There it goes... another phantom phone ring. All day and all night I listen to the sound of the land line ring. A carryover jingle from the days of Ma Bell... brought on by probable interference with the wireless router or modem, or any such new fangled conveniences (Shakespeare aka. Bacon used the word aptly as long as new preceded.). The phone bought at Costco featured all the latest features of VMX, call waiting, caller ID, conference call, and three lines to boot. It's become the bane of my existence, the interferer of a solitary calling. Sure, hope arises and fades in the usual incoming calls, here a recruiter for my talent, a family member letting me know I matter, an appointment confirmed... but more than not it's just a tease that someone is trying to get through as a friend. I've tried that route in Facebook, Blogger directory, and outbound calls to busy lines. The phantom rings go something like this...
Ring (a hesitation... short ring, a "fakey"). Hours later, Rrrrriiingggg, (a real call), Oh, goody, a real call "Hello" (cheerfully), an unknown caller, "Hello?" (no answer in gleeful, but wary expectancy) "Helllllooooww?" (in desperation). "Oh, I guess you don't want to talk to me" (poor me) "Good-bye" (trying to maintain cheerfulness).
At night, I go to bed in hazy good spirits and drift into my world of unicorns and dragons... until in the weary hours after midnight and before dawn... the ring. I wait in awake, as no good calls come in the middle of the night. Heart pounding with a thousand possible fears, I drag myself from the coziness of my bed... to think, and smoke, and write the poetry that by day I'm too self-conscious to post. That ring is driving me insane... I'm here to answer, but is anyone really on the call?
