couch. “Unless we want to watch it later.”
    “Then we won’t be sure we can finish it before our parents come home,” Stephanie pointed out.
    “Oh, we’ll have plenty of time,” Angie assured. “I doubt they’ll be home much before midnight. Did you know Lynn got home yesterday?”
    Jenna sat up a little. “No, I haven’t seen her. Did she have fun?”
    “Where’d she go again?” wondered Stephanie.
    “To visit her grandparents in Idaho.”
    “Maybe we should call her.” Angie looked at her friends. “Want to?”
    “Sure!”
    Jumping up from the floor where she had been sitting, Stephanie grinned. “I’ll do it! What’s the number?”
    Quickly, Angie rattled off the number as Stephanie walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone. After dialing, Stephanie moved back to the doorway and waited.
    “Hello.” The voice was low and husky.
    “Hello, is Lynn there?”
    “Who?”
    “Lynn.” Stephanie could hear heavy breathing on the other end of the line. “Sir, are you all right?”
    At her words, her sister and Angie joined her, and together the three moved into the kitchen. “Who is it, Steph?” Jenna whispered.
    Stephanie shrugged. “Sir, do you need help? Should we call an ambulance?” Pressing the phone close to her ear, she listened hard.
    “Get his address!” Angie whispered, sitting down at the table with paper and pencil.
    “Sir, what is your address?” There was a pause. “Sir?” Stephanie spoke slowly and clearly. “We need your address and we’ll send an ambulance to help you. It’s going to be okay. What? 511 Symphony?” Stephanie looked at the others with a puzzled expression. “Sentry? Oh, it’s a street? Okay. What is the name of the street?” There was another long pause, and Stephanie shook her head helplessly and whispered to the girls, “He’s having trouble breathing and I can’t understand him.”
    “Let me try.” And Jenna took the phone from her sister. “Sir, what street do you live on? You can’t breathe very well? It’s going to be okay. We’re going to send help to you, but what street do you live on? Second Street?” She spoke the words clearly, and then her face lighted up and she nodded quickly to Angie. “Okay, sir, we’re going to hang up now and call an ambulance. Don’t try to do anything, okay?”

What would you have done if you'd called the wrong number?

Have you ever gotten to stay with friends while your parents were gone?

What would you do with friends at Christmas time?