Mother Silly

They say the great Mother Lily Monteverde could carry on multiple conversations while seated at her office desk with two landlines, a cellphone or two, and people right in front of her. (The great Irma Adlawan portrayed this brilliant talent of hers to hilarious effect in a play written and directed by her husband, Dennis Marasigan, for Tanghalang Pilipino—I just forget now the title of the play.)

But sometimes Mother Lily slips.

* * * * *

I was tweeting with R when he called me on my cellphone. As I flipped my SEZ610i open, the phone at my desk rang. I knew it was our office secretary calling because she had texted me earlier to clarify something. Because I knew her call was more urgent, I decided I’d take it first.

At this point, an art director approached me at my desk to discuss something.

Leaning into my cellphone on my left ear, I loudly told R: “Sorry I have to call you back, I have another call on the other line.” Meanwhile, I didn’t realize that I had already placed the receiver of my landline close to my right ear, so the mouthpiece picked up what I just said to R.

“Oh, okay,” said R, then click! “Ay sorry!” the secretary said, and then click!

“Wait—no! Not you!” I yelled into the landline, but too late. I was left with two phones humming dial tones on both ears, and my art director laughing his head off beside me.