The taste of Mama Idy's bole (roasted plantain) and beans filled my taste buds. My hands were tightly gripped around my phone. I was so engrossed with the latest trending gist online. Anita and Chike's voices filled the background. But I paid no attention to what they were saying. We were sitting at Mama Idy’s buka, the smell of fried fish floating in the air, when Anita pointed her fork at me.
“This girl, do you know you’re a voluntary hostage to that phone in your hands?”
I shook, realizing they've been calling me and trying to get my attention since. I glanced at them with a smile on my face, but my attention was still focused on the phone. “Hostage? That's harsh na. How can an inanimate object hold me hostage?”
Chike laughed. “Says someone who's always glued to her phone even in church.”
"I've been calling you for the past hour and a half now. But you're so engrossed in that little object." Anita said.
I finally placed the phone on the table. “It's not that serious na.”
"It is," Chike replied, slurping on some oil floating on top of his food. "Prove to me that you can go a day without your phone and I'll buy your lunch all through next week." He said.
Anita raised one eyebrow in that slow, mocking way of hers. Then she laughed so hard that people stared at us. “She won't even survive one hour na.” She tapped Chike playfully.
"And if she loses she owes me lunch for a week?" Chike laughed, his spoon never left his mouth.
Deal,” I said, folding my arms. “One day without my phone." I stretched my hands for a shake.
They froze and stared at me like I wasn't sure of what I was doing.
Finally, Chike shook on it. "Deal."
The next morning, they made sure to watch me immediately when I woke up. I on the other hand,. Switched off my phone, dropped it on the table in the corner, and walked away. I didn't want to be tempted by it.
The first few minutes were easy for me. I dug myself into house chores although there was limited work in our little apartment. I made sure to invent new chores all in the bid to kill time. I made breakfast. I cleaned the windows. I hummed an old song to myself. I even swept the whole compound.
But by the time I was done, I realised I still had a long time to go without my phone. My hands began to itch, and my brain longed for my phone. For the trending gist online. I fought myself to stay cool. I wasn't going to fall for it and prove to Chike and Anita that I was truly a hostage to my phone. Besides, they were monitoring me closely this time.
By afternoon, I was already muttering to myself. “What if someone’s calling me?”
“Stop talking to yourself,” Anita said from her room. "I can hear you. Resist that urge."
“I’m not,” I replied.
She poked her head out the door and replied. “You are. And just so you know, Chike is watching your every move." She laughed.
I lay in bed staring at the ceiling fan spinning in lazy circles. I tried forcing myself to sleep but couldn't. Gradually, my hands began twitching. I stared at my phone at the table and I could feel it calling out to me. Like a hypnotized being, I stood up without thinking and walked to the table. I grabbed my phone and immediately my breath slowed, my fingers stopped twitching.
Then, without thinking, I pressed the power button.
The screen lit up, bright and familiar. I smiled.
"Just a few minutes and I'll drop it. Anita and Chike won't know."
I tiptoed to my door to lock it shut. But before I could get there. Chike barged into my room calling Anita's name. Like the wind, Anita flew into my room and there I was, standing with my phone I'm my hands.
“Told ya." Anita said, voice sweet with victory, “You're a voluntary hostage to your phone."
I shrugged my shoulders. ”Doesn't even make sense. Is there anything as a voluntary hostage?" I asked looking at Chike for support.
"Yeah. You're just the perfect definition of that." He joked. He turned to leave. "By the way, I want goat meat in my soup for today's lunch." He winked at me laughing.
Anita shook her head and joined him. “She couldn't even make it to lunch.”
I stared at my phone in my hands, its screen flashing with another notification. I walked over to the bed and sat down. Then I threw my phone away from me and stared at it. I smiled faintly, they were right after all.
One thing about chains, sometimes you’re the one holding the key.
[Image Source](https://pixabay.com/photos/phone-iphone-mobile-green-8594571/)