"When are you coming back, mamma?" asks my three-year-old. Only his forehead is visible on the screen, and then I see his lips puckered and zoomed out as he kisses the phone. Before I can answer, my six-year-old snatches the phone away from him. I hear my younger son wail in the background. Ignoring his cries, my older son excitedly starts describing how he scored a goal. The phone is snatched again and thud, the screen goes black. I hear, "Stop fighting!" and my husband appears. "How was your flight?" he asks. Before I can vocalize, my phone interrupts—reconnecting.
Fall Contest Editor’s Pick. The use of humor gave the piece a great energy; I could feel the chaos of the moment, and I loved the interruptions followed by interruptions followed by the final disruption of the phone reconnecting.—SB
Rashmi Bhopi is a creative thinker who likes to capture life's moments in words, when not tending to her plants and her two children. Instagram: @chaibiscuitstories