Mom-Sequiturs: It Depends on the Meaning of "Have To"

When I got up this morning Mom was already up and parked on the couch. I went to check if she had coffee or if I needed to make some (I did) and she was sitting there on the phone with someone. Now, she can hardly hear anyone on the phone anymore and is easily confused by more than simple declarative sentences (she loses her way in subordinate clauses) even in person let alone when distorted electronically over the phone. She never dials out so this had to be an incoming call she had picked up.

When she saw me she sighed and said, "I can't understand this or make her stop and explain anything," and handed me the phone. I was all set to ream out someone who would use high-pressure sales tactics on an obviously old lady when I heard the female robotic caller say ". . . if [something something] press four, if . . ." and hung up.

I said, "Its a recording, Mom. You can just hang up. You don't have to sit there and listen to that."

She looked at me and said, "Then what else do I have to listen to?"