Hello, Tobi. I’ve been waiting for you

Two weeks ago, I ordered a new smartwatch from Jumia.

It was one of those trendy, all-in-one AI-powered gadgets Gen Z folks rave about—step counter, mood detector, voice assistant, even a feature that claimed to predict your stress levels before you felt them.

When the package arrived, it felt like unboxing a spaceship. The matte black box slid open with a satisfying hiss, and inside, the watch glowed faintly, like it was alive.

“Bro, see as e fine,” my younger cousin Tobi said, hovering over me. He’s a TikTok addict, so anything shiny looks like content.

I strapped it on. The screen blinked awake:

“Hello, Kelvin. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Chills ran down my spine.

I laughed nervously. “Guy, na AI greeting jare.”

But Tobi frowned. “How e take sabi your name? You never set am.”

I brushed it off. “All these new tech gadgets dey link with your phone automatically. Relax.”

We both ignored it.

That night, the watch kept vibrating, even though I muted notifications. At 2:17 AM, I finally checked:

“Don’t go to Yaba tomorrow.”

I froze.

I whispered, “What kind of juju smartwatch is this?”

The next morning, I had a gadget review meet-up with friends at a café in Yaba. I considered cancelling, but laughed at myself. “Na film I dey act? Watch no fit tell me where to go.”

So, I went.

At the café, I was showing off the watch. Everyone gathered around.

“Guy, e fine die! Omo, where you buy am?” my friend Chuka asked.

Before I could answer, the screen flashed again:

“Leave now.”

I swallowed hard.

“Kelvin, why your face change?” Chuka asked.

I lied, “Battery low.”

But deep down, I felt my chest tighten.

Five minutes later, a loud bang shook the street outside. Two cars had collided, spilling fuel, smoke rising. People screamed, rushing out. If we had stepped outside at that exact moment, we’d have been caught in it.

Everyone panicked. My hands trembled. I looked at the watch again.

It pulsed softly: “You’re safe. For now.”

That night, I argued with myself.

“This thing is not just a gadget. Wetin be this? AI guardian angel abi FBI spyware?”

Tobi overheard me. He whispered, “Bros, maybe e dey save you. Or maybe e dey use you.”

The thought made my skin crawl.

Three days later, the watch buzzed again.

“Don’t trust Tobi.”

I stared at my little cousin, laughing at some TikTok skit on his phone. My chest went cold.

“Wait… what?” I muttered.

Tobi noticed me staring. “Why you dey look me like that?”

I forced a smile. “Nothing.”

But inside, I was spiraling.

Last night, it buzzed again.

“Your time is running out. Remove me, and you’ll regret it.”

I threw it on the table, heart racing.

Tobi picked it up and strapped it on, joking, “Make I wear my own destiny watch small.”

The screen blinked alive.

“Hello, Tobi. I’ve been waiting for you.”

I swear I almost fainted.

Now I don’t know if I’m living inside a sci-fi movie, or if I just bought the most cursed gadget in Lagos.

But one thing is clear—this watch didn’t choose me. It’s choosing us.

And that… scares me more than anything.