Is it me or is it you?
The phone rang at an unusual hour considering it was my mother at the other end. Our phone calls tend to take place late afternoon unless there is something wrong. So, it was with some trepidation that I picked up the phone this morning saying,
“Hello?”
“Oh, who am I speaking to? Is that Debbie?”
“Yes, are you ok?”
“Oh, yes I am fine thank you, not too bad at all but I have two parcels for you…I don’t know what they are of course…”
“Oh, that’s odd, I haven’t ordered anything…” (thinks, oh no, not again!) “What sort of parcels?”
“I’ll look, just a minute, just got to go into the hall…yes there are two, one about 6 inches long and the other bigger and quite heavy.”
“And they are both addressed to me?”
“Yes, let me read it…Mrs Deborah Mason, you’re Deborah Mason aren’t you?”
“Mason? Well, they aren’t for me then…”
“But you are Deborah Mason aren’t you?”
“Um, no, I am Barker. You have a neighbour called Debbie…”
“Well, no, she’s called Peggy…”
“But your other neighbour is Debbie?”
“Other neighbour? “ (confused silence) “Oh, who am I talking to?”
“Debbie, your daughter…”
“Oh,” (gales of laughter) “I didn’t mean to phone you, Debbie, it doesn’t sound like you…I didn’t recognise your voice! I meant to phone Debbie next door…oh dear, you’ll have to put me in a home…”
I was very relieved that although her memory is failing, Mum has not lost all her marbles just yet.
Yes, Deborah Mason lives next door and the parcels were for her. Mum, who no longer recognises phone numbers, just dialled the one she saw next to Debbie in the book, assuming it was her neighbour who actually appeared further down the list. I was also relieved that I had not ordered something and had it sent to my 94-year-old mother, by mistake – again!
Well, you have to smile…
Onward!
Debbie
I am an Author, wife to one, mother to five and grandmother to six. I live in the English countryside in Hampshire, UK, with my husband and two dogs and am a non exec Director for Glow www.theglowstudio.com.
2 Comments
patricia60
Well, well, I am going through a bit of this right now! My mum lived with me her last few years and for 10 years I paid all her bills from our joint account. Including her health ins. premium, which now wants to reimburse her for overcharges! She has been gone 10 years now, but I think I should get the funds because I paid her ins. for so many years. ??? Looks like I might need to get a lawyer and I wonder if $50 is worth it – or should I just mail the form in and sign it as her executive?
We still get mail at our old house for her and at our new house ( where mum never lived) for all the renters who did not fill our change of address forms when they moved!.
Oh the little trials that add curves that need some ironing out!
Debbie
Oh dear, these matters are sent to try us! Santander had me running in circles a few years ago and all I wanted was to close an account. It took me years to get the £149.00 out of the account which had attracted all of 32p interest. For some reason, they kept 32p in the account, didn’t shut it down and then asked me, several years later, if I wanted to send the 32p to charity. These small things amaze me.