Uninvited Guest

She had to interrupt, but they didn't have to like it.

She came to the Smirta household and stayed for more than an hour – 94 minutes to be exact. Nameless and faceless, she interrupted at regular intervals and in between serenaded them with upbeat and soothing music.

Greta and Richard tolerated her and her monotonous spiel only because they needed her to be there. When she ceased to exist is when Richard would interact and deal with it, but not a second sooner.

It was a shock to listen to her drone on, but what could they do?

Today, she was essential for them to do business. Otherwise, no work would get done. As it was, little to no work was being accomplished in her presence and she was a distraction – a necessary one at this point, but still a distraction.

Soon she’d be gone and the Smirtas could resume their lives.

Just after the Smirtas prayed over their meal, her voice changed completely to a him, “Thank you for calling tech support. This is Ron. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

“Ron, you caught me just as I took a bite,” Richard said. “Finally glad to speak to a human. The name’s Richard Smirta. s-m-i-r-t-a, Smirta. Nice to hear a human for a change.”

“I get that a lot,” Ron said. “How can I help you?”

And just like that, her faceless voice was gone.

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