I used to know a few people that didn’t have phones… it was sort of weird to call the numbers of their friends’ places and leave messages for them to call me back when they got a chance! (that is, if they ever called back at all, which is an entirely different story)
But if he’s poor, doesn’t have a phone, and is presumably calling you from his friends’ places, does the number on your call display change accordingly? Or maybe he just calls from one specific place; who knows?
I’d say that you call him, except that it might be ill-advised if he has some explaining to do to other people, or the numbers are those of his friends. So, I have no real advice… sorry, Scott.
But I hate people who call me and don’t leave messages when my answering machine is actually turned on, too. Luckily, I also have call display, which allows me to call them back (if I recognize the number; I’m not calling some strange number) and ask why they called me in the first place. (of course, if it’s my brother’s number that shows up on the call display, I hope my mother didn’t call me… whole other story there)