telephone conversation with my dad
This exchange happened a few years ago when I was living with my retired (and more than a little eccentric) dad.

MostlySunny: Hello

Dad: Hello my girl how are you?

MostlySunny: fine thanks

Dad: Good - say - did you buy a tortoise?

MostlySunny: er, no

Dad: are you sure?

MostlySunny: um, yes - fairly sure that I did not buy a tortoise

Dad: because there is a tortoise in the front garden

MostlySunny: oh

Dad: do you know how it got there?

MostlySunny: no...

Dad: It's a mystery - i can't work it out

MostlySunny: Maybe it crawled through the fence from the neighbours

Dad: but how would a tortoise get through a fence?

MostlySunny: er...

Dad: Maybe someone threw it over the wall

MostlySunny: possibly...

Dad: it's a total mystery

MostlySunny: mmm yes

*conversation returned a number of times to the mystery of how the tortoise got into the front garden - I just think it's hilarious that my dad thought that I might have bought a tortoise and then just failed to mention it...*

received a text message later that day "Tortoise turns out to be turtle from next door fishpond"
(MostlySunny, Thu 25 Nov 2010, 12:37, 4 replies)

*suspicious*
That's FAR too long for a dad/son phone call
( Scaryduck LIKES EGG, Thu 25 Nov 2010, 13:16, closed)

And
quite awkward that the son got called "my girl".
( Matth knows what yellow snow tastes like, Thu 25 Nov 2010, 14:14, closed)

and Matth
has it in one!
(MostlySunny, Thu 25 Nov 2010, 14:24, closed)

Maybe..
It was a joke that you just didn't get... "It's a turtle mystery".. Eg "A train exporting tortoises crashed into a lorry carrying terrapins... It was a turtle disaster!"
(Roapey Back, sack and cracked..., Thu 25 Nov 2010, 17:29, closed)