THE INFLUENCERS

Desires can change. Moods can change. Behaviors can change. And lastly, life can change. The game changer may be big or small. And when I say that my life changed from my small companion, it is indeed true.

That night, I couldn't sleep. My eyes were wide open despite the bright light of the phone. My fingers ran to and from the smooth display screen feeling it. I placed it on my cheek and felt its smoothness. I was very happy. I had already set up the phone. So I started downloading and watching movies from the unlimited internet that was available in the house. Time passed. My eyes were tired of watching. I placed the phone on my chest and slept on it. I believed that it would be communicating with my heart!

I woke up from sleep early the next day. I immediately took the phone and started browsing. I searched for my classmates on social media and when we began chatting, I got their contact information. I saw many people on social media. Some were beautiful girls and my manhood instincts prompted me to hit on them. Just then, I heard a knock on the door. I nearly backed off from my position. My fears immediately died when I thought that it could be my uncle. I rose to go and open the door. When I opened the door, there was nobody! Instead, I heard my uncle's voice speak.

"Come downstairs and have breakfast." The voice came from above me. I looked eager to see the source of the sound and just saw two speakers that were placed adjacent to one another just above the door. This time around, I was not amazed by the technology in the house. I changed from my bed attire and then ran downstairs. Midway, I ran back to my room after realizing that I had forgotten my phone. I picked it up and then ran downstairs.

In the dining room, there was tea in three mugs. There was an empty wide plate. There was water on the table. I then went and sat on one seat. With the phone in hand, I asked whether there were snacks for breakfast. I asked that not because I was expecting them. In our home, we never ate snacks with tea for breakfast. We never drank milk tea. We used to take black tea before going to school. On other days when sugar wasn't available, we would take warm water to warm our stomachs. A knock came at the door, and Jean entered with a bag. He then removed a packed parcel inside and placed it on the table.

"Open it and serve us," Uncle Jack ordered him. He opened it and served hot mandazi on the wide empty plate. I salivated while smiling. I kept the phone aside. The three of us sat to eat. We ate all the snacks which were full on the plate. My uncle got to his phone again and within thirty seconds, he ordered Jean to run to the gate. When he came back, he came loaded with two bags which were similar to the first one we had just consumed. The process was repeated. One bag remained and I kept it in the kitchen store. As usual, the dishwasher did its work and the day had now begun.

Jean was sent to the gate to attend to his duties. My uncle went to his secret room. I looked at him as he went. I did not follow him to know more. The motivation to do so had already died. I became busy on my phone. I forgot all the research I had assigned myself. I forgot all the work I had wished to do with the phone. I never researched the difficult concepts we had learned in school. I forgot about the assignments that we had been given at school. I never read my two novels which had begun captivating me. I now had access to the music that I had heard only in hotels, ceremonies, and in people's houses as I passed by. I now watched the movies that my schoolmates had talked about when we were in school. For sure, I was not the Mike who left home. The Mike before the phone and the Mike after the phone were very different.

Just then, my uncle came from his secret room. He went to the washroom and freshened up. He then called me to his room. I was surprised at first. Why did he have to call me to his room? He then took me to a room written, "LAUNDRY" above the door. He showed me how to operate a device which he called the washing machine and left his clothes there.

"Make sure you wash them by the time I come back." He advised. He then went to his car and drove out of the homestead. I watched as his car moved out of the gate and then went back to the laundry room. I operated it carefully just as he had shown me. I was amazed when clothes came on the other end clean and dry. I then folded them and took them to his room. As I passed, I set my eyes on the door of the secret room. I debated whether to get in or not. At last, I decided not to disappoint him.

As I was just there, I heard footsteps downstairs. I quickly ran downstairs so that I wouldn't be found near the secret room. I laughed when I saw Jean.

"You frightened me," I told him when I saw him.

"Don't tell me that you were trying to get to his room!" He replied.

"No, I can't even think of that," I said with my hands in my pockets defensively.

"You have noticed that your uncle has changed. Now he calls us for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He is not like before when he used to order food for me to eat at the gate." Jean explained.

"I changed him," I said to him proudly.

"How?" He asked, "What do you mean you changed him?"

"I told you the other day that I'm a big game changer," I said proudly. "You saw it as a joke, didn't you?" Jean laughed loudly. I never knew he could laugh that loudly. "Well, go back to the gate, he may have come back so quick. You know how unpredictable he is…"

When Jean had left, I took my phone, and only then did I notice that the battery was used up. I took the charger from the same clothes that were rained on. I had forgotten to wash them. It worked perfectly when I plugged it into the socket. It was a moment of boredom without my phone. I took my novels and tried to read but my head was still thinking about the phone. In the process, I dozed off.

I was woken up by footsteps in the house. I looked quickly and eagerly to see the person. I then heard conversations upstairs. I remained still as I tried to get the voice of the person speaking. I became frightened when I heard the voice of a man who was neither Uncle Jack nor Jean. I decided to wait for a moment. When it was quiet, I ran upstairs and the voice came again this time from my uncle's secret room. Who could be that?

"Congratulations," the voice said, "you have just succeeded. I could never imagine that you could manage to follow all the strict instructions that were required." I became still. This was becoming serious. I ran silently towards my room and hit behind the door in such a way that I could see outside but no one outside could see me. For a moment, nothing was heard. I decided to go and check my phone. It was still charging with only a small percentage left.

When I went back to the door, I saw my uncle walking downstairs as if coming from his secret room. I picked up my phone and followed him to the living room. The urge to know who he was talking to was burning in my heart. The question of his riches came again to my mind. When I arrived in the living room, I didn't see him. Where had he gone? I opened the door quickly and rushed out. I was just fortunate enough to see his car moving out of the gate.

I gave up on the whole matter. There was no way I could bring that topic up in the future. However, my questions were still unanswered. I then went to Jean to seek some information.

"As you were opening the gate for him, did you see him with another person in the car?" I asked curiously. Jean looked at me and laughed jokingly.

"You have forgotten that his car had tinted windows?" He asked me.

"Okay, hmmm! I heard another man's voice in his secret room and when I came out to check, I just saw his car moving out of the home compound. So I came to inquire whether you saw him come with anyone here."

"I didn't bother to see." Jean answered dismissively, "And why are you so concerned about him? You want to control the people he brings to his house, don't you?" I was silent. "Don't do that, you will be termed mannerless." He said and got into his room.

"I'm sorry for that," I said leaving the place back to the house. I still couldn't believe what I had heard. That made me worried about staying longer in his house. It worried me more about eating his food. I was worried even about using his phone. Simply put, I was worried about staying in the entire house. I went to my room and hid the phone behind the mattress. I then went to the packing area, picked up my bike, and proceeded to the gate.

"Where are you going?" Jean asked.

"Open for me, I'm not going home. I'm just exercising in the streets." I replied.

"Make sure you don't go anywhere, don't make me lose my job for having left you go back home without his consent," Jean advised. I didn't want to offend Jean. So I went bike riding along the streets near the house.

I rode quickly and in the moment, I allowed my brain to relax. I needed to get some fresh air. Air free from the worries of my secretive uncle. Air free from riches whose source was not known. I rode far and wide. Moving past slow-moving vehicles and motorbikes. I passed the walking pedestrians proudly. It was as if I was showing the whole world that I had just learned how to ride a bike.

When I was exhausted, I set off the journey back home. I was excited and refreshed. Vehicles were moving past me and others opposite. Just then, a car came from behind me and came to a halt just before me. It was similar to that of my uncle. I was terrified. If it was my uncle's, then I would be dead by that night. I remembered his strict warnings against me leaving the house without his consent. I remembered how I had agreed to follow his orders.

I stopped the bike and waited for the next eventuality. For sure, I had to wait for it and fight whatever it was. That was what life required, fighting with whatever challenge that came our way.