A very productive phone call

One of the most exciting events this year is that First Ever Friend is getting married.

I've known her since we were 4 and even though she lives in Switzerland now, we're still in regular contact, particularly as I am her witness for the wedding.

I'm rather excited about this role, although if I'm required at any point to speak Swiss German, it may be interesting.

I booked all my flights for her wedding the other week and texted Ma to suggest she did hers too, so that we were all on the same flight home. But knowing how much Ma detests online booking systems, and with Pa still quite hop-along from his hip, I offered to do it for her.

Cue laptop set up and phone number being dialled.

Now, Ma is one of the people I can hear best on the phone. Perhaps because I've heard her voice all my life, I know the way she says things, so am able to guess quite a lot what is going on.

This was going very well until the credit card number bit... And the mobile number bit... Actually, pretty much any bit where I needed to hear numbers full stop, as they all sound the same to me. This meant that she would recite them and I'd recite them back. But because she’s also a little bit deaf, this was a little challenging as neither of us could hear what the other was saying, and so we were in fits of giggles.

Eventually however, we got there, and all that was left was the booking code, which I read out in my own variation of the phonetic alphabet, with Ma-appropriate swear words – this turned what should have been an extremely stressful situation for us both into a very productive phone call.

Which just goes to show, there really is a first time for everything.