Awkward Conversation: Take 2

Directly after posting the previous entry, I called the house of one of my new students to tell his mom what a great job he did this week. The conversation went as follows:

Me: Hello? Is Ms. White there?
Gruff, Older Voice: HELLO?! (Talking at far beyond normal phone etiquette range.)
Me: Hello?
Gruff, Older Voice: WHAT?!
Me: Ms. White?
G.O.V.: MS. WHITE??! MS. WHITE DONE PASSED AWAY 7 YEARS AGO!
Me: (Thinking, well this is fabulous...) Um, I'm looking for Marlon's mom?...
G.O.V.: WELL WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY TAMMY?!
Me: Um, I didn't want to be informal. (As though, at this point, being informal is apparently more important than bringing up a deceased family member.)
G.O.V.: WELL THIS IS MARLON'S GRANDFATHER. I CAN GIVE YOU TAMMY'S CELL NUMBER IF YOU WANT!
Me: (Thinking, even better- it was probably his wife. Well done Sar.) That would be great. Thanks.

Lessons learned: It is better to be informal than to risk bringing up someone's dead spouse.