There's Something About Mary's Niece

We have been getting quite a few wrong number phone calls lately, all from the same lady.

She is super sweet and definitely elderly.  When I answer, she politely asks for Aunt Mary.  When I explain that she has the wrong number, she inevitably follows with, "Did you take Mary's number?  Did you move into her home?"  When I reply that I have had the same number for almost 10 years, I can tell she is perplexed.  She then repeats, "So you moved into Mary's home?  Well then, where's Mary?"

Funny, yes.  But, also sad.  

I really wish there was a way to contact someone to help out poor old Mary's niece.  She seems like such a nice old lady, if a bit out of it.  

So, the other day, Mary's niece called, but Ab answered.  Ab, of course, had no idea what was going on, and just handed the phone to me.  She watched intently as I listened politely to Mary's niece, and after I hung up the phone, I muttered to myself, "Wow!  She must have Alzheimer's disease."

Instantly, Ab's smiley face turned grave and she whispered, "Mom?  Can you catch Alzheimer's disease over the phone?"

That dear, sweet innocent girl.  Panicked that she would develop Alzheimer's disease.  There was part of me that wanted to go with it, and tell her, with a straight face, "Oh my goodness.  It looks like you have the first symptoms!"  but the little angel on my right shoulder won out over the little devil on my left. Instead,  I plainly explained Alzheimer's disease and how a person develops it.

To which Ab replied to my explanation, "Oh!  So when you get old, you forget, like you lose your keys all of the time!"

Some days . . .I think that she is exactly right.