As some of you may have read in this article, for almost a year, I have been receiving strange and disturbing phone calls from a land line in my hometown. These calls involved loud background noises (usually country music or the news) and no talking.
Each time this person called, I would say hello several times, they would say nothing, the background music was always extremely loud, and they would eventually hang up.
Several times, I tried to call this number back to figure out who it was. When I did this one of two things would happen: 1. They would answer and say nothing and I would hear the normal background noise, or 2. It would go to their voice mail which was a creepy robo voice that just said “Hello. This party you are trying to reach is not available.”
Occasionally, “the freak” as I endearingly named my caller, would leave voice messages with, obviously, background noise and no talking.
I always assumed that the freak must be a man. I think it is a natural female reaction to assume that any creepy activities are the result of some sort of peeping-Tom-type character.
Last week, I heard the freaks voice for the first time. Much to my dismay, and for some reason relief, the voice on my answering machine was not a man’s, but an old woman’s. The message she left was difficult to hear, since she did not deviate from her normal format of blaring music in the background. Most of what I made out was her saying “Please call me back: (Insert phone number here).” I called back and she just answered the phone as usual, didn’t say anything, and played some sweet tunes.
Today she called again, and I answered as I usually do, and she spoke. She actually spoke. The conversation went something like this:
Freak: something something something my answering machine isn’t working.
Me: Excuse me?
Freak: something…my answering machine
Me: Could you turn the music down? It’s really hard to hear you.
Freak: (doesn’t turn the music down, but speaks a little more clearly) Could you call my answering machine? I don’t think it’s working. I’m elderly.
Me: You want me to call your answering machine?….OK.
So, I hung up and called her back. She answered the phone and told me it worked (which obviously makes no sense since she did not allow the phone to ring through to her answering machine).
Case closed. I am not in fact being stalked by anyone. Some old lady just happens to have my phone number and need help with her answering machine.