Blocked

Before the recent court ruling that one's mobile phone number is part of their identification and cannot be recycled back into circulation if its not in use for a period of six months, it wasn't unusual to receive creepy calls or texts from a number of someone who long kicked the proverbial bucket.

I've on two occasions been victim of same. 

Its a weird experience. Think of it like communicating with someone in the afterlife. 

The other day, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I saw someone we interred months ago liking my WhatsApp status updates. I was totally speechless, nay, dumbfounded.

I decided to test the waters, and engage the number, clearly aware the good book tells us there's no communication between the living and the dead.

ME: Hi Frank. How's it being on the other side?

(At this point, my heartbeat was at 120 beats per second. Breath suspended. Head dizzy. Mouth dry).

"FRANK": I'm not Frank, I'm using his phone and line as a way of preserving his memory.

(Was that a sigh of relief I heaved heavily? Man, I realized a watery stool was on verge of dripping down my legs).

By the time I was coming to my senses, I realized everything was looking surreal. Had I taken a quick peek into the other world unknowingly?

I'm sure others, like me, sees "Frank" updating his statuses from time to time, and wondering why the images are worldly and not the unworldly ones showcasing images of either streets paved with gold, mansions of mind-blowing architectural designs that no humans can attempt, or the fiery lake of sulphur and brimstones where damned souls are.

Sometimes engaging the living more than the dead brings out their true characters, or their colours manifest in a way you never knows.

A friend tells me he would rather engage with strangers like on social media that people he knows. Virtual friends, to him, are way better than real ones.

Lose a job and reach out to that known friend. You've just given that friend the needed ammunition to finish you at your hour of need. But that stranger can be your destiny connector.

I've experienced this too. You're likely to be put in Block D by that friend than that stranger. That friend will give you less than ten seconds if you call, but that stranger will be attentive and understanding. They can even chat you nightlong.

Same can be said with close family members or relatives. No one has time for you. The only time you matters is when you're loaded. Is when you're there to offer that solution to their financial needs. 

Lose a job or hit the lows of life? Your circle of friends thins out. That prosperous friend you reach out to blocks you. In short, as a man, huna nyota! (unlucky).

Life happens. We pick pieces and move on. We learn daily how others judge us based on their reactions even on a simple request. To some, your greetings can be more of an insult because to them you're more of a vermin. You're that pest that needs to be fumigated as you're like an irritant to their lives.

Move on. Focus on rebuilding your brand or yourself. Nothing is permanent in this world. Riches are fleeting. Money develops wings and flies away.

I pen this while recuperating. And in the duration of being unwell, only one person kept me "alive". A stranger I've never met, and who kept me engaged in the darkest hour as we chatted on nearly everything under the sun, from weather, sports, to politics.

Au revoir!