Chapter 4 - THE CUTTING OF THE CORDS
Monday morning arrived with a clear, hot sky. Eleanor Bell wore her best navy linen suit—the one she usually reserved for funerals and church council meetings. Her hair was set, her posture straight.
Her first stop was the local credit union.
"Good morning, Eleanor," said Sarah, the head teller who had known the Bell family for twenty years. "What can we do for you today?"
"I need to remove a co-signer from my secondary checking account, and I need to cancel the overdraft protection linked to my primary money market account," Eleanor said calmly.
Sarah blinked, surprised. "The account linked to Dana’s auto loan?"
"Precisely. If the payment fails this month, do not transfer funds from my account to cover it. Let the lender notify her."
"Eleanor... are you sure? That might affect her credit score."
"Her credit score is her responsibility, Sarah. Mine is fine."
Twenty minutes later, Eleanor walked out of the bank with a stamped document confirming the severance of their joint accounts. Next was the AT&T store in the strip mall.
She sat across from a young representative named Marcus. "I would like to split my family plan," she said. "I am keeping my line and my son Caleb's line. The other three lines—the ones belonging to Dana Mercer, Tyler Mercer, and the secondary tablet—need to be terminated effective immediately."
Marcus typed into his computer. "Ma'am, those lines are out of contract, but there is an outstanding balance of two hundred and fourteen dollars for data overages from last month."
"Put the overage charge on my card," Eleanor said without flinching, handing over her Visa. "And then close the lines. Do not allow them to be re-opened under my Social Security number."
"They'll lose service within the hour," Marcus warned.
"Good," Eleanor said.
She walked out into the bright Missouri sun. Her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird, but beneath the fear, a strange, long-forgotten sensation bloomed: clarity.
By 1:30 PM, Eleanor was back home, sitting in her favorite armchair with a cup of Earl Grey tea.
At 1:47 PM, her landline rang.
She didn't answer. She let it go to the answering machine.
BEEP.
"Mom?!" Dana’s voice shrieked through the tiny speaker, laced with panic and fury. "Mom, pick up! My phone just went off! It says 'No Service'! Tyler’s tablet stopped working, too! I called AT&T from my office phone and they said you canceled the account?! What is going on?! Call me back immediately!"
Eleanor took a sip of her tea.
Ten minutes later, the distinct, aggressive crunch of gravel signaled a car pulling into the driveway far too fast. A car door slammed shut with enough force to shake the frame.
Footsteps pounded up the front porch steps. The brass knocker battered against the heavy wooden door.
"Mom! Open the door! Mom!"
Eleanor set her teacup down on the saucer with a soft clink. She stood up, smoothed her navy skirt, and walked to the entryway. She opened the door, leaving the heavy brass screen door locked between them.
Dana stood on the porch, her face flushed red, her hair tumbling out of its claw clip. She looked frantic, disheveled, and furious.
"Why is the screen door locked?" Dana demanded, rattling the handle. "Mom, what is wrong with you? My phone is dead! I can't even check my email for work!"
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"Good afternoon, Dana," Eleanor said smoothly. "The phone line is canceled because I am no longer paying for it. You are forty-two years old. It is time you established your own cellular account."
Dana stared at her mother as if Eleanor had suddenly spoken in ancient Greek. "What?"
