Not for the first time that night, Ed wondered what Alexander Graham Bell would have made of the caller; recommended castration in all probability. Too good for the little fuck in Ed's opinion, but at least that train of thought had given him a name for the caller: Eugene.

He picked up the receiver.

‘This is the police. We're coming to arrest ya, ya Jewish twat.

‘Get yer skinless cock out of yer wife's cunt, ya dirty bastard. You should be fuckin' dead with all the rest of ‘em.'

Ed put the receiver down next to his pillow while Eugene ranted on. There must be some way to catch him out. So far the number had always been withheld and any attempt to get into some sort of conversation was ignored. Eugene just continued his stream of abuse whatever Ed tried to say.

Ed picked up the receiver again.

‘We're gonna burn yer fuckin' house down, Jew boy.'

‘Not that it matters, but we're not Jewish,' said Ed.

‘.....dirty whore of a wife.'

Ed put the receiver down and dialled 1471. As each time before, the pleasant recorded voice told him the number had been withheld.

‘Ring the operator Ed-babe,' pleaded Kath. ‘They can block this sort of thing. I can't cope with this anymore. That's the fourth or fifth time tonight.'

Ed sighed. If he blocked the calls, he'd never catch Eugene out. But he knew Kath was right. They couldn't go on like this. He rang the operator and initiated the Choose to Refuse service. While BT refused to admit they knew what number Eugene was calling from, their computer was clever enough to know which number to block. Ed laid back on the bed in frustration.

‘What would you have done if you'd found out anyway?' asked Kath.

‘I don't know, frightened him. Nothing probably. I don't know.'

‘I do: nothing. Go to sleep Ed, it's finished.'

Kath turned her back to him, a clear sign the conversation was over. Her apparent lack of interest wasn't motivated through lack of care, just total fatigue - and fear. She didn't even want to know what Eugene said anymore. Ed laid back and resigned himself to the fact he'd never find out who it was and have the pleasure of ramming him face first into a brick wall and then giving him a good kicking. Kath was probably right though, he'd probably have done nothing except for ring the police. Just as sleep was approaching, the phone rang.

‘Ya fucking Jewish wanker. It's a bit harder than that. Ya shiny nobbed tosser. I'm gonna meet yer daughter at the school gate tomorrow. I'm gonna go round there and rape her.'

Ed slammed the phone down, unable to answer Eugene. He could take all the abuse about himself, his wife even, but anything about his daughter hit him like a sledgehammer. He tried 1471, not so much in hope, but out of habit.

‘Kath! The stupid bastard's used his mobile now he can't ring on his landline. He's forgotten to withhold his number.'

Ed scrabbled for a pen and wrote the number down on the inside cover of the novel he was reading. Just as he'd finished the phone started ringing again.

‘You Jewish cunt. Don't you dare put the phone down on me.'

‘07710045215. You stupid bastard. I knew I'd get you.'

The line went dead.   



A note about BT

BT Choose to Refuse. Would you believe, the BT computer knows which number to bar, but their operators pretend that it is impossible to retrieve the number? I'm not the most technically minded, but that does seem odd.

Further, while BT provide a free facility for people to withhold their number and make disturbing calls, they charge a monthly fee to block particular incoming calls. Seems wrong to me.