The box where they put the body.

Phone calls at the house can be completely misinterpreted as English is not the first language spoken by my kids. At best they can get about 75% of what the caller is talking about at worst they will understand or think they understand two words. Now mostly they don't understand the telephone solicitors or the machines that dial the phone numbers for them. If I have to say hello two time I hang up they will just keep saying hello till the cows come home.  Then they don't know what to say so they just hand me the phone. This drives me nuts so I tell them hang up the phone and don't hand it to me. If someone knows me they know who to ask for, if they ask for the adult of the house, their Mom or Suzanne Yancey just hang up. Now my brother has gotten hung up on because he still calls me by my given name and he is male so they just hang up on him. Over the years he has learned he must yell, "don't hang up" before he ask for me. These things we have learned to live with.
The other day the girls call me at work and ask me if I was OK? Yes, why do you ask? Did you talk to Grandma? No, why do you ask? Now I am starting to wonder what the hell is going on. "Ok, you two, what's up?" I'm starting to get grouchy, as I am not good at games and when I am busy at work, just spit it out.  The girls are now getting nervous and they say " Mom we don't know how to tell you this." Tell me what? Some one called the house and said there was something wrong with the case cut, The what? case  cut, what the hell is that? You know Ma the box where they put the body. WHAT? What body ? Grandma's body. What are you talking about? Now I am thinking they are nuts. Some one call and said there is something wrong.  Girls, first of all the hospital will call before the undertaker so I am sure that they are not talking about Grandma. Second, how many times did you say hello before someone started talking? Three! Wow that should have been your first clue Batman. It was a telephone solicitor selling Caskets.
When I got home that night they were all laughing because they just did not know how to tell me my Mom was dead on the phone. I laughed back at them and said" If you have to tell don't do it with 30 questions" And for GAWD sakes stop saying hello so many times, it's a machine your talking to.