Anxiety

I jumped at
the ring of my
cell phone.
I rarely get
calls on it—
especially at night.

“Marlene, it’s Leesa,”
the sweet voice said.
My mind realized
this was my doctor’s assistant.
“Hello,” I said.  What’s going on?”

She replied, “I saw the fax
come over the fax machine—
from the pathology lab.
I told the doctor
how anxious you have been.
He wants to speak to you.
Hold a moment, please!”

Now, I was scared.
Really scared.
Is it bad news?
After all, the doctor
is calling me
late at night.
My mind raged
with all types of
thoughts:
The good;
the bad;
and the ugly! 

“Marlene,” I heard the doctor say.
“Yes?” I answered with trepidation.
I listened:
intently,
carefully,
fearfully,
my ear pressed
so tightly to the phone,
I felt the suction
it created.

“Benign,” he stated.
“No cancer,” he reiterated.

I said, “What?”
as if I hadn’t heard correctly.
He repeated himself:
“Benign!
No Cancer!”

The sigh of relief
I expelled,
could be heard
for miles,
I was sure.

“Thank you, God!” I said.
The doc agreed, and said,
“Thank God.”

BENIGN
is
the best word
in the English language!

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Read more by Marlene Wolff Solomon.