This is my submission for this week’s Friday Fictioneers that is ably hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.
You can read about Friday Fictioneers at the end of this post.
Join us.
Below is the picture prompt for this week and below that is my story.
Picture copyright Danny Bowman
Miss Communicate
Picture copyright Danny Bowman
Stu approached the phone booth.
“I hope it’s working,” he thought.
He pressed the code for the operator.
“Hello. May I help you?”
“I’d like to make a reverse call.”
“Pardon, sir, you’d like to make what?”
“Reverse call.”
“I’m sorry I don’t understand, sir.”
“A reverse call – one where the other person pays.”
“Which other person?”
“The one receiving the call!”
“Oh. You’d like to call collect?”
“Call who?”
“Collect.”
“Collect what?”
“Making a call where the person receiving the call pays for it is called calling collect”
“Who calls it that?”
“Everyone, sir.”
“Not everyone! I certainly don’t!”
—-
100 words
“You don’t what, sir?”
“I don’t call it calling collect.”
“You no longer want to call collect?”
“I certainly do! I am saying I don’t… Never mind.”
“You seem… I’m sorry, sir. I’m not following you. Do you want to make a collect call?”
“Yes, please.”
—-
146 words
You can read interesting stories by other participants here.
I read all your comments and I appreciate them, even if I take long to respond and even if I do not respond to each comment individually.
Comments
I grew up with British English 🙂
I have missed a few episodes of Friday Fictioneers.
About Friday Fictioneers
Friday Fictioneers is a group that works as follows:
Every week you get a picture.
Prompted by that picture, you write a piece of fiction that is 100 words long (or as close as you can get).
You add a link to your story on the Fictioneers page, and read the varied and awesome stories by the other Friday Fictioneers.
Feel free to join us! Everyone is welcome.
Baba Amor's Thoughts 
This made me smile 🙂 nice! I have missed MANY episodes of Friday fictioneers… Need to get back!
I’m glad you enjoyed.
I am glad to finally post before submissions close.
I hope we read from you soon!
Funny–kind of like the old Abbott and Costello routine, “Who’s on First.”
Have a great weekend!
Jan
Nice to have you back, Abraham. I like the way your title plays into this story.
janet
Great conversation here. I’m with you – it’s a reverse charge call. What does ‘call collect’ even mean? 🙂
Dear Abraham,
I’m still chuckling. Wonderful crisp and humorous dialogue.
Also, it’s good to see you back. I’ve missed you.
shalom,
Rochelle
Nice dialogue, frustrating and amusing at the same time
Frustration is so tangeable … great dialogue.. nice to see you back
I’m glad the frustration came through 🙂
Great!
Tomato tomahto.
That’s a great routine in miscommunication. 🙂
Hi, I liked your story. I grew up with British English too (well Scottish). We always used to say ‘I’d like reverse the charges please.’ Sounds really strange to my ears now.
Funny the differences between American English and British English! I understand reversing the charges perfectly, but calling collect makes no sense! Nice dialogue.
Nice use of dialogue and I’m going to call reverse from now on …
I’ve been so busy the past few weeks, I haven’t had much time for reading FF entries. Glad I clicked on yours, as it is charmingly humorous. (Or is it humourous? As long as it’s not humerus…)
LOLLL!!!