Jester: The Phone Call

Jackie Poff
StrokeSurvivors Tattler

"Hello," says a little girl's voice.

"Hi, honey, it's Daddy," says Bob.  "Is Mommy near the phone?"

"No, Daddy.  She's upstairs in the bedroom with Uncle Frank."

After a brief pause, Bob says, "But you haven't got an Uncle Frank, honey!"

"Yes, I do, and he's upstairs in the bedroom with Mommy!"

"Okay, then.  Here's what I want you to do.  Put down the phone, run upstairs and knock on the bedroom door and shout to Mommy and Uncle Frank that my car's just pulled up outside the house."

"Okay, Daddy!"

A few minutes later, the little girl comes back to the phone.  "Well, I did what you said, Daddy."

"And what happened?"

"Well, Mommy jumped out of bed with no clothes on and ran around screaming, then she tripped over the rug and fell down the steps and she's just lying there.  Her neck is at a funny angle.  I think she's dead."

"Oh my god...  And what about Uncle Frank?"

"He jumped out of bed with no clothes on too and he was all scared and he jumped out the back window into the swimming pool, but he must have forgot that last week you took out all the water to clean it, so he hit the bottom of the swimming pool and is just lying there, not moving.  He may be dead too."

There is a long pause, then Bob says, "Swimming pool?  Is this 854-7039...?"