Chapter 48 - a cellphone, is it a necessity? Or just another non sense

Mariam suggested to me that I should buy a cellphone. Mariam said that the Nokia 3310 was the right choice for me because it was affordable and had all the features I needed. She also helped me find the right store to buy it from. But when I asked Mariam if I could play Snake on it, she just gave me a blank stare!

"Dumbass!!, if that is all that you plan on buying you would rather stick with the older model!!" She continued and gave me a smirk and said, "Maybe you should just get one of those old-fashioned slithery snakes instead!"

As Amin pointed out, "3310 is the most recent model as well, so you won't have to worry about anything since you are quite the rugged type of guy."

Is it worth buying or should I wait until another time?

"At least we keep in touch if there is anything we could do to keep us in the loop!” Mariam is really making sure that I won’t making anything stupid anymore. I guess I should be thankful that my friend Mariam has such a good memory, although it does make me feel like she's a living reminder of all my mistakes!

As soon as we finished school, we went to Wisma Merdeka to buy a new phone for me and Amin. Sylvia also wanted to follow, and she also wanted to get her own phone. We ended up going to Wisma Merdeka to get me a new phone.

“Big Brother!" This is a lot of fun!"I know the more the merrier eh? Rather than the phone, Sylvia and Mariam were actually talking about the shopping mall. Upon reaching our destination, distractions are one thing, but Sylvia and Mariam are also window shopping. Spending less on a phone and more on clothing. Additionally, Mariam bought Hana new clothing and stationery as a gift. When me and Amin were looking for a new phone, Amin ended up getting a new phone, while I am still deciding which model to get. Like Mariam, Amin purchased a Samsung MPH M100. Meanwhile, I'm still standing there trying to decide which phone to get, my wallet screaming at me to not buy another phone!

“You know that's a really expensive one, you're not Mariam”, I said, explaining his reason for this choice.

“You know how complicated it is to find a phone that I can play and listen to music without adding another way to carry around baggage?” Amin is really into compact stuff. He must really hate carrying an elephant around!

"Well, it's your call..." I feel that he wanted the same thing as Mariam. After he gets the phone, it's my turn to choose it. Looking around for the right model, Sylvia and Mariam meet us after they have ended their shopping spree. Hana is looking really happy having this kind of fun (I’m kinda worried one of these days, Hana will be the next Mariam soon)

"Big Brother! look at what Big Sis Mariam and Sylvia bought for me" a bunch of clothing and stationary. Are they hoping for my younger sister to become a shopaholic?!

"Uh... yeah...that's a lot of things you know?"

One of these days I have to have a small talk with Mariam about this. "Sis said that was a gift for my birthday." I'll need to have a small talk with Mariam about it. I guess it's true what they say: it's better to give than to receive...especially when it's someone else's gift.

With my part-time savings of RM 2500, I could at least purchase a decent phone. A shop assistant approached me.

“Hey kid, anything that you like to see here, not like you could afford all of these…” what the hell is that kind of tone?! Maybe because I’m a student that is the reason that they treated me this way though.

Sylvia followed me as Amin and Mariam brought Hana and Steward out. I guess it's true what they say - it pays to be a student! In the list of models, I came across the Nokia 3310, which looks decent. After pointing out the phone model, the shop assistant showed me it.

“Not bad of a choice, interested in taking this model instead?” He showed a different model, which is a Nokia 8810 which is price at RM 2000, I really doesn’t like anything that is fancy. No thank you, I prefer something more low-key like a brick phone. Sylvia did not seem interested in it, so I immediately chose the 3310 model instead. Sylvia also choose the same model like me. Once I activate the phone Sylvia instantly took my phone and added my number to her.

Once reach out from the shop, Amin looking at me as if he saw something that he wanted to test something.

“Hey bro!!” He took his phone and called me, I really wondering how the hell he manage to call me even I haven’t give him my contacts. Then another number ringing in my phone. Mariam rise her phone and smiling at me. This is getting me really concern about this.

“He is really an idiot” with realising Sylvia took a simcard and show it to me, that my number is really obvious.

“uh.. I don’t know about that though…”

“Yeah, don’t you remember about your own number ?”

When we return back home. Mariam suddenly called me and wanted to discuss something with me.

“Hey Alex, what are you doing right now?”

“Just to let you know that you are right in front of me asshole!" That really pissed me off.

We walked back home and realized that mom actually knew I had a phone. I realise something that it has been a while since we had something crazy.

I'm glad it's easy for me to contact you soon"

“Yeah, yeah!!” Kinda annoyed by that statement though

When I showed them the phone, Sylvia took it and showed it to them. Hana wasn’t having it.

“Bad girl!! Get away from Big Brother!!"

I’ve got used to it already, so leave it as it is. Mom called me and wanted to talk to me about something. When we stepped outside the backyard of the house, mom wanted to ask me about something.

“Do you have any strange dreams before?” Sounds like she is trying to find out something.

“Nothing at all mom”

“Really?”

“Yeah, why do you want to find out mom?"

“Oh, it's nothing because I wanted to find out something from"

“Uh huh, mom I just wonder what is really taking place on when I really died at that time?”

Her eyes were fixed on the sky, and she did not respond.

“Just be thankful for what has happened Alex…because what happened with Frederica has already happened..."

Seems mom is keeping secrets again. Suddenly, I began to wonder if my parents are hiding something from me. While for the others, anyway the phone is still a necessity. Melissa still mentioned this to me. But I just kept my mouth shut. Mom went back to the house while I stand in front of my bike. I have a feeling that I need to be out again. I took the bike and went out from the house.

I slowly drive towards the beach, and stand in front of the beach. Nat, I have a feeling that I need you to be here. My phone is ringing and its a different number, I answered it and its Natalie.

“Alex…”

“Nat?”

“Yep its me, Mar told me that you have your own number now, at least I’m happy that I could contact you again with using Mar.”

“Yeah, aren’t you supposed to be asleep now?”

“With assignments and research papers, I doubt that I could have a decent sleep for now”

“Yeah…well you did tried to prove your dad though…Nat?”

“Yeah?”

“Is your dad is there?”

“Yeah he is…want to talk to him?”

“yeah…” Mr Hawk answered the phone.

“Hey Alex”

“Hey Mr Hawk”

“still having nightmares?” I could hear Nat started to worried about me.

“Dad!? What is going on?”

“Nothing Nat, just keep doing you work” kinda sorry for Natalie though for not telling her.

“You know kid, that kind of dream is something that lingering within you, I did ask someone about this and they said that you possess a double soul within you kid”

Now that is something is out of my understanding, double soul? What the hell is going on now?

“Your mom is also hiding something from me, but I know that you are different than any other kid that I have encounter, but its not hostile though…”

“Its Frederica, a girl from my past…”

“Then its must be it…you both haven’t accept it…think through kid, deeply maybe there is something that she wanted from you then”

“I thought that I have accepted it…”

“It seems that other wise though maybe think through it again okay ?”

“Yeah maybe that is one of it, or its just trauma…something that I felt that it is my own fault”

“I believed that there is something a force that you must face in the future…”

I could not said any word after that, in that short pause. I heard from Natalie and she started to lecture me.

“Then stand up Alex!! Like you always do”

“Natalie…”

“Gloomy is not yourself got it”

I said goodbye and hang up the phone. Looking at the sunset wondering what will be happening tomorrow, because is not just exam, but also the day that I need to decide myself.