A Phone Call (2018-2019)
4:20 P.M. Ten Minutes to Close
Well, the lady finally left after screaming at me for nearly an hour, so I guess that’s a good thing. It’s weird how easily I've gotten used to people screaming at me. You wouldn’t think it’s something anyone can get used to, but after a while the words "you’re an asshole" lose their sting.
I allow myself a moment before I begin typing up my report. I watch John as he begins closing the blinds around the office, and feel that sweet, sweet release of knowing that the work day is almost done. I’ll have an hour for dinner, and hour to study, and plenty of time to get to class in time for my test.
4:24 P.M. Six Minutes to Close
The phone rings. Jesus Christ. We close in six minutes and of course someone feels that now is the time to call. I look at John, hoping he’ll tell me to let it go to voicemail so someone else can handle it tomorrow.
"Dude, you gonna get that?"
I pick up the phone.
4:25 P.M. Five Minutes to Close
"Good afternoon! My name is Jane, is there anything I can do to help you today?"
"Hello. I’m sorry can you please speak up, dear? I can’t hear very well."
Oh great, an old lady. Honestly, she sounds a lot like the one who just finished yelling at me, but then again most old ladies do.
"Of course! Sorry about that! What can I help you with today?"
"Oh dear, well, I was hoping you would be able to help me with something."
"Yes, what can I do for you?"
"Oh. See I’m looking to get the telephone number for You-ber."
I look at John, wishing he could hear this.
"The phone number for Uber? Sure, I can get that for you. Do you mind if I ask what you need the number for?"
I say, buying time as I type ‘Uber Customer Service Number’ into Google.
"Well, dear. It all started in June when my dear husband of 64 years passed away. You know he was my best friend, the light of my life. He was the most important person to me. And… well it was very hard to lose him. And then just a few days after he…passed, I fell. I was standing at the top of my stairs and I just fell all the way down them. Nearly broke my neck. And if it wasn’t for my friends, well I don’t know what would have happened to me. See dear, ever since then, my friends have been checking up on me. It’s only by the grace of those kind people in life I’ve made it this far. I can’t drive anymore, and I don’t have a car even if I could. I hardly ever leave my house, because I just hate to trouble my friends."
Do I cut her off to tell her I have the number?
"And really," she continues, "it was really just my husband’s best friend taking care of me. Oh dear, when Anthony was dying, his best friend came to him and said, ‘Don’t you worry about her. I’ll take care of her till the day I die.’ And he has. He’s the best friend I could have asked for. But now he has cancer, and the doctors don’t know how long he has left. I can’t trouble him anymore to drive me places. And I haven’t left my house in two weeks now because of it. I haven’t even spoken to anybody really in all that time. Really it’s just so lovely to have another person to talk to. But I remembered someone told me before about this… this You-ber, and they said that I should try to use that to get around."
"So, you see, all I need it that phone number for You-ber and I’ll be just fine."
4:27 P.M. Three Minutes to Close
I stare at the black digits on the screen. I can’t give her this number. I look at John, who just finished taking out the trash and is now sitting patiently waiting for me to get off the phone so we can finish closing the office and go home. I remember that I have class in a few hours and every minute I spend on the phone with this woman is one less minute for me to eat dinner and study.
Damn it.
"Ok, ma’am. I have the number for Uber here-"
"Oh, that’s fantastic. If you just just give it to me, I’ve got a pen and paper right here and I won’t trouble you any longer."
I look again at the number. "Yes. I mean, I’ve got the number right here, but…I just want to make sure you know how Uber works…"
"Oh yes. Thank you so much."
"Ok. Well, Uber is an app. It’s an app that you download onto your phone..." I try to over annunciate each word, as if somehow that will make the concept easier for the old woman to understand.
She doesn’t say anything for a moment, but I hear a ragged breath, "Oh my. Oh dear. I’m sorry miss- I’m sorry, what’s your name?"
"My name is Jane, ma’am."
"Janice, you said?"
"Well-"
"Oh, Janice," she cuts me off. "I’m afraid… I’m sorry dear, I’m afraid I don’t know what that even means."
I hear a thick tone in her voice, the sound of someone holding back tears.
"That’s ok," I reassure her. "That’s fine. There are a lot of other services that I think will be easier for you anyway. There are a lot of seniors in situations similar to yours. Let me just get the applications for them." I begin clicking through my saved files to find a few.
"Oh Janice, thank you so much. Thank you thank you. It’s so hard, and Janice, I’m so alone. It’s so hard and I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to get around and there is just no one to help me."
"Well that’s what we are here for. Now let me tell you about this Septa Senior-"
"Janice? Janice, you know I just want to tell you, you have a lovely voice."
"Oh. Well thank you, that’s very nice of you to say. But about this-"
"It just falls so gently on the ear. It’s a wonderful talent to have. I can tell you are a very kind person, I can tell that you really care about helping me. But anyway, would you mind giving me that number for You-ber?"
Damn it.
"Yeah, I mean, I can give you this number and you can try talking to them, but I don’t think that Uber is what you think it is. I really think that these other services are better for you. They are free and made just for seniors."
"Ok then Janice. Why don’t you give me Uber’s telephone number, and then tell me about the other thing ok?"
"Sure."
4:30 P.M. Closing Time
"Dude!" My head snaps up to see John hovering near my desk, half the lights in the office
shut off,
"You good?"
I give him a quick nod as I read the number off to her.
"Don’t you have class tonight?"
I respond with another quick nod.
"Oh, thank you so much dear," the woman says in my other ear, "And I look forward to learning about these other... things. It’s so hard to get around. You know, it’s just so hard. When I was younger, I was the smartest person I knew. You would understand that, I can just tell you are a clever one, Janice. But see I was so smart," she chuckles slightly, "I was embarrassed to let anyone know my IQ. I never told anyone, not my parents, not even my dear Anthony. And you know Janice, you never know how quickly life will pass you by. I wish I hadn’t hidden that part of myself. But now I’m old, and I can’t hardly understand anything. I don’t have anyone around. Oh Janice, you don’t know how hard it is. Janice, it’s like I can’t understand a thing. I used to be so smart, and now… I don’t even understand what an app means."
"That’s ok ma’am," I reassure her. "I understand, but that’s why I want to show you what your other options are. Here, let me tell you about a few of the free ride services for seniors, ok?"
"Oh sure," she sniffles, "Thank you so much dear. Thank you thank you thank you."
4:56 P.M. Twenty-six Minutes Past Closed
"So, this… this Senior Bus Pass. It’s for the bus and trains?"
"Yes," I say again. John has been watching silently for the past twenty minutes and looks like he is about to start banging his head against the wall. "The bus pass can be used on either. It's great for a lot of seniors.”
"Ok, I think I need to take my time and think all of these options over. Now do you have the phone number for Septa so I can call them and find out for about this Senior Trolley ID?"
"Sure," I answer for the fifth time. "But I think the best thing for you to do would be to come to our office later this week and someone can help you fill out these applications and explain everything to you in person. We are open 8:30 to...4:30."
"Ok, Janice. I’ll try to come in. I really need to think over all of these options you gave me. Thank you, Janice. You are so kind. I know I’m difficult to talk to. I’m sorry. But you are so easy to talk to and so helpful. You make sure your boss knows how much you’ve helped me."
"I will. Thank you-"
"I really am just so grateful." She cuts me off again. "Life is so hard when you’re alone. When you love someone so much and you lose them. He was my whole world. I mean, I have never, will never love anyone the way I loved my Anthony. He was the most important person in my life. He was the best husband any woman could ask for. He never raised a hand to me. He was always good with our kids-
"Are you gonna be done soon?" John says suddenly.
I shrug.
"-five sweet little kids. We had five beautiful children. And after all the miscarriages he helped me through-" she continues in my other ear
"What’s going on? What is she asking about?" he asks, pacing around my desk.
"-after work, and I walk in to see him sitting on top of the fridge. And here he was playing hide and seek with the kids. He was always so competitive. And the kids just found it hilarious when they found him."
I scribble the words old lady and very sad on a scrap of paper and hold it up for him to read.
"-And little Alex didn’t even come to the funeral. Bernie did, though. And he was such a rock
for me-"
5:00 P.M. Thirty Minutes Past Close
"Jane, you gotta get off the phone. Just tell her you’ll call her back tomorrow. Look at me," I glance up, "Say ‘I’m really sorry, but our office is closing and I’ve got to go home. Let me take your name and number and I’ll give you a call back tomorrow’, ok? You gotta get to class. And I wouldn’t mind getting to go home too."
I shoot him a look translating to Trust me, I know.
"-Janice, I hope you have someone like that in your life. Everyone should have someone they can love and depend on. And I was lucky enough to have mine for 64-"
"I don’t want to pressure you," John continues, "But come on. You did what you can to help her; you gotta get out of there. I can’t leave you alone here-" I wave my hand to shut him up.
"-seeing him there so lifeless. He didn’t feel like my Anthony-"
"I’m sorry, ma’am," I say, taking advantage of the rare moment she takes a breath," I really don’t want to cut you off, but our office is closing and I-"
"Oh, I’m sorry Janice. I really can just start rambling. It’s what happens when you spend so long without getting to talk to anyone. You know my son always gets so annoyed with me for talking so much but I just get so lonely. And Janice you are just so kind and so easy to talk to. You know after I fell, I had to spend so long alone and it was hard. All I wanted-"
"Jane. It’s fine; just tell her-"John cuts in again.
"Oh…sure," she says.
"Great. And I’ll make sure someone gives you a call tomorrow when we open."
"That’s fine Janice. That’s fine. You know it takes me a while to get to the phone sometimes
but I’m always home and I’ll answer eventually so just be patient with me."
"I will."
"Alright Janice, well I look forward to hearing back from you. Bye bye."
"Ma’am, wait I need your-" She hung up.
I look at John as I slowly put the phone back down.
"Thank god. Let’s get out of here. Did you get her number?"
"No. I mean, she just hung up."
"Dang. Oh well, we can probably still track her down with her name."
I look at the scrap of paper where I wrote the words old lady and very sad. "I didn’t get her name either."
"Dude, how many times I have told you? You have to get people’s names."
"She...she never said it."
I shut down my computer, crumple up the paper scrap and walk out of the office with John.
I turn and lock the door as he says, "What did she want anyway?"
5:15 P.M. Forty-Five Minutes Past Close
"I don’t know. The phone number for Uber I guess."
He laughs.
