Would you…

…answer a ringing phone in a booth?

I would, because I’m nosey. And I did, this morning.

Admittedly I hesitated as some horror movie came to mind. But come on, this is real life, on the beach, at just after nine in the morning. Too early for weirdoes. Too early for me too, but I’ll grumble about that another time.

And the man was soooooooo thrilled I’d picked up. He didn’t seem to notice my embarrassed tone as he jibbered his thanks and begged me not to put the phone down (it seems a few people do). Then he asked for help.

Not the best timing as I had only twenty-five minutes to walk the dog and get to parenting class. But I listened, and the story was mildly romantic.

He’s in London, but had been in the island a few weeks ago and met this girl. In fact if I turned around and looked down the car park, I would see the black gates with green bins that stand in front her building, he told me.

I turned and sure enough, they were there. He asked if I could see the three balconies and to look for the one on the left. Yep, the blinds were drawn.

As I nodded and made all the right sounds, he explained that he had this girls mobile number but that it had been cut off, and now he had no way of contacting her.

Would I mind shouting up to her window, and telling her he was on the phone? He’d wait.

How could I say no? So like a fifteen year old sneaking somewhere she shouldn’t, I let myself into the garden and stood feeling like a plank as I shouted, “Catherine,” at her window.

But it was to no avail and I returned to the caller without his lady.

He sounded disappointed, and I so was I.

I think he could tell I’m a soft touch, cause he hesitated some and then asked if I’d possibly be kind enough to ring on her doorbell.

The dog looked at me from the boot of the car. Big brown pleading eyes. But this might be true love! I couldn’t just walk away.

He gave me the flat number and I ran through the gardens and around to the car park to find the front door, all the while he was holding on the phone.

I rang three times, wishing the bloody woman would appear so I might have a nice ending for this tale, and Allan (the man on the phone) would be reunited with his love.

Poor Allan sounded even more desolate when I returned empty handed. And I really hate disappointing people.

So I offered to leave Catherine a note.

He was over the moon and gave me the entry code for the building, so I could slip it under her door.

Unfortunately I didn’t have a pen and paper on me at that moment and Allan’s phone bill was mounting steadily. I couldn’t take his number.

But later I did go and write Catherine a note, telling her how desperate he is to get in touch and how I came to be involved.

It felt a odd navigating around a building I hadn’t been invited into, but I found her door, and slipped it under.

Regrettably I didn’t sign it or leave my number, and am now kicking myself because I’ll never know how it turns out for them.

Of course he might be a long distance stalker and the girl has had her phone cut off on purpose, and is now considering moving too.

I’ll never know (unless he tracks her down and hacks her to pieces, in which case there'll probably be an appeal for the note writing accomplice). But I’m happy anyway because he sounded so pleased and even called me a sweetheart for my efforts.

The dog however, did not.