Pick up the phone

I am a person who does not like to speak on the phone. Despite having a cell phone I always startle when ever I receive a call. Speaking on the phone would be the last task that I am willing to do. I hate answering the phone calls as well. But somehow my parents think that answering everyone's phone is my unsaid duty.

When I was a child that time the phones were pretty new. Only few households would have landline phones. When the phone was installed at my home I was thrilled. But probably it was only for a short time and I started hating speaking on the phone. But still my parents had decided that I would be the one who would answer the phone calls. As if I was the phone call operator of my home.

Then came the time of cordless phone. When the cordless phone was installed in my home I was in grade 10. I would be studying throughout the day. My mother would keep the phone next to me, so that I do not have to get up to answer the phone call. The constant calls had been disturbing. I would be in studies and had to stop the kesson to answer the call. Most relatives would want to speak with my mother so I would have to get up to handover the phone. I had told several times to my mother not to keep the phone near me and the calls disturb me a lot. But that did not change anything. The phone remained near me regardless. Every phone call would make my blood boil. I would feel as if I should throw away the phone or break it into pieces so that I could study peacefully. Yet I kept answering the phone politely.

Then came the time of mobile phones. They added another responsibility on my plate. Besides answering the landline, now all mobile phones too would be kept near me. The responsibility did not stop there. I was required to ensure that all mobile phones are charged. If they would not be charged, I would get the scolding. My frustration had been growing day by day. It was impossible for me to believe that grown ups are incapable of doing simple tasks. It would make me furious.

I deliberately stopped doing these tasks to show my rebellion. I had to do that because telling that each individual would need to take care of their phones was not enough. Words were not doing the trick so I had to act. But not everything stopped there. During the pandemic, I had a virtual meeting with a client. While I was speaking my mother's phone started ringing, that is when I realised it had been kept in the same room. One of the relatives had been calling constantly. I got so fed up that I switched off her phone.

Even today I was working. My dad kept his phone near me telling me that I should answer the phone call while he is away. I told him I was busy and was not going to answer the phone call. If the phone rings I was going to switch it off. I felt like it was a breaking point for me because I had been saying this for years that I am not the phone call operator of the house. But still I get taken for granted. It makes me angry. It makes me feel that despite seeing that I am working I am expected to pick up this unnecessary slack. I said no and I kept the phone in the room adjacent to me.

I hope things to change in future.