My home phone number has three zero's in it. I like my number, and wouldn't want to change it, and would go as far as taking it with me, if I was moving house within the area.
But occasionally I get calls from people who have miss dialled. This used to happen more frequently in the past, from people trying to call "The Butterfly hotel" in Bury St.Edmunds. They would turn two digits round and get me, and I would inform them politely of their mistake, after I realised the similarity in the numbers. This has not happened recently, I don't know if the number has changed since it was taken over as "The Ramada".
About a month ago, at 5:15 on a Sunday morning, my phone rings waking me up in bed. I ignored it as caller ID said withheld. Just over an hour later the phone rings again, again waking me, and this time half asleep I answer.
Me "Hello" nobody speaks on the other end.
Me "Hello, Hello, is anyone there"
Woman"Hello, is that the Samaritans ?"
Me "No sorry, you've got a wrong number, this is just a private residence" I say, trying to put her off ringing, and waking me up again, and I put the phone down.
Then I lay back down and the guilt kicked in. What if she was suicidal ? could I have been able to talk to her and help ? Some would joke here, that know me, that I'd of made her worse ! But again the number was withheld, so I couldn't call her back. I haven't had any more calls for them, to date.
Then yesterday, while I'm at work, I get a message left on my BT 1571 answering service, for someone in the NHS from a district nurse.
Nurse "Hello Phillipa, I'm Trying to arrange a walking frame and possibly a chair raiser, for a Mrs XXXX of XXXX address. Please can you contact the ladies daughter Mrs XXXXXXX on XXXXXX phone number, so as not to concern or worry, Mrs XXXX. Thanks"
The strange thing about this message is about the people the nurse mentions. Mrs XXXX, an elderly lady,lives about 30 yards from my parents house, and I've known her since I was about 5 years old. Her daughter and son-in-law live about 100 yards away, and I've known them about 10 years. All a bit bizarre.
No.5
5 months ago
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