Ringtone

“Has anyone lost his cell phone?” our AP asked in a loud voice, drawing attention of all in the OT. Several heads turned, but no one responded. She moved to another part of the OT and repeated the question. It was met with the same response. She went to the adjacent OT and asked. There was no answer. She came back. “Have you found a phone that no one claims to be his?” I asked. “Yes, I am waiting for someone to turn up asking for it.” “Why don’t you call yourself using that phone?” I said. “Then you will get that person’s number.” “I did. It is an unknown number.” Then I had an idea. “Call that number using your phone. The owner will hear the ring tone and come running.” She was skeptical, but she tried that anyway. The owner did not come running. He just came along looking around for the source of the ring tone, and started going away after seeing a group of senior staff members from amidst whom the sound seemed to be emanating. She stopped him and asked him if he had lost his phone. “Yes” he said, “Sorry Madam.” He took his phone from her. The ‘sorry, Madam’ sounded like a resident doctor, they kept saying that. “Who are you” she asked. “I am a resident in neonatology” he answered. Times have indeed changed. Now people do not hear other people talking to them, but they hear ring tones of distant people calling them on mobile phones.