When your phone rings in Sierra Leone, you have very little guarantee that you’ll know the person on the other end is. You can accumulate all the numbers you like from the various networks on offer – social and professional – but there will always be someone who’ll choose to call you unannounced.
This doesn’t bother me a jot during the hours I’m awake as it could easily be a work-related call, but when I’m in bed it’s a different matter. Unfortunately, it seems to happen the most when you’re asleep.
My policy for answering unknown numbers is the same as in the UK – blissful ignorance and quick click on ‘Silence’ to stop it ringing. However, if I don’t know the number here, I give each one due diligence and give them a name in my phone’s memory (namely Prank 1, Prank 2, Prank 3, etc. – I’m currently at Prank 12). That way, I can track if they are repeat offenders – then I’ll answer and attempt to let them know they have a wrong number.
The other day, I had around the 9th call of the evening from a Guinean number (Prank 12) when I decided to test a new technique – answer and speak to them in a Wolverhampton accent. The dialogue went as follows, with Queen’s English translation alongside for those uninitiated:
“Orrite” – Hello
(Muffled silence)
“Ow am ya?” – How are you?
(More silence)
“Terrah a bit!”
(Line goes dead)
This turned out to be a master stroke, as I haven’t had a call from the same number since. The shock and awe at hearing such a strange dialect must have scared them witless, no doubt, and they will no longer waste their credit and my time!
