The day cell phones became illegal

I sat in a wooden kitchen chair, my wrists bound with duct tape behind my back.  My ankles were wrapped around the legs of the chair and secured the same way.  "What do you want with me, why am I here?" I said with fear in my voice.

"Oh, I think we both know why you're here," the man sneered with a toothless crooked grin.

"How could I?  I have never seen you before in my life.  I haven't done anything wrong,"  I said as I watched the man pace in circles around my chair, not taking his beady brown rat-like eyes off of mine.  In his hand, he held a gleaming switchblade.  By the looks of it, it was new and he had made sure the blade was extra sharp for this occasion.

"Yes you have, and you're proving it right now.  If you hadn't gone and opened your mouth, I wouldn't be in a $500,000 debt.  No matter, there's an easy remedy for people that talk too much."  He lunged at her face with his weapon.

I opened my eyes and bolted upright, breathing heavily. Looking around the room, I  realized I was in the comfort of my own bed, and that I was sweating profusely.  "Calm down, Leah," I told myself aloud, making sure I still had my tongue.  I remained sitting on my bed for a few minutes taking deep breaths, trying to calm down.  When I finally did, I reached for my cell phone on the nightstand.

Except it wasn't there.  I looked on the floor and under the bed.  Nothing.  I checked the drawers in the nightstand, but it wasn't there either.  I sighed in frustration.  "Dammit, what the hell is going on?"  Every night, I plug my phone in, and set it on my nightstand.  I use it as my alarm clock so that I'm up for work in the morning.  "Oh no."  I looked at my watch.  "Shit!"  It was 7:52, and I had to be to work at 8.  I hate being late.

I sighed, pulled on my robe, and turned to walk to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.  It was apparent it was a necessity today, not that it wasn't every day.  But today in particular, because then I realized that I didn't even know my work number by heart, because it was always stored in my cell phone when I needed it.  I dug out the phone book from a junk drawer and found the number to Beach Diner.  I grabbed my house phone and dialed.

"Beach Diner, this is Kaci speaking, how may I help you?" she said sweetly.

"Hey Kaci, it's Leah.  I'm sorry, I know I'm scheduled to be there right now, but I woke up late."

"I understand Leah.  Is your cell phone missing too?"

"What?!" I exclaimed.  "Yours is..."

"Gone?  Yes!  I couldn't find it anywhere!  My husband and I searched the entire house this morning.  I store a lot of important work information on my Blackberry."

"I can't believe this.  I thought it was just me.  My alarm didn't go off this morning, and I realized it was because my cell phone was nowhere in sight.  Not even the charger!  Any trace of it is gone!  What the hell is going on?!"

"I don't know, Leah.  I've been over hearing customers complain about it since we opened.  I've already put all the TV's on the news channel.  They should be able to tell us something.  But hey go get ready for work, I'll need you today."

"All right, I'll be right in."

Still in deep thought about how bizarre this is, I retrieved my to go thermos from the cupboard and made my coffee.  The first sip is always so refreshing in the morning.  Maybe it's just because I'm not a morning person.  I headed to the bathroom and set my thermos on the counter, closing the lid to keep it hot.  After my 10 minute shower I dried off and looked at myself in the mirror.

My jet black shoulder length hair was in disarray from me towel drying it.  My bright green eyes were standing out like always, and my cheeks were a little rosy.  I stand 5 feet 10 inches tall and weigh around 170.  I've lived in the south all my life, and I have a tan to prove it.  I was born in Albany Georgia, 26 years ago.  When I was 10, my family moved to Jacksonville, Florida.  I've stayed here ever since.

I turned off the bathroom light and took a sip of coffee as I headed to my bedroom to get dressed in my work uniform.  Grabbing the things I needed from my room, I headed back to the bathroom to put my hair in a pony tail.  Satisfied I hadn't forgotten anything and I was ready to leave, I left my house and went to work.

When I entered the restaurant, I immediately made a b-line for Ace, the owner of Beach Diner.  I wanted to touch base with everyone about the cell phone issue  "Hey.  What's going on?"

"Well, other than the new ban on cellular devices, nothing."

"You're telling me that the government has made cell phones illegal?"

"Yes.  That's what's happening, I'm afraid."

"Even though the government has the ability to listen in on our conversations.......they've banned cell phones.  That's taking it a little too far, I think."

"That's how everyone feels.  Besides, you know, the occasional cell phone addict who's acting as if their having serious withdrawal symptoms from hardcore drugs."

I shook my head in disbelief.  "I was pissed this morning because I couldn't find it.  I use my phone to text, mostly.  The only important thing I keep in my phone are phone numbers, so it really doesn't affect me that much.  I just don't understand why the government feels the need to put a ban on them.  They're harmless!  People use them to communicate, what's so bad about that?!"

"Our Government feels that the misuse of cellular devices has caused too many deaths," Ace informed me.

"Deaths?  From what, using a phone while driving?" I exclaimed.

Ace nodded.

"So all the idiots who can't pay attention to the road and text or talk at the same time have ruined the luxury of a cell phone for the whole country?! You've got to be kidding me."

Ace stared at me with a very serious face and said "I'm afraid not, Leah."  He turned to go about his day.

By the time noon had rolled around, I'd wished I could turn off my hearing when I pleased.  All the customers talked about was how inconvenient not having a cell phone was.

"Have you called your grandmother lately Adam?"

"I was going to after breakfast this morning.  So much for that," the teenaged boy replied.

"Get out your calculator Lily, and figure out how much money we should leave our waitress."

"My calculator was on my phone, grandma.  I guess I'll have to buy one now."

"Dean, why don't you start mapping out our trip.  We'll hit the road as soon as we finish our food."

"I would if we had a GPS honey.  We always used my phone, remember?"

I couldn't have been happier when Ace gave me the ok to head home.  I immediately changed into my pajamas and sat down on the couch and thought about the stupidity of it all.  The Government made cell phones illegal because American citizens can't obey the laws, and when I go to work it's all I hear about!!  What would all these people have done if they were born before the thought of a phone, let alone a cell phone?  I got annoyed when I couldn't find mine this morning, but not having it won't change my life.  The internet provides other ways to communicate with loved ones, and house phones are still legal.  If you ask me, people need to open their eyes a little, and stop revolving around a gadget used to communicate with others that can fit in you pocket.