27 August 2014

The Mail Saga Continues

So, my mom called again.

First, she apologized for "calling every day", which it hasn't been.  It's been more like every three-ish days, which is enough really.  I find myself not wanting to answer the telephone when she calls but I've actually had the thought of "She's getting older, you need to answer."  We don't talk often, it's just not how I'm wired.  She will talk for hours, actual hours but I'm not much a phone person.

She started the conversation like we had just talked an hour ago.  It turns out that it is a continuation of the Package Story.  She ended up going to the post office with the slip to pick up the package.  They let her sign for it and she brought it home.  What she neglected to share at first was that she signed for an envelope, not a package.  I learned this about halfway though the story.

For some reason, she thought that this couch replacement part would arrive in a business envelope.  We are still wondering why she didn't notice the return address or the addressee.  It turns out that it wasn't for the new neighbors but for the former neighbors who haven't lived there in over a year. Again, how we didn't notice this at the post office is beyond me. (almost 80 years old is now, really but really?)

Once she got home, she called the furniture place to schedule a repair person but didn't have all the information still; no last name or telephone number.  The kind person at the furniture place was patient with her and asked her to open the package to try to figure this out.

Yeah, it was legal papers.  This is when she discovered that it was for the old neighbors.

Now her kerfuffle is how to figure this out.  I told her to seal it back up, take to the post office, and return it to sender. I told her that worse case she would have to put it into a new envelope and pay a little postage.  Maybe include a little note that it was mistakenly delivered.

Like before, she immediately swirled the drain.  "But if this doesn't work, I will have to go to my lawyer and that will cost me money!"

Wait, what? Why are we going to the lawyer?

"Because it's legal papers."

*Deep breath*

We finally decided that just taking it back to her little, rural post office and asking for help would be her best bet.  She ended the conversation relieved and a little heart-breakingly grateful for the guidance. 

I'll let you know when she calls back because all y'all know she's going to and now you're dying to know what happens next.

Oh, and the furniture part?  It has never arrived. 

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