Wrong Number

Coming from the comfort room, I had to run to be able to answer the phone which was ringing.

"Hello," I greeted.

"Hello. Pwede ho bang makausap si Bing?" the female voice from the other end asked.

"I'm sorry. Pero wala pong Bing na nakatira dito," I politely informed her.

She hung up.

About three seconds later, the phone rang again. Most probably it was the same caller trying out the same wrong number hoping to get a different result, I thought.

"Hello," I greeted with the same tone of voice.

"Hello. Pwede ho kay Bing?" Yup, it was her again alright.

"Bing? Anong number ho ba ang tinatawagan nyo?" I asked.

"655-40**," she answered.

"Ito nga po yung number na yon. Pero wala pong Bing dito," I politely informed her.

"Pwede ho kay Bing?" she asked again.

Didn't she hear what I said?

"Wala nga hong Bing na nakatira dito," I informed her for the nth time.

"Pero ito po ba yung 655-40**?" she clarified.

Is this conversation actually leading to anywhere?

"Oho, ito nga ho yung 655-40**. At wala hong Bing dito," I replied, patience thinning by the second.

"Ganun? Pareho kayo ng number?" she answered in a rather surprised manner.

Hayup! Gusto pa yata sisihin ang PLDT at pagbintangang nagbigay ng dalawang magkaparehong phone number. I swear, I 've never heard of such a clincher before.

I held my breath for about a second. Mixed reactions filled my thoughts. My mind was racing to choose from any of the possible bitchy or sarcastic repartees that were available to me. But I still chose to hold back.

"Mali lang ho siguro yung number na naibigay sa inyo," I just told her.

"Ahh... sorry ho," she apologized before hanging up the phone.

As I put down the phone's receiver, I was dreading that a few seconds after, it would ring again.

Thank God it did not.