Fruitcake call

Last Friday night, about 10 o'clock, I got a strange phone call. [Now those of you who know me, or if you've just read some of my past adventures, know this could go anywhere.] So anyway, I leaned over and looked at the caller ID and I was a bit taken aback. The name/number that showed up was the parents of a young lady that I dated for a (too) brief but (too) intense period of time almost 4 YEARS AGO! I couldn't figure out why she'd be calling, from her parents' house no less, but I figured it wasn't good.

When I picked up the phone, though, it wasn't Allie (not her real name); it was Allie's dad! Now keep in mind, her parents really liked me and I always got along well with them. In fact, after the courtship was over, her folks called up and left a touching, yet slightly disturbing, happy birthday message on my answering machine. Still, that was the last time I'd heard from her folks in about 3.5 years. Needless to say, I was a bit discombobulated. The dad made small talk for a couple of minutes -- asking if my parents had any damage from the TN storms a week or so ago, asking about Dad and his horses, and finally bringing up Mom's fruitcake. That was it. The whole conversation lasted less than 4 minutes and Allie's name was never mentioned once.

The only (sort of) logical explanation I can come up with is that this was a fruitcake call. I've heard tell (mainly from my friend, Stella) of the post-breakup booty call, but I think this was a fruitcake call. See my mom makes a killer fruitcake. I'm not a fan of the fruitcake, but Mom's is an exception. Seriously, it is yummy and during our time together I remember that Allie and I took some of my mom's fruitcake to her dad. I had forgotten, but he did like it -- a lot! So this past Friday night he mentioned that he and his wife had seen something on TV about fruitcakes and that got them to thinking about my mom's cake. End result -- they called to talk about Mom's fruitcake. Like a booty call, I think he may have been trying to plant a (metaphorical) seed -- especially since he signed off with a come see us.

Though the conversation lasted about 3 minutes, my confusion lasted much longer. First, how did he get my new number given that he didn't even know I'd moved away from Huntsville? Second, why the heck was he calling? Third, if he did have an ulterior motive, why make the call so short? Assuming it was a fruitcake call, though, it may have worked. I mentioned it to Mom and she asked, "Do I need to make him one?" Of course Mom would make him a cake a day if she thought that might get her a daughter-in-law, but I told her I didn't think so. Still, I know Mom and I expect that sometime during the holiday season, she will give me a fruitcake and tell me to take it to him.

We'll see, but if this is an omen of Christmas present, this may be an odd holiday season.