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A Call to the Queen
Those of you who have known me for some time
and/or have read my book, “Running
For The 2:10”, know that while in
high school, I worked for the phone company as a long distance operator. As reminder and introduction to this story,
here is an excerpt to set the stage:
“My first job was as a long distance operator at
the phone company. This was back in the
day when there were “boards” and “plug-ins” and one had to call the operator to
place a long-distance call. As a high school student, I attended classes four
hours per day and worked four hours per day under the Oakland Public Schools,
“Outside Work Experience” or OWE program.
The
phone company was a harsh place to work back then. The operators were mostly women and all of
our movements during the workday were strictly monitored. We sat on stools in a windowless galley-like
room facing the board while waiting for the lights to appear indicating a call
to the operator. Then we would plug into
that light and say ever so sweetly, “Operator.”
We would then connect the caller to the number they were calling with another
plug and a light would show on the console to indicate conversation. When the console light went off, it meant the
conversation was over and then we would promptly unplug the in and out
connections.”
It was in this daily grind of a job, in the summer of 1967,
I was handpicked to arrange a long-distance call I will never forget.
With my supervisor plugged in and standing right next to me
to monitor my every word, I was told to plug in to a certain light on the board
with my incoming cord. There, an unknown
caller was waiting to place a person-to-person call.
“Hello, this is the operator. How may I help you?”
A cheery male voice replied, “Oh hi there. I would like to place a person-to-person call
to Aretha Franklin at area xxx, number xxx-xxxx.
I had not been nervous at first. But when he said “Aretha
Franklin” I almost fell off my stool, much to my supervisor’s amusement. Remember, I was only 16 years old at this
point and the closest I had ever gotten to Miss Franklin was singing R-E-S-P-E-C-T
in the living room with my sisters or trying my best to mimic the torturous
love I knew nothing about when I sang “I Ain’t Never Loved A Man “ at the
school talent show.
And since the call was person-to person, I had to have the
name of the other person and managed to ask, “And whom may I say is calling?”
The male voice replied not with a name but with a phone
number. I looked at my supervisor in
fear and frustration and she just nodded her wigged head in the yes position,
which meant, “Go with that because it’s all you are going to get.”
And so, I placed the connected plug into the outgoing light
and dialed Aretha Franklin’s number. By
then, I had climbed down off the stool and was standing at the board. No way I could sit down for this.
The phone rang once, then twice and I thought no one would
pick up and I would never get this opportunity again. Then on the third ring,
“Hello,” a young child’s voice spoke loudly into the
phone. There was a lot of chatter and
laughter in the background. It almost
sounded like a party, but as I waited I was able to listen closer and realized
it sounded more like just a gathering of family. A big, talkative and happy family.
“Hello. This is the
long distance operator.” I was smooth as glass.
“I have a person- to-
person call for Miss Aretha Franklin from phone number xxx-xxx-xxxx..” Without
another word, the phone landed with a thud on some hard surface. I thought we were done.
Then after a few seconds, another “Hello” in that
unmistakable sweet and lyrical voice I knew belonged to the Queen herself.
I swallowed hard. Twice.
Back to smooth I said,
“This is the long distance operator. I have a person- to -person call from phone
number xxx-xxx-xxxx for Miss Aretha Franklin.”
“This is Aretha Franklin.”
“Hey Ree”, the male voice said.
“Hey…..”, she said as I did my professional duty and flipped
the microphone off, leaving them to have their private conversation.
I took other calls during my shift that day, but had one eye on that magic light the
whole time. The conversation went on for about fifteen
minutes before the light went off and I could unplug the call.
I never knew who the caller was and my supervisor never gave
any hints. I did ask her why they picked
me to do the call and she said,
“Because these grown chicks who work here would have kept
those numbers and who knows what they would have done with them. I knew you wouldn’t mess it up.”
“But you were there the whole time! How would I have done
that anyway?”
She looked me in the eye and said, “ Please, I wouldn’t have
missed the chance to hear Aretha’s real life voice!”
From the real life voice of the “Queen of Soul” to my ear
for if only for a second, it will stay forever and ever in my heart.
Copyright © 2018 by Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte
