1&1/2 hours away from home, in Stroud last night, I was watching my youngest play football for his club. The light was fading.
My phone blips 3 times in quick succession and I don't have my glasses, but from what I can see there're the words emergency and SOS, so I leg it back to my car to and read 3 texts. The 1st is a recorded message with the heading ‘Emergency’.
I can't hear what it says.
Next is a text with a black image and a google map location pinpointing a location and saying 'I need help' and the third is the same, saying ‘SOS’. They are all from my husband.
My first thought is to panic, but I think, he had time to do all that??? I'm hoping the phone's gone wrong, so I text him, twice.
There’s no response.
I phone him. He doesn't answer.
I phone my son. His dad is not home.
By this time I'm shaking and thinking what can I do? Do I ring the police? Images of knives held to his throat or an abduction crowd my head. The man’s a GP. He could be at someone’s house. They could have flipped out on him. So by this time I’m shaking. What do I do?
I take a breath and text again, then I ring again and finally I get a flustered husband on the line. He’s talking to me as if I’m our son. I calm him down and we speak and … he’s fine. He’s doing a visit. He was completely oblivious to the pandemonium he’s caused and exasperated with the fuss. I burst into tears and he realises what has gone on.
He’s fine.
But now my face is blotchy and I’m trying to calm down. I can’t go back to the match; the parents will wonder what on earth has gone on. I text my son back, so he can’t hear the waver in my voice and explain that his dad is okay and will be home soon. I eat the roll I made for my packed tea (we set off at 4 and weren’t going to get home till 10).
Ten minutes later my hubby calls back. He’s home and he’s worked out what went on. Turns out his mobile will send a set of messages if you press the on/off button 3 times quickly. He’d put a mercury thermometer into his pocket next to it. They were intimate!
He tries it out again and lo, it happens, fortunately this time the messages are more humorous and not sent from a dark pocket.
I breathe again!
PS : The bugger tried it out this morning too, to show the guys at work what happened. Bless him!