Problems for old people with new Telkom phones!!!

I am a single seventy eight year old living alone and like to talk to my friend at night on my landline. I used the weekender/evening option which has dissapeared with the new system. Upon an enquiry a Telkom employee told me that there is no options available. Also that there is no decent portable phone available. I was issued a awful phone with bad sound, as big as a house that has got to stay in one place. I have got a very nice Panasonic portable phone, very good sound, small and I could use it anywhere around the house and even outside! We seem to be moving backwards instead of forwards! All I am looking for is to talk to my friend and not to connect all sorts of devices.