Terror at Three A.M.

Jolted upright from a sound sleep as if tasered, I reached for the bedside phone. My mind raced in all directions; none of them good ones.

• Mom had a heart attack.
• Dad had a stroke.
• Our son was lost under an avalanche while snowboarding on a black diamond trail.
• Our daughter was arrested.
• One of the grand kids was missing; no news from the search party

My hand trembled as I put the receiver to my ear. The woman’s voice was calm and reassuring,

“I know you’re having trouble sleeping because you can’t sell your timeshare. We can help. Operators are standing by.”

Marc Sacher
March, 2019