Me and Murphy's Law

Murphy’s Law states that

If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which something can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop

Yesterday I got off work like past 7, as I stepped out of the building, I just felt incomplete, I go through a mental checklist, handbag – check, car keys – check, wallet – check, shoes – check, coffee cup – shoot! … forgot that will have to bring another one tomorrow (I usually take my cup home and wash it, there is no kitchenette on my floor and I feel bad asking the IT students to wash it, plus they usually go wash it in the loo instead of going one floor up, yuck!). As I walked on, I still couldn’t shake off this feeling of having forgotten something, what could it be, what could it be … That’s it, I forget my GSM phone. By this time I am half way to my car, and the thought of going back up is not exactly palatable. I quickly go through my options, I have a total of 3 phones; My VMobile is the one I forgot and its my primary phone line, My GLO (which is my hand bag) is my emergency line for situations such as the time I was barred on VMobile over the Christmas holidays because although I wasn’t owing, I had hit my limit (omo make I no go chop gbese I set a monthly limit on my phone) and My Starcomms (also in my bag) which is technically my home phone (I don’t get service in my office building). I use it for making local landline calls plus I get to call Starcomms numbers free at weekends. I am really not expecting anyone to ring, and if they try my VMobile and they don’t get through they will try my Starcomms, and since I have credit on my GLO and Starcomms lines, I can call in case of an emergency, so I fashi and head off home.

I thought about my phone this morning as I picked up my handbag ready to leave the house, then my phone rings its My Girl ‘Hello’ I say ‘Funke ki lo sele?’ (Funke what happened?) She asks in a very very worried voice, ‘Mo tin pe e lati ano, gsm e kan ring, Starcomms e o de lo!’ (I have been calling you since yesterday, your gsm phone just rang and your Starcomms wouldn’t connect!) ‘I forgot my phone in the office’ I mumble ‘I am so sorry’. ‘Thank God, let me call hubby and let him know you are okay, talk to you later’ she says and we hang up. I felt really bad and I think I would have felt worse (albeit a little loved) if she had showed up at the house last night to see if everything was okay. To think I thought I had everything covered and I would be reachable. When I got to work I had 15 missed calls on my phone! So much for covering all my options last night, I had forgotten about Murphy’s Laws!!!