The usage of cell phones is like a mystery to the world, especially to the people of Aregbe community. This is a very popular community of the Yoruba culture in Africa. When it comes to technology, they were far behind and the community is supposed to have expanded and become exposed to so many technological tools.
Well, it is sad that they do not allow strangers to come into the land or allow the children or the people of the community to get out of the community.
This is because the fell they are being very careful. Sometime ago, a young boy of that community traveled so he could work and bring all the fortunes of life back to his community but he was brought back dead.
This made the whole people of the community scared.
Who would want to lose a family member or child? No one will ever want to become a victim so the best thing to do is not allowing people to step in or out of their community.
When phones started coming into existence, the White people came into their land. They were welcomed and that was because no one in that community has ever seen someone of that color.
The white people went into their land and went to see the King of the community. Sadly, they could not communicate. The Whites do not understand Yoruba language and the King does not understand English language too so the communication was difficult and it didn’t work at all.
The Whites really wanted to help the people of that community and also wanted to use that as a means of advertising their brand to them.
In the following week, the Whites came again but this time, they came prepared. They had already gone to another community to look for someone who understood Yoruba and English language so the communication will be easier.
The Whites talked about them giving the King and some other prominent people of the community some phones so they could have an easy way of communication instead of sending letters or having to see each other face to face all the time before they can communicate.
The King felt it was a good idea so he accepted the offer. He was a good King so he collected the brand for majority of the people living in that village.
That’s how the community began to enjoy the use of phones until one day that an unfortunate incident happened.
The King wanted to call one of his chiefs one day. He was at the verge of death because he was very ill. He could have called any of the Queens in the palace but he chose not to because he was closer to that particular chief.
The chiefs number wasn’t reachable so he called one of his Queens to call him on his phone. When she called, she heard;
The number you’re trying to call is not available at the moment, please call back later.
Immediately, the King gave up a ghost and that was how the Queen blamed the Whites and sent them out of the land.
It was believed that the voice over was what killed the King. They had no idea that it was just a coincidence and the person talking was trying to let them know that the number they were calling was not reachable.
That’s how they stopped using phones for over ten years because they believed that the phone killed their King and they do not want to die like how the King had died too. That was their mentality. It’s kinda awkward to say or hear that a phone killed someone. That’s how the people of Aregbe community believed that superstition.
After over ten years, another phone brand came to them to give them phones but they rejected it because of the superstition they believed in until they were told that it was just a voice over and their King died due to his ailment and they decided to give it a try again. It was also explained to them that the voice over was just to let them know if the line is switched off or not reachable.
They all used the phone for over three months and nothing happened to anyone so they had to cancel the superstition that phone kills people.
They also allowed the people of their land to go out and explore.
The city began to expand and they so much cherished education.
That’s how the people of Aregbe land began to use phones again after ten years of believing in a superstition.
Gracias!