Smooth talk

After an office re-arrangement this week, the telephone that clients are allowed to use is sitting on one end of my desk. As a result, I am party to entire conversations, rather than the occasional hilarious snippet that I used to catch.

Over the last few days I have developed a new sense of awe for the the incredible talents of a couple of our clients. Here is a typical display of brilliance:

(talking into telephone)
Baby how are you?... you know, it's so good to hear your voice... yes I feel like that too baby... you know, I had a dream about you last night... yes I did. I dreamt that an angel was calling me from heaven, and it was your voice... you know, you have the sweet voice of an angel... oh, hold on one minute, I have an important business call coming in...


(into mobile phone)
honey, my darling... I can't talk for long now, I am in a business meeting... yes Sunday is fine but I will be going to the mosque in the afternoon, can we meet in the morning?... I can't wait to see you too honey, bye bye...

(back to telephone)
yes baby... sorry, it was important, but not as important as you, my sweet, sweet angel... yes I am waiting to see you... you know, on Sunday I will be at church in the morning but I will die if I don't see you in the afternoon... yes, I will be thinking only on that between now and Sunday... okay, I have to attend to my work, I am waiting to see you my angel... okay, bye bye

I knew better than to be flattered yesterday when the same client told me 'you know Mr Joe, whenever I see you I feel at home'. Having failed to acheive success with that one, he then narrated a dream in which I was the President of Australia.

In contrast, I took great encouragement yesterday from a thankyou email sent by a different client who came to our centre for the first time this week. He is older and illiterate in both English and computer use. I arranged for some of the other French speakers to give him tutorials in basic computer and internet use and by yesterday he was adept enough to send email by himself. My colleague and I were delighted with the emails he sent each of us, even if they were in French!