I have had quite a lot of experiences in school, but one of the craziest happened in my final year in secondary school. At that time, I decided to sneak a small Itel phone into the hostel. My main reason was simple — I just wanted to feel connected to the outside world while I was in school. I had bought the phone for 15,000 naira before resumption. It was very small, which made it easier to hide and use without attracting attention.
On the day I was going back to school, I hid the phone carefully inside my box, and I was able to take it into the hostel successfully without anyone noticing. That alone felt like a huge achievement for me because I knew how strict the school was about phones. For some time, I kept it to myself, but later I told a few of my close friends that I had a phone with me. I used it mostly at night or during quiet periods. Browsing with it wasn’t even smooth because the network in our school environment was very poor, but I didn’t mind — the little connection I got was enough to make me happy.
Everything was going fine until one day we suddenly heard that the school authorities had sent some people to search all the hostels. The moment I heard that announcement, my heart started beating fast. I knew the risk. If they found that phone with me, it could be seized, and I might even be suspended or expelled. I didn’t have time to think properly because they were already moving from one hostel to another.
Out of fear and tension, I quickly brought out the phone and hid it inside one of the clothes we had spread on the line outside. In my mind, it was the safest place because I believed no one would think of searching there. When they finally came to our hostel, they searched everywhere — boxes, lockers, bags. They found things like Indomie and other items that were not allowed and wrote down the names of the students involved. Throughout the search, I was just standing there, pretending to be calm, but inside me I was very scared.
When they left and I realised they didn’t check where I hid the phone, the relief I felt was massive. I was so happy and proud of myself for thinking fast. I honestly believed I had escaped the whole situation and i was free from trouble.
But that happiness didn’t last.
As soon as things settled, I went back to the clothesline to retrieve my phone, only to discover that it was no longer there. At first, I thought I was mistaken about the exact spot, so I checked again and again. Then i realised that someone had taken it.
The feeling that came over me that moment was terrible. I was sad, frustrated, and completely helpless. I searched everywhere and asked around, but I couldn’t find it. The most painful part was that I couldn’t even report the case to anyone because the phone itself was contraband. I had broken the school rule by bringing it in, so there was no way to complain.
That day, I just kept blaming myself for not keeping the phone in a safer place . What I thought was my smartest move ended up costing me the very thing I was trying to protect. It was actually a day i won't forget but then i learnt my lesson.
Thanks for reading.
