A Phone Message

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I had been out running errands all morning long. As I carried my groceries into the kitchen, I was pondering what I had in the fridge for lunch. Casually I glanced at the answering machine, not expecting to see a flashing light indicating there was a message. But there it was, a pulsing red light. I figured it was my mother, she is usually the only person to call on the house phone.

However, it was not my mother’s voice that echoed through the speaker. It was a man’s voice. One I’d never heard before. It took my brain a moment to react to this surprise. What was that he was saying? He is trying to contact a person, someone I’ve never heard of before. This person has listed my husband and me as a contact? She gave our number? This is a legal matter that needs to be resolved? The words plaintiff and case number swirl around throughout the message.

This whole message unsettles me. First, I have never heard of this woman he named. Second, we have an unlisted home phone number. So how did this stranger get access to that number and why did we get selected to be her contact? I contacted my husband to see if he knew this person. He did not, but he reported that he had a similar message last spring.

I wish I had been home to be able to talk to the person who called, but he did not leave his number. Now when the house phone rings, I wonder is it someone I know or will this be another call looking for an unknown person?