Kisses From Past

It had been a while since Lilian moved into their grandparents’ old house. He has a lot of memories associated with this house. Her parents often traveled for work, so she spent most of her childhood here, with her grandparents.

After her grandfather’s death, the house was taken over by the bank, so it took her many months to get the house back. The house is big and empty. Sometimes she feels very lonely, other times quite paranoid, but most of the time she is just happy and surrounded by memories.

She moved into her old room. Nothing has changed since their childhood. The walls were decorated with floral wallpaper, and the bed was decorated with a blanket with the same motif. Everything is in its place. The table opposite the bed, the window opposite the door. Large built-in wardrobe next to the door. She will never have enough clothes to fill an entire closet.

She came home from a late lecture at her faculty. She threw the keys on the shoe rack next to the door and headed straight for her room. She’s not hungry, she’s mainly tired.

She sat up on the bed and rubbed her eyes. Sometimes she would like to go back to her childhood, when she was happy and spent days just watching fairy tales. Now she just sits in lectures, works for a living and sleeps. She looked into the mirror that hung above her desk opposite the bed. She hardly even recognizes herself. Large circles under her eyes almost engulf her blue eyes. Her hair, which she regularly cuts short for practicality, sticks out in all directions. Her life is one big chaos just like herself.

She quickly put her phone on the charger and finally, after a long day, changed into warm and comfortable pajamas. She crawled under the large blanket and immediately relaxed. Nothing can relax and calm her like a big heavy blanket holding her in its grip. She fell asleep for a long time, as always, but only for a long time. She was almost awaking from her dream when an old ringtone rang through the quiet house, secluded on the edge of town.

She was confused for a moment because her phone was on vibrate, but she looked at it anyway. Nothing, it doesn’t smell. But then she realized what was ringing and her heart skipped a few beats.

She glanced at the door, where the old landline was vibrating under the force of the ring.

The landline that seems to work hasn’t been in service since she was a child. Grandpa sometimes told her before going to sleep that the phone didn’t work like the others she knew. According to his stories, this landline connected the destinies of people - through and beyond time -. Grandma always had to explain to her that Grandpa was exaggerating. Although not that much. The two met during their school years when he accidentally dialed a wrong number.

All she could think about now was her grandfather’s story.

Is my soulmate calling me? My dear other half? It flashed through her mind before she could stop the thought. There is nothing like a soulmate. She scolded herself.

She slowly uncovered herself and took a breath. The phone keeps ringing. She was quietly calming down in her head. She’s 100% sure she didn’t connect the landline so there’s no way it could be working. Maybe she is too tired and her own mind is playing tricks on her. Or maybe not.

If the phone continues to ring, when she comes to it, she will pick up and answer the call.

She secretly hopes that her own head is really just playing tricks on her. She can’t imagine who could be calling her with a broken landline! Who even uses a landline these days? Nobody she knows. Maybe someone from an older generation, but that still doesn’t explain why someone would call her home. Even her grandparents’ friends have switched to cell phones, as has everyone.

She climbed out of bed and her bare feet touched the wooden floors, which creaked under her weight.

Her heart jumped in fear as a heavy blow came towards her. She quickly turned to the window. It was starting to storm outside and the old apple tree hit her window with a branch. She breathed a sigh of relief. Even though she loves this house, sometimes she is really afraid to be alone here. Her friends tell her to get a dog, but she knows very well that she wouldn’t have time for one because of work. She couldn’t do that to the four-legged creature. But one day he will get the dog.

She reached the phone. It didn’t stop ringing and that’s why she picked it up with a deep breath to calm it down.

She put the receiver to her ear and waited for a response from the other side. The moment the person on the other end spoke, it was clear to her that she had made a mistake and it wasn’t some guy with a twisted sense of humor.

Ammy! You won’t believe it! Today I met such a beautiful boy! Ah! I wish I had a chance with him!” The sweetest girlish voice Lilian had ever heard came from the phone.

She was quiet. What should she say?

“Ammy?”

“I’m sorry, but you got the wrong number. There is no Ammy here.” She finally answered and looked towards the window again. The storm is near.

“What? That’s not possible, I’m sure I have the right number.” The girl on the other side countered. The confusion was clear in her voice.

“I’m really sorry, maybe you just mistyped the number.” Lilian tried to comfort her. For some reason she feels bad for her.

“That’s not possible, I typed the same number she wrote me in the letter.”

In letter? Who writes letters these days? Strange.

“Why don’t you just text her?”

“Do you know how long it takes to deliver a letter? It would take weeks for me to get an answer!” There was a sigh from the other side.

“Oh, I mean a message over the phone. Messenger, Instagram, or something like that.”

“What are you talking about? What’s Massangur?” Asked girl from the other side.

She has to be kidding her right now, right? Is that girl living in the past, or something like that?

“Are you kidding me? Do you live in a cave?” Lilian asked. She has no idea why she’s arguing with a girl she doesn’t know, but she just does. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and leaned against the wall.

There was a gasp in response from the other side, followed by a shout. Lilian was startled and almost hit her head on the shelf.

“What was that?!” She asked.

“I’m sorry, Liverpool won, again, for the twelfth time.” She answered.

Lilian was taken aback by this answer. No matches should be running now. The winning number didn’t make sense either.

“Won what?”

“Well, Football League First Division, of course.”

Liverpool have won eighteen times, most recently in 1990. Is this a game? She was quiet for a while, but finally she dared to ask.

“What is today’s date?” She asked quietly. Her voice was shaking and the tree was banging against the window. The storm has fully arrived.

“May third, 1980.”