First Time Caller

First Time Caller

Noel Laflin

6-15-19

I just called my neighbor, Debby, a little while ago.

When she answered, she said, “You know, this is the first time you’ve ever called me.”

True enough. After thirty-three years of only living three doors apart, it dawned on me that there had never been need of a call before as we have always just wandered down to one another’s house to borrow an egg, a cup of milk or sugar, snap a photo of a sleeping dove on a front porch light, attend a party, show up with unexpected cookies made from borrowed egg, milk, and sugar.

In my defense I replied to my old friend of three plus decades, “But you only gave me your phone number two days ago; thought I should try it out.”

Although the call was expedient and all, and kept me from forgetting something that I needed to tell her, of which I think I have already forgotten - good thing I called,- and lastly, kept me from having to put on something other than a robe, the walks are always better.