—Melissa Tardiff Dvorak Falls Church, Va.

One June evening, my phone rang.  My husband answered it. “It’s your student Rebecca’s mom, something about the recital?  I didn’t catch it.”

“Hm, that’s strange,” I thought.  Rebecca played beautifully on the studio recital last week. I wonder why her mom is calling.

I picked up the phone and said hello. The lady on the other end launched into a long soliloquy outlining how sorry they were they missed their lesson this week and asked what Rebecca should play on the recital Sunday, and started to go through options of pieces.

“I don’t think this is my Rebecca’s mom,” I thought to myself. I don’t know this person at all!  So I said, “I’m sorry, but I think you have called the wrong harp teacher.” The woman on the phone paused for a moment, then asked, “Is this Elizabeth?”

“No,” I said, “this is Melissa.” The flustered lady then hung up on me. Even stranger, when I later checked the caller ID, it was a Rhode Island number and I live in Virginia! •