06 August 2019
964
R. Linda:
Me poor little apple-cheeked, grey-haired Mam, had quite an excitement she did. Yes, last Friday Ben rang her up to inform her that a friend of theirs (well, actually his), had passed away from stroke. Now Mam had met the man and his wife at a town supper and was confused (she's at an age you know) where names don't mean much to her and stories of who be who or who be with who aren't something she retains in her noggin.
Seems she was confused because she met the man's wife at a fund raiser prior, where the two of them had booths next to each other. In the off time of when the crowd was less, she and the woman talked. She learned the woman's name was Cassie and her daughter Callie was her booth helpmate. In the course of their speaking a rather flamboyant woman in a large hat like you see at the Ascot races wearing sunglasses came by to say hello to the two women. When she left Cassie said that was her ex-husband's wife Muriel. That was all she said when the ex-husband appeared and kissed his daughter on the cheek and pleasantly said hello to Cassie.
"This be Bob," Cassie introduced me Mam.
Shortly after another man came over who looked remarkably like Bob, but his name was Allen. This man was introduced to me Mam as Cassie's current husband. OK and that all went out of me Mam's mind since she didn't think she'd see any of these people after the fund raiser.
Well, a few town suppers later, she saw Cassie, Allen, Muriel and Bob enough times to say hello but Mam couldn't remember if Cassie was with Allen or Bob. She got the two mixed up but never called either by their name so as not to utter the wrong moniker and be embarrassed.
Just last week Ben called to let Mam know that Cassie's husband passed away. He wanted to know if Mam wanted to go to the memorial and at the time Mam was babysitting for us, so she could not go, but me Mam being me Mam, offered to send a sympathy bouquet. Ben thought that was quite nice and that was that.
So me Mam (with screaming, fighting kiddos in the background) decided not to call the florist for the noise and yelling and went online instead. She ticked the boxes and when it came to place she typed the delivery address, then it said name of deceased and she wrote Bob. All was set for delivery the next day at 1 in the afternoon. Feeling good about her gesture she went happily back to kiddie police duty.
At 6:30 that night, Ben rang and she told him she was sending flowers to Bob's memorial the next day.
"Uh, it's not Bob its Allen who passed." Ben said.
"Allen? Who is Allen?" She panicked.
"Cassie's husband. Bob is the ex-husband."
"Oh my! I have to call the florist. Catch you later." Mam said and rang up the florist but of course it was late and no one was in. She ran to the computer and wrote to the florist URGENT and wrote out her mistake and corrected Bob's name to Allen's.
She saw the florist opened the next day at nine. Oh my was there any time to correct her mistake, she didn't know. So she rang them up at 9 a.m. the next morning, to find out the florist wired the flowers to the venue the day before because it was out of town, and it was out of the local florist's control to change the name on the card! And, they hadn't seen Mam's emails yet, they collected those around 10 a.m. so they hadn't seen the URGENT email banner! Oh what to do?
"I be so embarrassed," Mam said, "Bob is very much alive and he will be there!"
The woman on the other end of the line felt terrible for Mam, so she told her she would ring up the florist that was actually sending the bouquet and see if she could save the day and Mam's reputation.
Lucky for Mam the woman was able to get to the wire service before the delivery and the name was changed! I have never seen such relief written on someones face like was written on hers. Poor thing did not sleep the night before for the mistake, so hopefully now she can rest easily all is well and Allen has his flowers and Bob has no idea he was mistaken for the deceased.
Gabe
Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved
964
R. Linda:
Me poor little apple-cheeked, grey-haired Mam, had quite an excitement she did. Yes, last Friday Ben rang her up to inform her that a friend of theirs (well, actually his), had passed away from stroke. Now Mam had met the man and his wife at a town supper and was confused (she's at an age you know) where names don't mean much to her and stories of who be who or who be with who aren't something she retains in her noggin.
Seems she was confused because she met the man's wife at a fund raiser prior, where the two of them had booths next to each other. In the off time of when the crowd was less, she and the woman talked. She learned the woman's name was Cassie and her daughter Callie was her booth helpmate. In the course of their speaking a rather flamboyant woman in a large hat like you see at the Ascot races wearing sunglasses came by to say hello to the two women. When she left Cassie said that was her ex-husband's wife Muriel. That was all she said when the ex-husband appeared and kissed his daughter on the cheek and pleasantly said hello to Cassie.
"This be Bob," Cassie introduced me Mam.
Shortly after another man came over who looked remarkably like Bob, but his name was Allen. This man was introduced to me Mam as Cassie's current husband. OK and that all went out of me Mam's mind since she didn't think she'd see any of these people after the fund raiser.
Well, a few town suppers later, she saw Cassie, Allen, Muriel and Bob enough times to say hello but Mam couldn't remember if Cassie was with Allen or Bob. She got the two mixed up but never called either by their name so as not to utter the wrong moniker and be embarrassed.
Just last week Ben called to let Mam know that Cassie's husband passed away. He wanted to know if Mam wanted to go to the memorial and at the time Mam was babysitting for us, so she could not go, but me Mam being me Mam, offered to send a sympathy bouquet. Ben thought that was quite nice and that was that.
So me Mam (with screaming, fighting kiddos in the background) decided not to call the florist for the noise and yelling and went online instead. She ticked the boxes and when it came to place she typed the delivery address, then it said name of deceased and she wrote Bob. All was set for delivery the next day at 1 in the afternoon. Feeling good about her gesture she went happily back to kiddie police duty.
At 6:30 that night, Ben rang and she told him she was sending flowers to Bob's memorial the next day.
"Uh, it's not Bob its Allen who passed." Ben said.
"Allen? Who is Allen?" She panicked.
"Cassie's husband. Bob is the ex-husband."
"Oh my! I have to call the florist. Catch you later." Mam said and rang up the florist but of course it was late and no one was in. She ran to the computer and wrote to the florist URGENT and wrote out her mistake and corrected Bob's name to Allen's.
She saw the florist opened the next day at nine. Oh my was there any time to correct her mistake, she didn't know. So she rang them up at 9 a.m. the next morning, to find out the florist wired the flowers to the venue the day before because it was out of town, and it was out of the local florist's control to change the name on the card! And, they hadn't seen Mam's emails yet, they collected those around 10 a.m. so they hadn't seen the URGENT email banner! Oh what to do?
"I be so embarrassed," Mam said, "Bob is very much alive and he will be there!"
The woman on the other end of the line felt terrible for Mam, so she told her she would ring up the florist that was actually sending the bouquet and see if she could save the day and Mam's reputation.
Lucky for Mam the woman was able to get to the wire service before the delivery and the name was changed! I have never seen such relief written on someones face like was written on hers. Poor thing did not sleep the night before for the mistake, so hopefully now she can rest easily all is well and Allen has his flowers and Bob has no idea he was mistaken for the deceased.
Gabe
Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved
6 comments:
I adore your mam. She should have her own blog. One idea might have been if she wasn't able to stop the card, if she knew someone at the memorial she could have them intercept it and write out the correct information. Just a thought in case that happens to any other old ones in the group. Um.
Oh no she does not need her own blog.
How odd is that two couples with new spouses getting along? But I suppose living in rural NH where there aren't too many people what choice, eh? Like the pilgrims when their spouses died, they married their uncles and aunts because there was no one else! Things haven't changed much wouldn't you say Gabe?
We all needed to know that, why?
she's special! lol
Yes she does. Everything I have heard about your Mam makes me love her xo
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