A Silent Alarm

I woke up at 5:30 this morning to the sound of sobbing. I stirred, opened my eyes and a flood of tears streamed down my face. Partly conscious, partly asleep I was dreaming that my mother had just died and my mind was projecting scene after scene of the rituals we go through when someone dies. I tried to shake it off as a by product of all the scenes of loss and devastation I had watched on the national news before going to bed.

A phone call several hours later to assure me that everything was all right didn't work...she wasn't home.