The undependable nature of man

Written in response to: Write about a character who feels like they're cut off from something.... view prompt

3 comments

Fiction Contemporary Christian

The world is turning. God is all perfect and gave His creature a bit of His perfection. God gave man the wisdom to create things but man had refused to pay reverence to Him. People had forgotten the creator and worshipped His creation. God need man to always respect and acknowledge Him at all time and that is why some certain things happen in order to draw us back to our creator. Man had turned themselves to slaves of the social media. Man turned social media to their God. The day opened with Tina on the bed. Tina rolled away her blanket,yawned and rubbed her face. She checked the time and scurried quickly to the bathroom. She got dressed in a pink long sleeves and black skirt. She sat on a chair in the living room and placed her laptop on her lap. Tina was a online teacher in a prestigious high school. She powered on her laptop and immediately headed for Facebook in order to greet her husband and kids. Tina off and on her cellular data when the Facebook refused to load. She hit her device with her hands and cross checked it for any fault.she checked her data connection.

'I have a good connection and my setting is okay so what's hindering from logging in to Facebook. Maybe I should give it some time, mean while, I will go and prepare coffee. Social media is not what we should rely on. Have we ever thought of life without social media.My life ,work ,food, family and clothing depend on the social media. I'm actually talking to my self', Tina said and stood up. Tina entered the kitchen and sounds of utensils and cups were heard. She returned to the living room with a cup of coffee and sat. Tina sipped and tried logging in to Facebook.

'Why has Facebook refused to turn on',Tina switched her laptop on and off for several times and likewise her data connection.'Oh God .I can't access my Facebook.This is 8.0 a.m.I have to start my online work.Let me move to Whatsapp to begin work. Oh no! Whatsapp, don't do this to me.come on.'Tina was frustrated. 'I can't access my Whatsapp again.This isn't funny'.

'What is going on', Tina said again. She paced around her living room and raced her hands through her hair. She took her laptop and tried logging in to Facebook and WhatsApp but failed.

'How am I going to cope with out the social media.My family are in different part of the world and it's only through the social media I can talk to them. My children', Tina said. She was moving around her living room in an insane manner.She rushed to the kitchen and took a knife.She pointed the knife to her throat.

'Death is a better option.Allow me to do this. I want to kill myself because I don't have anything to live for again', Tina broke down in tears.She put down knife and knelt down as if touched by a thought. She stood and reached for her window,scrolled her curtain and watched as youths and children cuddled their phones to their chest. Tina thought of her friend.

'I think I should go and see Rachel.'

Tina jammed her door and walked along the dirty and noisy street. She knocked on an aluminum door of a bungalow.

'Where will I start.This is nothing but rapture',a woman voice was heard from within.

'Rachel', Tina called and placed her left ear on the door.'We are together in this mess and we can go through it'.

'Who are you', Rachel retorted

'I'm your best friend',Tina replied

.'I am addicted. I am mad I don't know.'

I can help you with that', Tina answered and pushed the door. Tina was frightened as she saw Rachel in tattered cloth lying on the floor. Rachel rolled herself on the floor to meet Tina.Tina moved backward in fear.

'I tore my cloth with blade.l lost my family.l lost everything.l want to see my children who are just eight and ten years old.My husband is in The Gambia while my children are in Egypt while I'm in Nigeria . I can't reach my children again due to no connection.Who know if my kids can connect to their dad? I don't want anyone to tell me anything,'Rachel said

' l am also like you',tears dripped down Tina's face.'All my life depend on the social media but I believe that there is a life beyond the social media and we have to prepare for it. I'm not sorry to say that maybe this is the beginning.We can't access the social media doesn't mean it's the end of our lives'.

'No', Rachel disagreed.'There is no life without the social media.My life is stucked to it',She hit her head on the floor.

'No , Rachel, don't do this to yourself and l.Then,lf our forefathers could survive without the social media,now,we can too.Rachel,come on',Tina said and bent down to raise her up.

'Leave me or else I will harm you'.'

'No.I can't allow you to hurt your self',Tina grabbed Rachel's hands.Rachel held Tina's leg and bit it Tina screamed as she struggled to free her leg.Tina ran away from Rachel and was walking back home.A boy of about nine years walked up to her.He was hitting his phone .

'Please excuse me ma.I don't know if I am the only one facing this problem but I can't access Facebook'.the boy said

'We are facing similar problem'

'So,I can't chat with my friends.l can't study online.l can't watch comedy'.

'I am so sorry about that but there many of your friends who were also cut off.So, don't feel that you're the only child in this mess.l am also a victim'.

'we are not the same because young people are more addicted to the social media than the old people.I can't stay without Facebook', the boy said unhappily.

Tina placed her hand on his shoulder.

'But what about a person who lost her family and means of livelihood as a result of this lost connection.What is happening teaches us that there is only one person who can't fail us and that is God',Tina educated.'

'No!No!Exclude me from that',the boy yelled and ran away.

'Come',Tina shouted.Tina was feeling sleepy as the cool evening breeze touched her skin, but suddenly became alert when she heard distant voices.

'Mummy, my iPhone is useless without the social media.Social media relieves me from the hardship of life and keeps me going through life',

'Don't worry ,Ben.The problem will be fixed',his mom replied.'

'I pray so'

Tina entered her house and curled herself on her bed.

'I can't connect with my loved ones again ',She said and sat up.She couldn't listen to the radio because of the noise it produced.'Ah,we have been cut off',Tina sobbed and slept off. The dawn of another new day.Tina woke up and tried logging in to Facebook and Instagram but failed.She rushed to the mirror.

'I didn't eat through out yesterday.My eyes are red and swollen from too much crying.'

There was a shout from the street and Tina heart skipped.She rushed to the scene where there was a crowd of people .

'What happened',Tina enquired from an ederly woman.

The woman answered,'It is a boy called Ben. He hanged himself because of the absent of social media'.

'What?Oh my God.He was the boy whose voice I heard yesterday',

'His mother is that woman rolling herself on the ground',the ederly woman said.

'What of me.How am I sure that my two daughters are okay',Tina said and wailed.

The ederly woman comforted Tina,'I am sure that they will be fine.Be optimistic about your kids'.

'Thank you so much'.Tina saw a troop of young people with banners who were protesting.

'We want back our Facebook

We want back Instagram

We want back Whatsapp

Bring back our connection',the protesters sang.

Tina watched and listened with half opened mouth.Tina ran toward the protesters and climbed a car.

'Listen young people.I understand and I have felt how painful it is to be cut off from something you have been with in your whole life','Tina said

'If you do,then allow us to continue',the protesters replied.

'No'

'We have lost our sanity because of this disconnection'

'We have lost money '

'We can't study again'

'It is only the social media that makes us happy'

'We can't talk with our families as a result of this'

'We can't watch funny video and movies'.

'You all are right.We have been cut off from the rest of the world but we should not live as if it is the end of our life because there is life after the social media.What is happening shows us that the things of man are unreliable and undependable.'






October 13, 2021 10:06

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3 comments

Keya Jadav
14:12 Oct 19, 2021

Hi Faith, This is a good story in considering it your first one, with a deep lesson. I believe greater experience and ample reading would truly highlight the talent hidden under the surface. I kinda felt that Tina and Rachel over-reacted a bit, dominating the reality element of the story. A little attention towards capitalization, determiners and spacing could take your story to a better height. Effort well made. :)

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16:34 Oct 19, 2021

I really appreciate you for reading the story and for your comment.I am grateful for your corrrection.

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10:12 Oct 13, 2021

A fascinating story

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