There's something about the convenience of the digital age that makes us a little too confident. You know that feeling when your fingers are faster than your brain, and your phone becomes a magic wand for both miracles and mistake? Yeah, that's exactly how I ended up with N10,000 worth of airtime.... on the wrong SIM.... and very much by accident.
It was an ordinary day, and I was multitasking as usual - probably responding to messages, checking emails, and pretending to be productive. Somewhere in the middle of that chaos, I decided to top up my line with a little airtime. Just a small N1,000 recharge to keep things going. Only my brain had other plans -or rather, no plans at all- because I somehow managed to tap in an extra zero.
N1,000 became N10,000 in the blink of an eye.
The app cheerfully confirmed the transaction and I just sat there staring at the screen like "What did I just do?", my heart sank. I felt the kind of regret that tastes like cold garri with no sugar. I even tried to console myself by thinking "Well, at least it wasn't to the wrong number". Small mercies, right?
The real kicker? The airtime went to a secondary SIM. Not my main line. Not the one I use every day. Just this quiet SIM card that now had the calling power of a telecom CEO.
I considered all my options. I thought about sharing it, I thought about cying, I even thought about converting it to data and watching movies till my phone begged for rest. But eventually, I decided to try and sell it off. And that's where my dad came in.
I casually brought it up to him, like, "I have N10,000 airtime, if you're planning to recharge soon, I can sell it you, Mr. Maze"
I expected a lecture or maybe a bit of scolding (which did come), but he agreed. Later that evening, he sent me the money without saying much. Just like that. I felt like I'd pulled off the ultimate hustle -even if I was hustling my own father.
So no, it wasn't a gift. It was an accidental transaction turned family airtime business deal. He got his recharge, I got my money back, and I walked away from my mistake with only a mild embarrassment and a solid life lesson.
Moral lesson? Double-check before you press pay.
image was generated using META AI