I blocked a random caller and I don’t know how to feel.

For the last couple years (even before Covid) I got these random calls from an older lady (let’s call her Barbra). Typically it would be once or twice a month and she would ask for another lady (let’s call her Alice). Sometimes I would miss these calls and Barbra would leave these long drawn out voicemails about how much she missed Alice and hopped she was doing well. A few times I would pick up and let Barbra know she has the wrong number, to which she would apologize and carry on. But she still called and I would either remind her again or miss the call and listen to another super long voicemail for Alice. This got even worse during the beginning of Covid in 2020. Barbra would note her concern for Alice and hope she was doing well and would state that she “missed her” and would ask if “she was doing okay”.

I continued to remind her when I could she had the wrong number and she needs to talk to her friends and get the correct number to get in touch with Alice, but she simply wouldn’t or someone insisted it’s my number she needs. Fast forward to this morning, I’m awoken by another call from Barbra. I once again told her she has the wrong number, to which she again apologized. But this time she called again, not but 5 minutes later to ask again. This time I let it go to voicemail and she still thinks I’m Alice.

I have come to conclusion that no matter what I do there is no way I can through to Barbra that I am not Alice and this is not Alice’s number. So I blocked her number and I feel a little guilty. On the one hand, I tried. I tried to get Barbra to understand I am not Alice. Additionally, this has been going on for too long. On the other hand, while I have never seen Barbra I can tell by her tone she is an older lady and I do not look at what she is doing as malicious. I think she simply does not understand or is typing these numbers wrong on her phone. In listening to and speaking with her I don’t believe she has dementia or anything like that. It genuinely seems like there is a strong lack of understanding and that’s what’s allowed this to continue as long as it has.

So to that end, I blocked her number. I want her to be able to talk to Alice but it’s clearly not happening. To that same token, making the assumptions I have on age and clear lack of understanding. But what if it is misinterpreted? What if Barbra has still not come to the conclusion that she has not been trying to call Alice all this time and she honestly thinks her friend has blocked her number and comes to the assumption that Alice doesn’t want to talk to her? What if it becomes a huge thing the next time they see each other and this effectively destroys their relationship? What if this all happens and they can’t reconcile before one passes?

I know this is stretch and maybe it’s all crazy, but in the back of my mind the thought lingers that an old lady somewhere will take it too far and think the absolute worst of someone who had nothing to do with any of this. I hope that it isn’t the case and just becomes something everyone laughs at, but at the same time there could be an extreme as well.

Tl;Dr - for the last couple years I have gotten calls from an old lady trying to reach her friend but I had to block her to prevent it from continuing. Now I’m concerned of the consequences of what might happen.