Shabazz Muhammad heard his phone ring. He knew who it probably was, but, looking out his window at the interminable snow falling from the sky, he decided that he could use a little bit of companionship, no matter how annoying.
“Hey, this is Bazz.”
“Hello friend Shabazz. This Alexey calling.”
Shabazz remembered how he had blocked Alexey Shved’s number after the last phone call. “Hey Alexey,” he greeted in a dull voice. “Did you get a new number or something? I don’t recognize this one.”
“Now that live in Houston, I had change phone number. Anyway, I call to find out if you want hang out and see my new place? It nice.”
Shabazz wondered if Alexey truly did not understand the concept of distance. “Oh, I’d love to man, but that’s kind of a long way away from me. Maybe some other time.”
Alexey was not deterred by Shabazz’s absence of enthusiasm, continuing to speak in broken English. “Well, I come visit you, yes? We can hang out and play video game or other fun thing. I miss seeing best friend Shabazz.”
These words made Shabazz’s heart ache despite his best efforts to maintain a cold demeanor towards his former teammate. “I don’t know, Alexey. It’s hard to be best friends when I’m in Minnesota and you’re in Texas.”
“No problem for Alexey!” Alexey responded gleefully. “Friendship with Shabazz is forever!”
“Yeah, that’s cool, man. Anyway, I gotta get going, I’ve got some friends coming over and I need to get some stuff ready, you know?”
“Okay, Alexey understand. We hang out other time, okay?”
“Sure thing,” Shabazz said tiredly, ending the call and placing the phone back in his pocket. Then, feeling the loneliness encroach again, he stared back out at the dreary Minnesota winter.