Thursday, April 29, 2010

Wake Up Call

My day started off with an interesting phone call.

Don't ask me why, but my husband put an old phone underneath our bed. He actually plugged it into the phone jack and outlet so when it rang this morning, I had no idea what was happening. I bolted upright wondering what the heck that unfamiliar ringing was. When I realized it wasn't my ears, I started listening for the source.

My husband was already off to work, so I couldn't yell for him.

After a few moments of confusion, I focused hard on the direction of the ring. I soon realized it was coming from under the bed. With all the strength I could muster at 6:00 something in the a.m. I crawled across our king size bed, and dipped over the edge. My hand flailing around under the bed to try and find the dang thing.

Eureka! I found it and pulled the phone out but by then the answering machine inside of the phone (who knew it had one) picked up. That's when things got interesting.

This is what the lady said:

"Hello, hello," she said with panic, despair, and an edge of annoyance in her voice. "This call is for Cindy Harris, or Morgan, or Riggs, whatever last name you are using now."

She paused and sniffled.

"Ted has died, and so has Steve, and my mother is barely hanging on but not expected to last."

Shocked, I shook my head unable to believe what I was hearing. I was glued to the conversation but I also felt bad because she obviously thought my number was Cindy's number and Cindy needed to know this info.

What if this woman assumed Cindy got this info and Cindy never did, so never returned her call, so . . .so Cindy would be in trouble and I would have the info . . . All these thoughts were racing through my mind. Should I just press end? Would she think Cindy didn't care? I was torn between my sick sense of curiosity, guilt and shock. My hand hovered above the receiver.

Then I heard her take a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Some new documents have surfaced. And they are quite disturbing," she said. "They have some information in them--"

And that's when I couldn't take it any more. My guilt won. I picked up the phone and told the lady that she had the wrong number. She was silent at first, then she choked up a bit and said she was sorry three or four times before hanging up.

All day long I have been dying to know what those disturbing documents said. What did the lady find? Who is Ted? Why did he die? Was there a car accident with Steve? Was her mother in the accident?

As a writer my mind took off on its own. Rolling around with several ideas.

It's been hard to think of anything else today. But I just hope somehow she got a hold of Cindy.

Weird hmmm?

2 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh.
    I know the woman's message was apparently serious but I couldn't stop laughing.
    I AM that woman.
    I have called people before to give them serious news, only to realize I have the wrong number.

    I am so glad I found your blog this morning.

    Laura
    White Spray Paint

    ReplyDelete
  2. wow! There is a story there. Thanks for sharing, now I'm dying to know more! What could be in those documents? A hidden love affair? A baby no one knew about? Family money?

    Oh what could it be??

    ReplyDelete

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