MADMAN'S ARMS

3

As soon as I hung up the telephone with Ms. Schwartz, I dialled Dolores's number to tell her about the good news. Her reaction was just as I imagined.

She was not very surprised, because she believed in me so proudly, but of course, she still got nervous with my announcement and finally burst out of happiness when I spilled the information.

"We have to celebrate, Beverly! This is great," She cheered on the other side of the feeble, raspy line. I smiled at her excitement before I responded to her brilliant idea. It was quite a long time ago since I went out with my friends. The last months of school had been challenging and it took up most of my waking time.

Another person I missed was Vincent, my other close friend. We didn't talk as often as me and Dolores but we knew what we still had for each other.

Vincent was also busy due to his studying so I didn't blame him for not calling me every day. But as we were now in the middle of summer, I could only hope for Vincent to be available for tonight. I picked time and place with Dolores and we hung up the line again, then I placed my finger over the wheel of numbers and spun it to dial Vincent's number. A couple of signals passed and I kept hoping that he would pick up so I could tell him the sheering news.

Neither Dolores nor Vincent had a really hard time growing up. They both had families with a good amount of money who could pay for their education, apartments, and expensive electronics. So I didn't have much to relate to when it came to talking about childhood. But thankfully, we had so many other things in common, which made us all so close...

After many meetings in therapy, my father got out of his deepest sorrow and decided to come up with something that could take his time and keep him busy. So he started his own company and got more creative than I had ever seen him before.

It turned out that his idea and product were a success and not shortly after, he had one of London's most well-known businesses 'Frazier Wagons'. With all his accomplishments, it turned out he could spoil me with the money for education, an apartment of my own, a telephone, and even a car. I never asked for anything from my father, but he insisted on giving it to me. I knew he felt bad for his actions after my mother's passing, but I never wanted him to feel that he had to make it up to me and Walter, at least not with money.

Even though the business was founded nine years ago, his beautiful trams still drove through our big city every day.

I felt proud every time I saw one of the red, double-floored, long vehicles passing through me. I knew my father had made a big difference in the year 1948, but I didn't think about it back then, that it would still be a proud belonging to London here in 1957. But after all my father had been through, he deserved it all...

Interrupted by a common voice on the other side of the line, I got out of my thoughts.

"Vince! Hi, how are you? I miss you," I got so excited by hearing his voice.

"Beverly, dear! It's so good to hear your voice. I'm doing just great, I've been so busy in school lately, I'm sorry that I haven't called any more after your graduation. How are you?" His voice sounded happy and curious. I missed that sweet boy, even though I talked to him just a couple of days ago at my graduation.

"It's okay, Vince. Trust me I know how it is. And, actually, I'm doing great and that's the reason I called. Yesterday I got a call from St: Nicolai Psychiatric Hospital, and I went there for a job interview. Guess who got the job?"

Since I couldn't hold my excitement, I started making noises of happiness while smiling in my loneliness, aware that Vincent couldn't see my face.

"Beverly, are you joking right now? Because if you are, I swear to god," He lowered his voice.

"I'm not joking, Vince! I got the job," I laughed at his seriousness while waiting for his true reaction.

"Well... Aren't you the best Ms. Beverly Frazier? I'm so proud of you. That's such great news!" His excitement was now taking over him as well and I could imagine his broad genuine smile.

"Thank you! Isn't it great? I'm so excited. I was actually going to ask if you would come with me and Dolores to celebrate tonight?"

"Of course, I want that! I miss you two. Since the summer's here, I have a couple of weeks off before hell of studying begins again," The exalt in his voice disappeared as he mentioned school. I knew it was hard for him because I had just been there myself.

Even if he had one more year of studies which probably felt like a lifetime, I knew he was going to make it and become the technologist he always wanted to be.

I chatted a little more with him over the phone before we finally hung up, and I sighed out loud as I suddenly remembered that I had to call my father and Walter to tell them about the news as well. I didn't have the power to handle any more phone calls but they were my family so I realized that I didn't have much of a choice.

I dialled the number to my father's house and prepared myself to surprise him with the good information. I had already done this twice today so I thought I could spare my overwrought, but I didn't want to seem boring or unhappy either about something I actually was very happy about.

It was by now an exciting true fact, that on Monday, my new life would begin and I would have my first day as a nurse at St: Nicolai Psychiatric Hospital.