Tuesday 21 July 2009

When the phone rings

...I get very nervous. When the phone rings at a relatively late hour, that is: let's say just after 10.30 pm.

I know that's hardly a rock n roll definition of late, but in terms of people phoning me, well it hardly ever happens. Not during the week.

So when it rang last night, the ringtone was like a panic button: who is it? What's gone wrong? Is somebody ill/had an accident/missing/dying/dead? Those kind of thoughts, all in an instant.

I picked the phone up and heard my mother's voice, and those italicised worries amplified themselves a little in my mind.

Mum: Ah - you're still up then.

I steeled myself as I replied in the affirmative (stating the reasonably obvious), whilst inwardly wondering what what wrong.

Mum (taking a deep breath): Right...

What was the name of the character in
The New Avengers, the one played by Gareth Hunt? I think it was just one word.

Me: *deep sigh* Gambit.

I wish she wouldn't put me through this: but then I ought to know by now that when the phone rings at a relatively late hour, my mum's been doing crosswords again.

11 comments:

Rosaria Williams said...

Oh, this is funny. Your mom calling you to finish a puzzle. You're a good child to pick up the phone.

Fire Byrd said...

Good to know your mum's still doing crosswords, and that you can supply the answers!
I got it in reverse, late night call from eldest doing pub quiz... what's a baby swan called, and then he didn't believe my correct answer!
xx

nmj said...

glad it was a nice reason your mum called. what was the clue she wanted help with?

trousers said...

Funny in the end, lakeviewer - it was more than a little anxiety-provoking at first...

FB, yes it is good, just not at that time of night when I assume she's ringing because something's wrong! Often she'll ring me and ask me to look up stuff on the net that she's trying to think of.

Cygnet, isn't it?

Indeed, nmj, I'm glad too: the clue was the one about Gareth Hunt. No, it wasn't the Guardian cryptic (must admit it might have been some sort of quiz-type puzzle, but it's normally crosswords).

Zhoen said...

HA!

This is what IMDB and wikipedia are for, though. Wait, she doesn't have internet?

DJ Kirkby said...

Ever since I got a phoen call at 10pm to say my brother had been killed, I have been exactly like this. I hate the sound of a phone ringing after dark, even if it is next door!

trousers said...

No, she doesn't have the internet zhoen. But she has internet access when she needs it (i.e. she calls me).

Deej, I'm not surprised it would affect you like this, I can't imagine. Hugs x

Caroline said...

Made me giggle!
I had a voicemail at 2:30am when I was away this week and it reallly freaked me out. Turns out the person had called by mistake. Any phonecalls after 10pm scare me!

trousers said...

Hi C, things like that freak me out too. At a tangent, I really don't like speaking on my mobile in any public place: typical then that I was in the main art gallery in Edinburgh when I got a call - so despite speaking as quietly as I could, it felt like my voice was echoing around the gallery walls. Plus it was a wrong number.

J.J said...

My dad rings me every weekend without fail with some crossword questions so I especially appreciated this Trousers!

trousers said...

Hi J.J, at least you (appear to) have the expectation that he'll ring: my mother seems to time it to the point at which a late-evening call will take me by surprise...