The 'right' wrong number

Yesterday was Daddy’s 79th birthday. He wasn’t around to enjoy it with me because he passed from this life on August 5th, 2014. Today, I was getting more ducks in a row for my move to Taiwan when I noticed that I still had Daddy’s phone number in my contacts list. On a whim--knowing no one would answer cos Daddy is gone--I called the number. I freaked out a little when a male voice answered. I said, “You answered!” I sputtered around for a moment and I think I mentioned that I had called Daddy’s number and that I knew he wasn’t Paul Ford and that I was sorry and I hope he had a great night. Then I hung up.


Less than a minute passed when my phone rang and it was the same number. The words ‘Paul Daddy Ford’ showed up on my screen. I took a deep breath and answered. This time, it was a lady’s voice. She sputtered around for a minute, too. I explained the whole thing. How yesterday had been Daddy’s birthday and I was missing my Daddy, etc. and she completely understood. She said she had lost her Daddy, too. Then the man who’d originally answered the phone piped up. “Yeah. I’m a long haul trucker and we needed to clarify that you weren’t really my daughter!” That had me laughing for a minute.


Then, I said “Well, since you are the faux Daddy, can I tell you something?” They said I could and I told Daddy (through them) that I am FINALLY graduating from college next Thursday and that I’m moving overseas to start a brand-new, adventurous career. I know Daddy would be proud of me and I just felt like I wanted to tell the voice on the other end of my Daddy’s phone number that I had finally (kinda) grown up. They WERE really proud of me and said so, in as many words. We talked for twenty minutes, about their kids and other things. It was a really great experience and I loved sorta getting to talk to my Daddy again, for a moment.