Tuesday, March 22, 2011

one of those wierd "stars aligning" things...

A few weeks ago I lost my ATM card, called the bank to replace it, and when they sent the new one, they assigned me a new PIN number (which of course I could change by going into the branch).

The 4 digit pin number they assigned just so happened to be the last 4 digits of the phone number that belonged to the boyfriend I had when I was 17 until I was 22 (he lived with his parents during the first few years of our relationship, so it was really his parent's home phone number). Now, if you would have asked me if I remembered that phone number, there is no way I could have produced it from memory, but the second I had to enter it on a keypad, it all came back to me why it was such a familiar 4 digit series.

I haven't had time to make it into the branch to change the PIN number (and yes, I know the N in PIN stands for Number, but whatever), but I've been using the card for about 2 weeks now at the gas station, the grocery store, etc....and so for two weeks, every time I enter that PIN number, I have thought of, not him, but his parents.

Today I walked into the convalescent hospital to visit James, and guess who I run into. MrAndMrsOldPhoneNumberThatIsMyNewPINnumber. MrsPIN has been suffering from dementia the last few years, but she's in the convalescent place for 3 weeks getting some physical therapy because she is having trouble walking. MrPIN hasn't changed one bit. I swear to you, he looks exactly the same as he did 25 years ago. Exactly.


It gets even funnier. There is this lady at the convalescent hospital that I usually pop in and say hi to as I'm leaving each week. I happen to know that she used to drive a bus for the local bus company and that's she's in her late 60's/early 70's. I have a very long story to tell you about how I have come to know that, because this woman can only say two words: "no" and "I know" (she is one of the people I am dying to try writing about but am at a loss of words to do so, and that's partly because she is at a loss for words, so where does one start).

Anyhow.
MrPIN???
I happen to know he is in his late 60's/early 70's, and I also happen to know that he was the dispatcher at the same bus company.

And I now also know that MrsShortOnWords has seen MrPIN coming and going twice a day to see MrsPIN, and the she practically fell over because she recognized him immediately because he looks exactly the same. But I also know that he did not recognize her, and that she thinks that's just fine because she always thought he was an asshole. hahahaha
And yes, I got all that just by asking her yes and no questions, because she will answer them by saying "no" or "I know", which is her version of "yes".

Awesome, eh?

I wish I was going back next Tuesday to get another installment of this strange little tangled web that we weave, but I am taking next week off. Next week MyFavoriteKid is on spring break, and he is going to Washington D.C. on a tour with a group from school. I have canceled everything that I can possibly cancel, and I am super excited.

I am sure it well get booked up with house stuff, but I am gonna do my damndest (is that I word?? how does one spell that?!) to keep the week open and get some time for myself.


1 comments:

Lorena said...

Your story of MrsShortOnWords made me think of my grandmother after she had her stroke; all she could say (so that it was understandable) was "Daddy" and "hell" and a truly disgusted and fed-up sounding "oh shit"... and we had the BEST conversations.

Enjoy your time off - you deserve it!