This piece was recently published in the third issue of Little Somethings Press. The magazine is actually a handmade book of short fiction and poetry, created from recycled materials, which is cool. My contribution, “You Have a Pre-Paid Call,” is about my relationship with my son’s dad. How we met, how we left off, how we almost got back together. It’s also a recycled tale about the circularity of the criminal justice system too. What it’s like getting caught up–in life and in love.
Here it is:
My son’s dad called one night to say he was getting locked up. And that this time it wasn’t a
quick jail then bail situation. It wasn’t a couple grams stuffed into his boxers, gutted out by a
handsy cop. This time it was serious. It was allegedly bricks, and this was his last call before
they took his phone from him.
Ours was a classic love story. When we met, I was looking for weed. Not that he had it. He
ended up bullshitting. Classic. Nah but he was just on his way to get a mild, being that he was
on probation. Turned out he lived around the corner. We ended up getting together, having a
baby, then breaking up.
But some time passed, and we were back to talking on the phone every day. You know,
seemed like things were falling right back into place. Finally getting along. Then I got that call.
Plans to chill that weekend suddenly turned into, ok my visitation days are no-contact on
Saturdays.
-Rachel Wagner 2021
Rachel Wagner 