vignette: a merry mis-dial

last night, my phone rang.

i picked it up and immediately heard the distinct static of someone calling from a cell phone.

"hello?" i said.

"helllllllooooooooo!" came a happy reply. it was a woman's voice, but i didn't recognize it at all.

"yes, hello?" i repeated.

there was a pause on the other end.

"oh my goodness," said the woman as she began to laugh. "i've dialed the wrong number!"

"not a problem," said i.

the woman kept laughing.

"you sounded just like my daughter!" she said. "that's why i said `helllllllooooooooo!' like that!"

i smiled. "really, no worries," i assured her. "and, by the way, you sound nothing like my mom."

she kept laughing and apologized again for the misdialing.

"totally okay," i said, remarking at what was becoming the most pleasant wrong number i'd ever experienced.

"well, thanks," she said. "and merry christmas to you!"

"merry christmas," i replied. "bye."

and we both hung up.