Communication





Communication between the generations has always had its problems:

“Darren shows me the screen of his mobile phone and after squinting at it for some time, both with my glasses on and then off, I make out the following:

C U LTR @ JX

“Cultrajux?” I venture.

“No Nan, it says `see you later at Jack`s`”

“It does?” I say, in genuine astonishment.

He then goes on to explain all about text messaging and how leaving out the vowels makes it quicker. I don`t have the heart to tell him that speedwriting has been around for decades.”

And as for mobile phones when you get to a certain age when your eyes aren't so sharp and your fingers less nimble than they used to be:

“I finally get the phone to a position where I can `dial` the number but the buttons are so small that it takes me an eternity to press each one. I daren`t make a mistake, each time you press a number it comes up on the screen and I`ve no idea how you rub them out if you go wrong. At this rate Marion will be home before I get through to her. With a final effort of will the last digit is confirmed and I hold the phone to my ear.

Nothing happens, no ringing sound, no dialling tone, nothing. I look at it in mute fury and it looks blankly back at me. Maybe I have to press the green telephone symbol; or should I press the red one? Maybe that`s for emergencies?; or what`s this blue button for? But if I press any of them then I might have to go through all that rigmarole with the numbers again. I don`t know what to do!”

But as Darren's nan finds out when she has a fall, there is more than one way to summon help with a mobile phone.

Extracts from “Communication”, Short Story #1 from



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