The Snake Game Saga!

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Do you mean there is not one game on your phone? What then do you do at your leisure time just to have fun? Bukky asked, her eyebrow lifted in curiosity as she kept staring at me thinking I was joking when she requested for my phone to play some games. "No, I don't have any game," I said. Her face sulked as she asked again, " Who doesn't have a game on their phone?"

I have never been a fan of installing games on my phone. A few people I have met would get surprised because, to them, what's the use of a phone without having some game apps on it. And I don't see it as something necessary or a 'must-have', but when it's time for fun and game with people, I am all in with my full body.

As a young teenager, my mom's phone was always with me all day, and it used to bother her when she needed to make use of it and I was nowhere to be found. "I don't know who owns this phone between me and you," she'd shout from the doorway while I would be inside, seated on the ancient sofa.

I have heard enough of that sofa's history as mom would remind me of how it was older than me and with a warning not to destroy it completely when I'd squeeze myself inside and use my legs to tear away the good part of the foam that still felt useful when other parts had been condemned.

After returning back from school, having taken my lunch, and being done with my homework, the next thing would be sneaking into mom's little space in the store room where she had her nylon business and then picking up her phone lying beside one of the machines. I would intentionally turn off the ringtone because I wasn't ready to take the phone to her when it rang, as I wouldn't want any disturbances while having fun playing my favourite snake games.

It was always an interesting time swerving and moving my body from left to right with chills running down my body as I killed every snake I met on the way and the more I killed them, the bigger they turned, and the higher my score was. And when I missed, I would stomp my feet hard on the ground in disappointment.

When my mom was tired of the constant nagging and shouting, and with her angry face when I ignored her calls several times while being lost in the game, she took her phone away and out of my reach. The only way to get it from her was to beg.

"Mommy, please," I would fake a tear dropping from my eyes and then wrap myself around her, and when she sees my incessant pleas, and not ready to leave her sight, she will surrender and hand over the phone to me. "Just for a few minutes," she would say. "Okay, thank you, mummy," with excitement on my face and then would dash off to my favourite spot - onto the ancient sofa.

One day, she didn't take her phone with her when she went out. From the look on her face when she returned, I knew she was pained and the phone was important at that time. "From today, I won't give you my phone again. Don't come and ask me," she angrily said while heading towards the kitchen to drop the loads on her hands. I was sad and regretted what I did. No more fun and game, I thought.

Before she left that morning, she had placed her phone and everything in her bag but as someone who was addicted and couldn't wait to return to continue pushing my score, also that I just got to another level with a different set of snakes and now tougher, that made me eager to get on it, so, I took the phone out, hid it under the table as I turned off the ringtone just in case someone might call ruining my evil plan. As she left with her bag, I locked the door from inside and resumed my only job for the day.

I knew there was nothing I could do to change her mind. I began to be more hardworking in the house, doing things including the ones I wasn't sent to do. I became more gentle and would speedily run to her once she called me once; I never waited for the second time for her to call me. I just wanted to be in her good book and find favour in the sight of my mother.

Of course, she noticed. She smiled on a Saturday afternoon and said, "Is it because I said I wouldn't give you my phone again that made you change?" I smiled back coldly.

"Mummy, I promise. I will never do that again. Sorry, mummy," I gently told her when she was in the kitchen preparing our lunch, and I could see she was in a good mood. "Leave me, this child," she gave a half-smile and continued. I held her from the back and playfully wrapped myself around her, then she said, "Okay oo, I have heard you. That's my phone, take it. Have fun with your game but don't go too far" I jumped up in excitement, picked the phone and ran out of the kitchen to play my game.

"I missed my snake game," I said while I leaned on the wall outside, but I didn't go too far in case she needed my attention because I didn't want her to get angry again.