Action Required

Action required

 

Tim’s back pocket vibrated as he opened the door, and his three year old ran out onto the porch.
He pulled his phone out, and looked at the notification on the cracked screen.

“Action Required.”

“Hold on, bub, right there until daddy locks the door, OK?”

“Okay!” came the little voice. “Look! I’m a bird!”

Tim smiled and assured his little bird that he was looking, but his eyes were watching his screen as he slowly scrolled his email.

“Action Required: Account pending closure.”

“Action Required: Account Pending Fines.”

“Action Required…Action Required…Action Required…”

He felt a tightness in his chest looking at the long row of warnings and critical message alerts.

He had been juggling the credit card payments for a couple years, just barely making ends meet. But the interest rates kept the balance growing faster than he could keep it down. Then the rent went up. Groceries skyrocketed. The utility Company based out of Texas keeps raising rates.  The only thing that hadn’t really gone up was his paycheck. Now there was just no wiggle room to pay the card companies.

Only the bare essentials could be covered.

Tim sighed as he did the only action available to him. He hit ‘Select All’, and then ‘Delete’.

The tightness was still there when he locked the door. But as he watched his little bird flap a few feet in front of him all the way to the car, Tim smiled, and he hoped.

© Jeremy L. Heath, 2026. All rights reserved