Maria worked at a small office in the city center. She was a secretary and answered phone calls every day. Her son, Lucas, was eight years old. He went to a primary school near their home. One Tuesday morning, Maria was very busy at work. She had many emails to answer and meetings to prepare. At eleven o'clock, her phone rang. She saw an unknown number on the screen. 'Hello, this is Maria speaking,' she said. 'Good morning, Mrs. Santos. This is the school nurse.' Maria's heart started beating faster. 'Is everything okay with Lucas?' she asked quickly. 'Lucas had a small accident during recess,' the nurse explained. 'He fell from the climbing frame and hurt his arm.' Maria felt worried but tried to stay calm. 'Is it serious?' she asked. 'We don't think it's broken, but he should see a doctor,' the nurse said. 'Can you come and pick him up?' Maria looked at her desk full of papers. She had an important meeting in thirty minutes. 'I'll be there as soon as possible,' she said. She hung up the phone and went to her boss's office. 'Mr. Thompson, I have an emergency,' she explained. 'My son is hurt and I need to leave immediately.' Her boss looked at her with understanding. 'Of course, Maria. Family comes first,' he said. 'I'll ask Sarah to cover for you.' Maria thanked him and grabbed her bag. She ran to the parking lot and got into her car. The school was fifteen minutes away. She drove as quickly as the traffic allowed. When she arrived, Lucas was sitting in the nurse's office. He had an ice pack on his arm and tears in his eyes. 'Mommy!' he cried when he saw her. Maria hugged him gently, careful not to touch his arm. 'It's okay, sweetheart. I'm here now,' she said softly. The nurse showed Maria the paperwork. 'We tried calling your husband first, but he didn't answer.' Maria nodded. Her husband was traveling for work this week. 'You were our only other emergency contact,' the nurse added. Maria realized they needed to add more contacts to the list. She took Lucas to the nearest hospital. They waited in the emergency room for an hour. Finally, a doctor examined Lucas's arm. 'Good news! It's not broken,' the doctor said with a smile. 'It's just a bad bruise. He'll be fine in a few days.' Maria felt so relieved that she almost cried. The doctor gave them a prescription for pain medicine. On the way home, Maria stopped at the pharmacy. Lucas was quiet in the back seat. 'I'm sorry, Mommy,' he said in a small voice. 'Why are you sorry?' Maria asked, looking at him in the mirror. 'Because you had to leave work because of me.' Maria smiled warmly at her son. 'You are more important than any job, Lucas.' At home, Maria made Lucas comfortable on the sofa. She gave him his favorite blanket and turned on cartoons. Then she called her husband to tell him what happened. 'I think we need to add grandma as an emergency contact,' she said. 'And maybe my sister too. Just in case.' Her husband agreed completely. 'You're right. We should have done that earlier.' The next day, Maria filled out a new emergency contact form. She added three more people who could help in an emergency. Now she felt much better about the future. Lucas's arm healed quickly, just as the doctor promised. A week later, he was climbing again at recess. But this time, he was much more careful.
English Story (A2)Emergency Contact
This A2 English story is designed for elementary learners. Click any word for instant translation and build your vocabulary as you read.
aboutStory
Maria is at work when she receives an urgent call. Her son had a small accident at school and needs to be picked up. She learns the importance of having reliable emergency contacts.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What happened to Lucas at school?
2
Why couldn't the school reach Maria's husband?
3
What did the doctor say about Lucas's arm?
4
