Battery Low

Some people in Mozambique live peacefully without the stress and rush of technology; others have caught the bug.

Last week a friend was here visiting for a couple days. As soon as he arrived, he asked if there was a way he could charge his cellphone.

“Why would you travel with your phone on ‘battery low,’ knowing you were about to spend two days in a place with no electricity?” I accused. He has electricity at home. He didn’t think of this beforehand? He’s a chefe (Big Boss) at work and always in high demand, so I was slightly worried that he would miss some important phone calls during the time he spent at my house, unplugged.

“I did charge it! But…you know…it’s just that…facebook!”

I didn’t feel bad anymore, and didn’t make any effort to help him find a house with a working solar panel.

He lasted through the day on the last bar of charge, which held out for a surprisingly long time considering the 87 phone calls that interrupted our heart-to-heart chats. But 10pm that night brought another crisis.

“Steeeeeeph, I can't sleep.”

I had just found a comfortable spot to put my head on my rock-like couch, and he had climbed into bed not 45 seconds before, when his voice, with a whine that made him sound about a third of his age, floated through the door.

Did your head even make an indent in the pillow yet? I said, not out loud. “Why not?”

“I always use internet on my phone before I go to bed!”

I waited for a minute before responding, for the evil cackle inside my head to subside.

“How about a book?”

Silence.