--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Finally I did call him. His phone rang…" description: "\"“Finally I did call him. His phone rang five times and then went to voice mail.\"You've reached the voice mail of Augustus Waters,\" he said, the clarion..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8c/john-green-12_augustus-waters_finally-i-did-call-him-his-phone-rang-fi_2037379.jpg" --- # Finally I did call him. His phone rang five times and then… ![“Finally I did call him. His phone rang five times and then went to voice mail."You've reached the voice mail of Augustus Waters," he said, the clarion voice I'd fallen for. "Leave a message. It beeped. The dead air on the line was so eerie.” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8c/john-green-12_augustus-waters_finally-i-did-call-him-his-phone-rang-fi_2037379.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8c/john-green-12_augustus-waters_finally-i-did-call-him-his-phone-rang-fi_2037379.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8c/john-green-12_augustus-waters_finally-i-did-call-him-his-phone-rang-fi_2037379.jpg) > ““Finally I did call him. His phone rang five times and then went to voice mail."You've reached the voice mail of Augustus Waters," he said, the clarion voice I'd fallen for. "Leave a message. It beeped. The dead air on the line was so eerie.”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character attempts to contact someone, but the call goes to voicemail, creating a haunting, empty silence. **In simple terms:** Calling someone, but only hearing silence. Key Takeaway Accept that some connections remain unfulfilled. Themes communication loneliness anticipation technology loss Mood melancholic reflective Type literary emotional When to use this quote - personal relationships - phone call - waiting for response Key Concepts unrequited contact digital silence emotional distance Questions to Reflect On - What does the voicemail represent? - How do you cope with unanswered outreach? A Different Perspective The silence may symbolize emotional distance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Augustus waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/augustus-waters/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Augustus Waters,” she said. “Um, maybe?” “Oh, my God. I’ve seen him at parties. The things I would do to that boy. I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/augustus-waters-she-said-um-maybe-oh-my-god-i-ve-seen-him-at-parties/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [There were five others before they got to him. He smiled a little when his turn came. His voice was low, smoky, and dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/there-were-five-others-before-they-got-to-him-he-smiled-a-little-when/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“You've reached the voice of reason; be reasonable!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-armstrong/you-ve-reached-the-voice-of-reason-be-reasonable/) [Robert Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-armstrong/) > [“Alice: Did you phone her, beg her to come back - when you went for lovely walks? Dan: Yes. Alice: You're a piece of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-marber/alice-did-you-phone-her-beg-her-to-come-back-when-you-went-for-lovely/) [Patrick Marber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-marber/) > [“Entering the phone booth, he did a phone thing. Ring-ring-ring. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/entering-the-phone-booth-he-did-a-phone-thing-ring-ring-ring/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [I remember calling and asking, because I had a few lines that were like, "How could the character have done this?" and I hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alden-ehrenreich/i-remember-calling-and-asking-because-i-had-a-few-lines-that-were/) [Alden Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alden-ehrenreich/) > [“Yet these roaring waters," said Neville, "upon which we build our crazy platforms are more stable than the wild, the weak and inconsequent cries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/yet-these-roaring-waters-said-neville-upon-which-we-build-our-crazy/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [And you're not going to tell me she didn't make a move on you. At least test the waters." "The waters," he said, "were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-you-re-not-going-to-tell-me-she-didn-t-make-a-move-on-you-at/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The president has put in place an organization that contains a kind of database that no one has ever seen before in life that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-waters/the-president-has-put-in-place-an-organization-that-contains-a-kind/) [Maxine Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-waters/) > [“Augustus Waters was a self-aggrandizing bastard. But we forgive him. We forgive him not because he had a heart as figuratively good as his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/augustus-waters-was-a-self-aggrandizing-bastard-but-we-forgive-him-we/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Maybe 'okay' will be our 'always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/maybe-okay-will-be-our-always/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“he got eighteen years when he should have gotten more.” “Seventeen,” Gus corrected. “I’m assuming you’ve got some time, you interrupting bastard. “I’m telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-got-eighteen-years-when-he-should-have-gotten-more-seventeen-gus/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [According to the conventions of the genre, Augustus Waters kept his sense of humor till the end, did not for a moment waiver in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/according-to-the-conventions-of-the-genre-augustus-waters-kept-his/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Augustus waters quotes > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Maybe 'okay' will be our 'always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/maybe-okay-will-be-our-always/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“he got eighteen years when he should have gotten more.” “Seventeen,” Gus corrected. “I’m assuming you’ve got some time, you interrupting bastard. “I’m telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-got-eighteen-years-when-he-should-have-gotten-more-seventeen-gus/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Augustus Waters was a self-aggrandizing bastard. But we forgive him. We forgive him not because he had a heart as figuratively good as his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/augustus-waters-was-a-self-aggrandizing-bastard-but-we-forgive-him-we/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [According to the conventions of the genre, Augustus Waters kept his sense of humor till the end, did not for a moment waiver in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/according-to-the-conventions-of-the-genre-augustus-waters-kept-his/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-cannot-tell-you-how-thankful-i-am-for-our-little-infinity/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The walk felt long, but I kept telling my lungs to shut up, that they were strong, that they could do this. I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-walk-felt-long-but-i-kept-telling-my-lungs-to-shut-up-that-they/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“What a slut time is. She screws with everybody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/what-a-slut-time-is-she-screws-with-everybody/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I called Isaac, who cursed life and the universe and God Himself and who said where are the goddamned trophies to break when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-called-isaac-who-cursed-life-and-the-universe-and-god-himself-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“its a metephor, see: you put the killing thing right between your teeth but you dont give it the power to do its killing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/its-a-metephor-see-you-put-the-killing-thing-right-between-your-teeth/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I imagined the Augustus Waters analysis of that comment: If I am playing basketball in heaven, does that imply a physical location of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-imagined-the-augustus-waters-analysis-of-that-comment-if-i-am/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [All at once, I couldn’t figure out why I was methodically tossing a spherical object through a toroidal object. It seemed like the stupidest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/all-at-once-i-couldn-t-figure-out-why-i-was-methodically-tossing-a/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“You don't get to chose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/you-don-t-get-to-chose-if-you-get-hurt-in-this-world-old-man-but-you/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Augustus Waters was a self-aggrandizing bastard. But we forgive him. We forgive him not because he had a heart as figuratively good as his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/augustus-waters-was-a-self-aggrandizing-bastard-but-we-forgive-him-we-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Browse all 122 Augustus waters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/augustus-waters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Finally I did call him. His phone rang five times and then went to voice mail.\"You've reached the voice mail of Augustus Waters,\" he said, the clarion voice I'd fallen for. \"Leave a message. It beeped. The dead air on the line was so eerie.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/finally-i-did-call-him-his-phone-rang-five-times-and-then-went-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Augustus waters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/finally-i-did-call-him-his-phone-rang-five-times-and-then-went-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8c/john-green-12_augustus-waters_finally-i-did-call-him-his-phone-rang-fi_2037379.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8c/john-green-12_augustus-waters_finally-i-did-call-him-his-phone-rang-fi_2037379.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8c/john-green-12_augustus-waters_finally-i-did-call-him-his-phone-rang-fi_2037379.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Finally I did call him. His phone rang five times and then went to voice mail.\"You've reached the voice mail…” — John Green", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Finally I did call him. His...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/finally-i-did-call-him-his-phone-rang-five-times-and-then-went-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/finally-i-did-call-him-his-phone-rang-five-times-and-then-went-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```