In a world were technology is thriving by the day, no one wants to be left out. I can still clearly recall the time the government announced and allowed the entry of mobile phones into my country. There was jubilation everywhere, well at least in my part of the city. No more land lines, yay!
The phones were small and they came with keypads but people never minded that as they paid heftily to acquire one. My mom paid about fifty thousand naira just to get one nokia 3310 model phone. It came with an mtn sim pack. The good news was that she used the phone for business and got twice her money spent in just one month...sweet right?*
I remember that back then I used to long for a phone for myself. It wasn't because of communication purpose alone, it was just to satisfy that feeling of belonging to the clique of phone owners in town, but my wish wasn't forthcoming.
Soon enough, I watched how those keypad phones got pushed to the back by the advent of smart phones. Phones without keypads but touch screens and my desire intensified. Good thing was that I was already working and earning a monthly remuneration, so this time my desire to own a phone became backed up with action.
I joined some colleagues at work to save aside a portion of our salaries and hand it over to one person at a time until it goes round the group. We commonly called this cooperative. When it was my turn to be given, I knew immediately like I knew my name, what I would use the money for? You guessed right..., I went to a phone shop and got a phone for myself.
I remember counting twelve thousand five hundred naira into the hands of the sales rep as she documented the slaes in her ledger and on my receipt. Then I waited with bated breath as she packed up the phone in a customized nylon bag and handed it to me. She also gave me some instructions like make sure to charge it first before using it and * go through the manual booklet for mor e information.* bla, bla bla....
Well, I think I heard her cautions but I was like a girl in love, who would not listen to any advice. All I wanted to do was to be alone in my room and decipher how to operate my new "love". I could not wait to get home as I walked with giddy steps, swinging the nylon bag back and forth, for all who cared...... to see.
Finally when I got home and locked myself in, I jumped up in glee before recalling the words of the sales rep to charge the phone first and that I did as there was power supply. As the phone charged, I took out the manual booklet and began to peruse it so as to get acquainted with the phone's system. I was all smiles while reading that one would think that I was reading a love letter. In a matter of minutes, I already had a fair knowledge on how to use my new phone, a nokia asha 305 series smart phone.
I couldn't believe that I was now a phone owner and I couldn't wait also to go display it like a trophy at work the next day. When the phone was fully charged with the off screen displaying 100%, I switched it on as per the manual's instructions and the familiar nokia tone with the joining of two hands display that cut across the screen, brought more happiness to my heart. That night, I didn't want to sleep but when nature called me to bed, I did the only thing I felt was right....I slept with my phone next to my pillow with one hand gripped to it, just in case it was all a dream. Believe me I slept and dreamt that I was operating the phone pretty well and since then I have handled phones pretty well 😁😁.
Thank you for reading. This is my entry to the #indiaunitedweeklycontest #13. Feel free to participate here
Images are mine.