Facial Recognition Disconnect

I had another of these facial recognition brain failures the other day. I was at Starbucks, sitting outside talking with Hendra during his breaktime. Hendra, as I've mentioned previously, recently broke up with his girlfriend, Ratih, and the three of us had very often sat together and chatted. 

Well, it happened that while we talked, Hendra connected with a young woman on video call, and he turned the screen to me so that I could say hi. 

"Oh, hi, Ratih," I said. 

"Pak Will! That's not Ratih!" 

I look again. And I say, "Yes it is."

Lol. 

"No, Pak Will!" 

"Huh? Really? Are you sure?" 

"Yes! I'm sure! This is Ayu."

Well, I muttered something about how all Indonesians look the same--quick cover-up for senility, I guess. 

The thing is, the woman really is not Ratih. She really doesn't look much like Ratih at all. So why has my brain jumped to the conclusion that Ayu is Ratih? Why has it not instantly recognized the difference between one woman and another? Is it because I am accustomed to seeing Hendra and Ratih together--like, if this is Hendra, that must be Ratih. Yet, how has my brain happened to skip over the evidence of my own eyes? 

Oh well. It provides a moment of humor. For others.